Basic Information

Email Address

• Email Address

  takagi.saho.5xkyoto-u.ac.jp

Professional Memberships

• From Apr. 2013, To Present

  日本心理学会
• From May 2013

  日本動物心理学会

Academic Degree

• 23 Mar. 2015

  京都大学修士（文学）
• 26 Mar. 2018

  京都大学博士（文学）

Academic Resume (Graduate Schools)

• 京都大学, 文学研究科, 行動文化学専攻, 心理学

Academic Resume (Undergraduate School/Majors)

• 同志社大学, 心理学部心理学科, 卒業

High School

• High School

  京都女子高等学校

Research History

• From Apr. 2025, To Present

  Kyoto University, Hakubi center／Institute for the Future of Human Society
• From Apr. 2019, To Mar. 2025

  Azabu University, 獣医学研究科介在動物学研究室
• From Apr. 2013, To Mar. 2018

  Kyoto University, Graduate School of Letters

Language of Instruction

• Japanese

ID,URL

• ORCID ID

  0000-0002-3303-9521

• J-Global ID

  202301005060849170

• Researcher number

  10867021

researchmap URL

• https://researchmap.jp/sahotakagi

Research

Research Topics, Overview of the research

• Research Topics

  Social cognitive abilities in cats; evolution of cognitive abilities through domestication

• Overview of the research

  My research theme is how cats perceive and understand humans. In previous studies, I have examined whether cats form cross-modal representations of their owners, the extent to which cats comprehend human language, and how they acquire word learning. Building on this work, I now aim to focus on regional differences among cats and to investigate domestication and the accompanying evolution of cognitive abilities.

Research Interests

• companion animals
• comparative cognition
• social cognition
• cats

Research Areas

• Life sciences, Animals: biochemistry, physiology, behavioral science, comaprative cognition

Papers

• Cats and humans show correlated affiliative physiological states

  Saho Takagi; Taisuke Tsubomura; Miho Nagasawa; Takefumi Kikusui

  iScience, Oct. 2026, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Exploring dog and cat cohabitation within Japanese households

  Hitomi Chijiiwa; Saho Takagi; Hiromichi Hagihara; Yasuhiro Kanakogi

  Scientific Reports, 15 May 2025

  
• Rapid formation of picture-word association in cats

  Saho Takagi; Hikari Koyasu; Miho Nagasawa; Takefumi Kikusui

  Scientific Reports, 04 Oct. 2024, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Cat–Human Relationships in the United States and Japan

  Kristyn R. Vitale; Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Monique A. R. Udell; Hika Kuroshima

  Anthrozoös, 10 Sep. 2024, Peer-reviewed

  
• A small cooperative society run by inequality

  SAHO TAKAGI

  Japanese Journal of Animal Psychology, Jul. 2024, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Last author, Corresponding author

  
• Emotional studies in dogs and cats and their estimation techniques: an engineering perspective

  Hikari Koyasu; Nanako Miyai; Takatomi Kubo; Saho Takagi; Yurina Wada; Yuki Maruno; Miho Nagasawa; Kazunori Ohno

  Advanced Robotics, 13 Jun. 2024, Peer-reviewed

  
• Cats raised by cats, cats raised by humans: on "mother-child" communication between the same and inter-species

  SAHO TAKAGI

  Japanese Journal of Animal Psychology, Dec. 2023, Peer-reviewed, Invited, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Behavioural Tendencies of Cats and Dogs in Japan

  Saho Takagi; Hikari Koyasu; Madoka Hattori; Takumi Nagasawa; Michiro Maejima; Miho Nagasawa; Takefumi Kikusui; Atsuko Saito

  Animals, 06 Jul. 2023, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Cats Did Not Change Their Problem-Solving Behaviours after Human Demonstrations

  Minori Arahori; Ayano Kimura; Saho Takagi; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Kazuo Fujita; Hika Kuroshima

  Animals, 08 Mar. 2023, Peer-reviewed

  
• Sociality of Cats toward Humans Can Be Influenced by Hormonal and Socio-Environmental Factors: Pilot Study

  Hikari Koyasu; Hironobu Takahashi; Ikuto Sasao; Saho Takagi; Miho Nagasawa; Takefumi Kikusui

