Photos show cats taking their social distancing responsibilities very seriously
The world has changed – at least for now. And while not everyone has come to terms with that fact, there are new rules for interacting in public so we don’t continue to spread the potentially deadly novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).
We won’t even get into the irresponsible humans undoing the actions of so many by crowding into small spaces where viruses spread easily just because they want to. But even those who are trying their best to stay distant are having a hard time remembering to keep a distance.
That’s why some spaces have created markings on the ground or floor to show how far away to stand from another person you don’t live so you can help reduce the risk of viral transmission.
Next time you have a hard time remembering to look down and mind your distance, you might want to remember the group of cats in Quezon City, Philippines who seem to do it without issue or drama.
In fact, photos published by The Philippine Star show them happily sitting in the social distancing circles a local market set up for humans.
These stray cats were spotted occupying the circle marks intended for the implementation of social distancing protocols in front of a store in Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City on Sunday amid enhanced community quarantine. pic.twitter.com/EqOORqCJMa
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) May 13, 2020
Guess you’ll have to get in line behind these guys if you want to shop!
When the photos went viral, many commented on cats’ inexplicable love of sitting in circles (and squares) even in the pre-COVID days. It’s yet another weird (to us) feline behavior that we don’t understand fully and can only guess at.
Mieshelle Nagelschneider, a cat behaviorist and author of the book The Cat Whisperer told Inverse that cats like to sit inside these shapes for the same reason they do most things:
“You can boil many cat behaviors down to one reason and that reason is survival,” she said.
(Apparently, cats care more about survival than some humans.)
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But what is it about a bit of tape on the ground that indicates a better chance of survival to a cat?
Well, Nagelschneider thinks it’s partly because cats are drawn to enclosed spaces (we’ve all seen our cats relax in a box of just about any size).
In the same way that a box can feel safe, cats may see these demarcated spaces as “enclosed” and think they’re “hiding” on any potential predators.
But what’s funny is that there doesn’t have to be a predator around – and some of the cats in the viral photos were simply drawn to sit in the shapes for just a few moments before going about the rest of their days.
Perhaps there’s just something about the “border” that feels psychologically comforting to them. (Hey, humans have weird comfort strategies too!)
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It may also be a case of “monkey see, monkey do” – except with cats.
These animals are social learners, and if they see one creature do something, they often mimic that behavior. Seeing a cat – or even a human – stand in the circle could have given these funny felines the idea that they needed to do the same, even if just for a moment.
Finally, Nagelschneider suggests that since cats have a preference for about 3 – 6 feet of personal space in general, the social distancing cues we’re laying down suit them well.
Of course, we haven’t figured out precisely why cats do anything yet, and perhaps we never will. It’s all guesswork since they can’t tell us the answer and we have a tendency to couch their behavior in humans terms that may not even apply to them.
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But one thing is for sure, these cats are being good social distancing role models!
If a cat can do it, so can you.
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Source: The Philippine Star, I Heart Cats, Inverse