Any cat owner will tell you: cats hold humans in contempt. Oh sure, they pretend to like you, rubbing around your legs and purring until you produce the food bowl. But as soon as mealtime is over, they go right back to normal mode — sneering condescension.

But what if you learned that you’re wrong and that given a choice, cats will pick human companionship over toys, food and appealing smells? That’s exactly what three researchers have discovered, and they have the charts and numbers to prove it.