  Animals, 30 Dec. 2022, Peer-reviewed

  
• Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives

  Saho Takagi; Atsuko Saito; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Hikari Koyasu; Miho Nagasawa; Takefumi Kikusui; Kazuo Fujita; Hika Kuroshima

  Scientific Reports, 13 Apr. 2022, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  Access this paper :

  
• Recent trends and future prospect in cognitive research in cats

  Takagi Saho

  Society of japanese psychological review, 2022, Peer-reviewed, Invited, Lead author

  
• Socio-spatial cognition in cats: Mentally mapping owner’s location from voice

  Saho Takagi; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Minori Arahori; Atsuko Saito; Kazuo Fujita; Hika Kuroshima

  PLOS ONE, 10 Nov. 2021, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  Access this paper :

  
• Developments in Research on Cat Cognition and Personality

  Saho Takagi

  Comparative Cognition, 28 Aug. 2021, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Mutual synchronization of eyeblinks between dogs/cats and humans

  Hikari Koyasu; Risa Goto; Saho Takagi; Miho Nagasawa; Tamami Nakano; Takefumi Kikusui

  Current Zoology, 04 Jun. 2021, Peer-reviewed

  
• Cats (Felis catus) Show No Avoidance of People Who Behave Negatively to Their Owner

  Hitomi Chijiiwa; Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; James R. Anderson; Kazuo Fujita; Hika Kuroshima

  Animal Behavior and Cognition, 01 Feb. 2021, Peer-reviewed

  
• The Gaze Communications Between Dogs/Cats and Humans: Recent Research Review and Future Directions

  Hikari Koyasu; Takefumi Kikusui; Saho Takagi; Miho Nagasawa

  Frontiers in Psychology, 18 Dec. 2020, Peer-reviewed

  
• Dogs and cats prioritize human action: choosing a now-empty instead of a still-baited container

  Hitomi Chijiiwa; Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; Yusuke Hori; Atsuko Saito; Hika Kuroshima; Kazuo Fujita

  Animal Cognition, 23 Jul. 2020, Peer-reviewed

  
• Domestic cats’ reactions to their owner and an unknown individual petting a potential rival.

  Benoit Bucher; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiwa; Saho Takagi; Kazuo Fujita

  Pet Behaviour Science, 10 Mar. 2020, Peer-reviewed

  
• Cats match voice and face: cross-modal representation of humans in cats (Felis catus)

  Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Atsuko Saito; Hika Kuroshima; Kazuo Fujita

  Animal Cognition, 10 May 2019, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  Access this paper :

  
• Do capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) know the contents of memory traces?: A study of metamemory for compound stimuli.

  Saho Takagi; Kazuo Fujita

  Journal of Comparative Psychology, Feb. 2018, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Microsatellite Polymorphisms Adjacent to the Oxytocin Receptor Gene in Domestic Cats: Association with Personality?

  Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Saho Takagi; Benoit Bucher; Hideaki Abe; Miho Inoue-Murayama; Kazuo Fujita

  Frontiers in Psychology, 18 Dec. 2017, Peer-reviewed

  Access this paper :

  
• Owners’ view of their pets’ emotions, intellect, and mutual relationship: Cats and dogs compared

  Minori Arahori; Hika Kuroshima; Yusuke Hori; Saho Takagi; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Kazuo Fujita

  Behavioural Processes, Aug. 2017, Peer-reviewed

  
• Use of incidentally encoded memory from a single experience in cats

  Saho Takagi; Mana Tsuzuki; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Minori Arahori; Arii Watanabe; Atsuko Saito; Kazuo Fujita

  Behavioural Processes, Aug. 2017, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• There’s no ball without noise: cats’ prediction of an object from noise

  Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Mana Tsuzuki; Yuya Hataji; Kazuo Fujita

  Animal Cognition, 14 Jun. 2016, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism in cats (Felis catus) is associated with “Roughness” assessed by owners

  Minori Arahori; Yusuke Hori; Atsuko Saito; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Saho Takagi; Yuki Ito; Arii Watanabe; Miho Inoue-Murayama; Kazuo Fujita

  Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Jan. 2016, Peer-reviewed

  
• CATS BEG FOR FOOD FROM THE HUMAN WHO LOOKS AT AND CALLS TO THEM: ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND HUMANS’ ATTENTIONAL STATES

  Yuki ITO; Arii WATANABE; Saho TAKAGI; Minori ARAHORI; Atsuko SAITO

  PSYCHOLOGIA, 2016, Peer-reviewed

  
• Performance on a delayed non-matching-to-place task based on own choice and a partner's choice in Octodon degus

  Saho Takagi; Tomoko Uekita

  2016, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Do cats (Felis catus) predict the presence of an invisible object from sound?

