What stimuli do cats prefer: people, food, toys, or scent

To test the common claim that cats are aloof, researchers offered both shelter and pet cats a choice among four stimulus categories: social interaction with a human, food, toy, and scent. After a deprivation period, most cats preferred human social interaction over the other options, with food a close second, and individual cats showed consistent rankings. The results challenge the stereotype of feline indifference and provide a method for tailoring enrichment and welfare to individual preference. The study became a frequently cited counterpoint to assumptions that cats value food above company, informing both husbandry and behavioural research.