Breaking news: kitties have adventures when we’re away, and they cuddle up to strangers when we’re not around. Do I still love them? Yes.

In a collaboration between National Geographic and the University of Georgia, researchers did what I have always wanted to do: put cameras on dozens of cats to see what they’re up to when they’re alone. It’s been done on smaller scales before, but this seems bigger and very official and research-y. From CBS News:

“They spent a lot of time under cars, inside of cars, inside of sewers, climbing roofs, climbing fences,” Hernandez said. “I think they have intriguing lives because they do things we’d never expected them to do.”

But if you want loyalty, get a dog. “A lot of cats were found cheating on their owners,” Hernandez said. “In that they were spending a lot of time with other families, and were fed by other families and slept on the beds of other families.”

The study answers many of our curious questions, and it confirms many of our suspicions about their alone time. But, the best part: it also helped researchers learn about their interactions with urban wildlife and the various dangers our outdoor friends face in the big bad world.

Photo: kamome on Flickr.