Petting, a toy, or the food bowl: what cats actually pick when given the choice
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
A study published in 2017 by Vitale Shreve, Mehrkam and Udell in Behavioural Processes set out to find, without assuming an answer in advance, what a cat actually prefers when several kinds of stimulation are offered at once (see the study). Our other guidance on enriching an indoor cat's life is gathered in the toys and enrichment section.
Contents · 5 sections
The protocol: four categories, a free choice
Each cat, whether living in a home or in a shelter, was first exposed separately to three variants within each of four stimulus categories: social interaction with a human, food, a toy, and scent. Time spent with each stimulus was timed, which identified, for every category, the variant each individual preferred. In a final session, the four winning stimuli were presented simultaneously, and the researchers recorded which one the cat chose first and spent the most time with.
The ranking that surprises
For the majority of cats tested, social interaction with a human came out on top, ahead of food — and this held true for both pet cats and shelter cats, even though the latter were far less used to daily human contact. The toy and the scent ranked lower overall, though the study underlines clear individual variability: some cats remain firmly devoted to a toy or the food bowl, and no single stimulus wins unanimous support.
What this changes for everyday enrichment
The most useful takeaway is not to give up on toys, but to put their role in perspective. The general method stays the one described in our article on why a cat quickly loses interest in its toys: novelty and interaction matter more than the sheer number of items owned. This study adds a fact often missing from marketing pitches — ten minutes of hands-on play, or simply a focused petting session, can deliver more than a new purchase. Before piling up monthly subscription boxes, it is worth checking whether a given cat actually fits this profile: our comparison of toy subscription boxes breaks down that calculation.
The study's limits
The sample consists of cats already used to at least some human contact, even in the shelter group, which limits generalising to fearful or poorly socialised cats. The study also measures a preference at one point in time, not a permanent need: a cat can prefer human attention on average while still needing, on some days, more solitary physical activity.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stop buying toys for my cat?
No: the study does not say toys are useless, only that they do not systematically outrank human attention. The two complement each other rather than compete.
Does this result also apply to a cat left alone at home during the day?
The study does not measure that specific case: it compares in-the-moment preferences with a human available. Find all our guides on the cat hub.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Escape-resistant cat harness + 1.5 m leash (€19.90) · the whole shop
See it at Le Félin, a shop from the same family (zero commission): Arbre à chat beige (from €149.99)
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Cats universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.