There really is chemistry between you and the cat - scientists have found a hormonal connection. Researchers from Kyoto University measured oxytocin and cortisol in 19 owners and 29 cats over the course of a month. Levels of bonding-related oxytocin in humans and pets have been shown to correlate. A higher score in the cat was also associated with less stress and less negative mood in the owner. At the same time, cats did not turn out to be a hormonal "mirror" of their owners' stress: the connection with cortisol was weak. So there is chemistry between you, but it cannot be said that the cat really absorbs your experiences.

There really is chemistry between you and the cat - scientists have found a hormonal connection. Researchers from Kyoto University measured oxytocin and cortisol in 19 owners and 29 cats over the course of a month. Levels of bonding-related oxytocin in humans and pets have been shown to correlate. A higher score in the cat was also associated with less stress and less negative mood in the owner. At the same time, cats did not turn out to be a hormonal "mirror" of their owners' stress: the connection with cortisol was weak. So there is chemistry between you, but it cannot be said that the cat really absorbs your experiences.