A new study suggests that cats have little regard for their owners. Researcher Daniel Mills, a professor of Veterinary Behavior Medicine in the United Kingdom, says that while dogs form an attachment to their owners similar to the one children form with their parents, cats are more likely to see their owners as a provider of resources, not a provider of safety.

The experiment mimicked one performed in the 1970s, where children were briefly separated from their parents and then reunited. When the children saw the parents after the separation, they were immediately drawn to the parent in most cases. The experiment with dogs produced similar results. Cats, however, did not appear to care whether or not their owner was present. "Clearly cat owners love cats," said Mills. "It's difficult to say whether or not cats love back."