  Saho Takagi; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Minori Arahori; Mana Tsuzuki; Ayami Hyuga; Kazuo Fujita

  Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Sep. 2015, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  Access this paper :

  

Misc.

• Do cats recall their owner's face upon hearing the owner's voice?

  Saho Takagi; Minori Arahori; Hitomi Chijiiwa; Kazuo Fujita

  INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, Jul. 2016

  

Presentations

• ネコのこころを科学的に理解する

  高木佐保

  名古屋市獣医師会, 21 Jun. 2023, Invited

  
• ネコの心理を科学する ～ネコとヒトがより仲良くなるための最新のネコ研究～

  高木佐保

  三鷹市生涯学習講座, Feb. 2023, Invited

  
• ここまでわかったネコの認知

  高木佐保

  第82回 動物心理学会公開シンポジウム, Oct. 2022, Invited

  
• 猫の”こころ”を知る 比較認知科学から探る猫と人の関係

  高木佐保; 子安ひかり; 齋藤慈子

  認定特定非営利活動法人動物愛護社会化推進協会, May 2022, Invited

  
• The Science of Cat Training and Behavior: Current Work and Future Directions

  Saho Takagi; Kristyn Vitale

  IAABC The Learning Bond Series, 25 Apr. 2022, Invited

  

Books and Other Publications

• ネコはここまで考えている : 動物心理学から読み解く心の進化

  高木, 佐保, Single work

  慶應義塾大学出版会, Sep. 2022

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  
• 猫の教科書 : 気持ちを知ればもっと好きになる!

  CAMP NYAN TOKYO, Supervisor

  ナツメ社, Jul. 2022

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  
• 猫がゴロゴロよろこぶＣＤブック

  高木佐保, 響介, Joint work

  Oct. 2020

  
• あなねこ

  繁昌, 良司, Others, 「なぜネコは穴に入るのか？」寄稿

  集英社, Aug. 2020

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  
• 話せばわかる!?ネコごころ

  京都大学CAMP; ほぼ日, Supervisor

  ポプラ社, Jul. 2020

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  
• 知りたい!ネコごころ

  高木, 佐保, Single work

  岩波書店, Feb. 2020

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  
• マンガでわかる ねこの心理学

  藤田, 和生; CAMP-NYAN, Supervisor

  池田書店, 17 Oct. 2018

  Find Kyoto University's collection of books :

  

Awards

• 24 Sep. 2018

  日本心理学会特別優秀発表賞
• 27 Mar. 2018

  京都大学総長賞
• 22 Mar. 2013

  同志社大学心理学部賞

External funds: Kakenhi

• Understanding and practicing copresense extension beyond human actors

  Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A)

  Transformative Research Areas, Section (I)

  Azabu University

  今野 晃嗣

  From 01 Apr. 2026, To 31 Mar. 2031, Granted

  共在;伴侶動物;ロボット

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PLANNED-26H00368/

Education

Part-time lecturer

• From 01 Apr. 2024

  比較認知科学

  立教大学
• From 01 Sep. 2023

  動物比較心理学

  麻布大学
• From 01 Apr. 2019, To 31 Aug. 2020

  比較認知科学

  専修大学
• From 01 Apr. 2019, To 31 Aug. 2020

  心理学概論

  専修大学
• From 01 Apr. 2021, To 31 Mar. 2025

  情報科学

  相模原看護専門学校
• From 01 Apr. 2021, To 31 Mar. 2025

  心理学基礎実験2

  専修大学
• From 01 Apr. 2021, To 31 Mar. 2025

  心理学基礎実験１

  専修大学
• From 01 Apr. 2018, To 31 Mar. 2019

  系ゼミナール

  京都大学
• From 01 Apr. 2018, To 31 Mar. 2019

  心理学実験

  同志社大学
• From 01 Apr. 2016, To 31 Mar. 2019

  心理学中級実習

  佛教大学
• From 01 Apr. 2016, To 31 Mar. 2019

  心理学初級実験

  佛教大学