Cross-modal recognition of emotions in cats

Building on emotion research, this study asked whether cats integrate visual and auditory emotional information from both humans and other cats. Cats were presented with facial expressions and vocalisations that either matched or mismatched in emotional valence. Looking times and behaviour suggested that cats can associate angry or fearful sounds with corresponding expressions, indicating a degree of cross-modal emotional processing. The work positioned the domestic cat alongside dogs and horses as a species capable of combining sensory channels to represent affect, reinforcing the view that cats possess richer socio-emotional cognition than their reputation for aloofness suggests and informing welfare-focused interpretation of feline signals.