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养猫真的能让人心情更好吗？以往研究结论并不一致。京都大学白眉中心特定助教高木佐保（Saho Takagi）等人在《iScience》期刊发表研究，对通过传单和社交媒体招募的29只猫及其19位主人进行了为期一个月的跟踪：在猫项圈上安装小型蓝牙（BLE）信标，用家中的智能手机记录猫与主人之间的距离，检测人和猫尿液中的催产素与皮质醇，并让主人填写情绪问卷。结果显示，猫与主人的催产素水平呈正相关；猫的催产素越高，主人的皮质醇越低、负面情绪越少。主人的积极状态与养猫年数无关，而与日常和猫的距离有关，其中最明确的是与猫待得更近的主人更有活力。研究规模较小、属于探索性研究，只能说明相关而非因果，人和猫共处同一环境也可能影响结果。论文于美国东部时间10月14日在线发表，京都大学与Phys.org于10月16日发布报道；文中据这些报道和论文改写。

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Many cat owners say their pet makes life better. Some studies agree, but others have found no benefit or even possible harm. A new study from Kyoto University in Japan offers one explanation. What may matter is not simply owning a cat, but how much time owners spend close to it every day.

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许多养猫的人说，宠物让生活变得更好。一些研究也认同这一点，但另一些研究没有发现益处，甚至发现了可能的害处。日本京都大学的一项新研究给出了一种解释：重要的也许不只是养不养猫，而是主人每天有多少时间待在猫身边。

The research team, led by Saho Takagi, followed 29 cats and their 19 owners for one month. The volunteers were found through flyers and social media. Each cat wore a small Bluetooth beacon on its collar, and a smartphone at home recorded how near the cat was to its owner. Owners filled in mood questionnaires, and both people and cats gave urine samples. The team also watched how each cat behaved toward its owner and toward a stranger.

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由高木佐保（Saho Takagi）带领的研究团队对29只猫和它们的19位主人进行了为期一个月的跟踪。这些志愿者是通过传单和社交媒体招募的。每只猫的项圈上都戴着一个小型蓝牙信标，家中的一部智能手机记录猫与主人之间的距离。主人填写情绪问卷，人和猫都提供了尿液样本。团队还观察了每只猫对主人和对陌生人的行为表现。

The samples were tested for two hormones. Oxytocin is linked to social bonds, while cortisol is linked to stress. When cats had higher oxytocin, their owners tended to have higher oxytocin too. Owners of cats with more oxytocin also had lower cortisol and fewer negative feelings. In fact, a cat’s oxytocin level was more closely tied to its owner’s bad moods than the owner’s own oxytocin level was.

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样本检测了两种激素：催产素与社会联结有关，皮质醇与压力有关。猫的催产素水平较高时，主人的催产素水平往往也较高。猫的催产素较多的主人，皮质醇水平也较低，负面情绪也较少。事实上，与主人自身的催产素水平相比，猫的催产素水平与主人的不良情绪联系更为紧密。

The amount of time spent together told a different story from the number of years. Owners who had lived with their cats for longer were not happier. Instead, owners whose cats stayed closer to them in daily life reported feeling more active and full of energy. The researchers say the quality of the relationship may matter more than ownership itself.

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相处时间的远近和养猫年数呈现出不同的情况。与猫一起生活更久的主人并没有更快乐；相反，日常生活中猫待得离自己更近的主人，报告自己更有活力、精力更充沛。研究人员表示，关系的质量可能比是否养猫本身更重要。

“I think many cat owners are familiar with the sense of comfort and peace they feel when their cat climbs onto their lap seeking affection,” Takagi said. The team believes this feeling may be partly reflected in the shared oxytocin link. The hormone is also involved in bonds between parents and children.

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“我想，很多养猫的人都熟悉这样一种舒适和平静的感觉：猫爬到他们腿上寻求亲昵，”高木说。团队认为，这种感受可能在一定程度上体现在人与猫共同的催产素联系之中。这种激素也参与父母与子女之间的情感联结。

However, the study has clear limits. It was small and exploratory, and it shows only connections, not causes. A cat may lift its owner’s mood, but happy owners may also spend more time with their cats. Because people and cats share the same home, things like noise, temperature or daily routines could affect both of them. The researchers say larger studies are needed. They also hope to learn more about how cats and people influence each other in ordinary daily life.

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不过，这项研究有明显的局限。它规模较小，属于探索性研究，只显示了相关联系，而不是因果关系。猫可能会提升主人的情绪，但心情好的主人也可能会花更多时间陪猫。由于人和猫生活在同一个家里，噪声、温度或日常作息等因素也可能同时影响双方。研究人员表示，还需要更大规模的研究。他们也希望进一步了解，在普通的日常生活中，猫和人是如何相互影响的。

新闻来源

• Kyoto University · Owners who spend more time close to their cats tend to have more positive moods (16 Oct 2026)
• Phys.org · Owners who spend more time close to their cats tend to have more positive moods (16 Oct 2026)
• iScience · Cats and humans show correlated affiliative physiological states (DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117934)

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