2026-10-15 京都大学
飼い主のオキシトシンはネコのオキシトシンと正の関連を、飼い主のコルチゾールはネコのオキシトシンと負の関連を示しました。（Takagi et al., 2026, iScience のグラフィカルアブストラクトを日本語化して掲載、CC BY 4.0）（イラストはchatGPTで高木佐保が生成。）
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja/research-news/2026-10-15
- https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03317-1
ネコとヒトは相関した親和的な⽣理状態を⽰す Cats and humans show correlated affiliative physiological states
Saho Takagi ∙ Taisuke Tsubomura ∙ Miho Nagasawa ∙ Takefumi Kikusui
iScience Published:October 13, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117934
Highlights
- Owner and cat urinary oxytocin concentrations were positively correlated
- Higher cat oxytocin linked to lower owner cortisol and negative mood
- Owner-cat proximity, not cohabitation duration, predicted owner vigor
- Cat oxytocin and cortisol relate to distinct social approach behaviors
Summary
Cats are among the world’s most popular companion animals. Owner-pet hormonal synchrony is documented in dogs but untested in cats. We measured oxytocin and cortisol in 19 owners and 29 pet cats over one month, and examined owner mood and owner-cat proximity via Bluetooth beacons. Owner and cat oxytocin were positively associated, whereas their cortisol concentrations showed little association. Higher cat oxytocin was linked to lower owner cortisol and less negative mood, while higher owner cortisol was linked to more negative mood. Closer proximity predicted higher owner vigor, and exploratory behavioral testing linked cat oxytocin to social approach and cortisol to reduced approach toward strangers. Unlike the cortisol-centered synchrony reported in human-dog dyads, human-cat relationships may center on oxytocin, extending interspecies hormonal findings to a species with a distinct domestication history. These correlations may partly reflect shared household environments rather than dyad-specific interactions, an issue that future studies should address.
