The truth is, cats understand affection just like any other animal, and domestic cats might actually see us as their real-life mommies and daddies. A 2019 study revealed that kittens evince the same behavior towards us as they do their biological parents.
It's a question that many cat owners have wondered. And the answer is a resounding yes! Cats often feel love quite strongly for their owners and other companions. They're just sometimes a little more subtle about it than dogs.
Your cat may bump their head against you or rub their cheeks against you to show affection. This is a social behavior that is formed in kittenhood through headbutting other kittens and their mother. It is often an attempt to mark you with their scent to claim you as one of their own.
Turns out, it depends on the cat. Some cats are socialized as kittens to be held and kissed, while others haven't had that exposure and might be put off by a kiss as an expression of love. So, some cats like it and some cats don't—but there are ways of detecting the category into which your feline friend falls.
So researchers asked, "What attachment behaviors do cats exhibit toward people?" They found that cats definitely bond with people and may even develop separation anxiety. Other studies indicate that some breeds are more likely to form special bonds with just one person than to give love indiscriminately.
Either way, there's evidence that cats comfort humans when sad. "When pet parents are depressed, cats rub against them more often. It's likely your cat is responding to your emotional state by trying to comfort you or draw your attention," McGowan says.
Regardless of their reputation, cats do get lonely when they are left unattended for long periods of time. Research proves that cats are social beings that form strong bonds with their owners. Do cats get sad when you leave? Short answer: yes.
After several years, they can still remember people, places and events from the past. So maybe next time you find your cat staring blankly at a wall or closet, it may be possible that she is thinking of the past and replaying it over and over again.
They're looking for security
“You may give your cat an extra level of security during sleep, a time when they're most vulnerable.” If your cat sleeps near you it means that they trust you and they feel secure with you by their side.
Meowing at cats allows one to mock them but on a level that they can appreciate. However, I have to acknowledge that all cats are different. Some will walk away once they realise it was a human meowing, others will interrupt immediately with an angry meow, while others will join in the meowing.
In general, cats understand that a hug is an expression of affection. Not all felines will tolerate being embraced, however. Just as we humans have our personal preferences, cats also have their own likes and dislikes. So some will allow themselves to be hugged, while others will not stand for your weird human ways.
Signs that your cat has missed you
Affectionate behaviour and extra purring! A good sign that your cat is happy you're back is if they show physical affection such as head butting, purring, rubbing against you and stretching. Shadowing behaviour.
When your cat nibbles you playfully, she's really offering her affection. This is much different from a fearful or defensive bite that's meant to cause harm, and the feelings behind it are different as well. Love nibbles are a ticklish, funny little quirk of lovable cats.
Cats can also discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans, recognise human faces and voices, and make the mental match between the two.
“Their litter box might be in there, so it could be a room that smells very familiar. Cats also probably know that when we are on the toilet, we are a captive audience — nowadays we are so busy and distracted that many cats are probably looking for an opportunity to have our undivided attention!”
A cat's vision is similar to a human who is color blind. They can see shades of blue and green, but reds and pinks can be confusing. These may appear more green, while purple can look like another shade of blue. Cats also don't see the same richness of hues and saturation of colors that we can.
Famously independent, sometimes falsely assumed to be immune to feelings, cats are in truth super-sensitive to emotions, sound, and stress. Perhaps because felines lack the eager-to-please openness of their canine colleagues, humans overlook the big and small ways they can break a cat's spirit.
When cats don't feel threatened by other cats, they will show affection by rubbing on them, sleeping near them, and being in their presence. If your cat replicates those behaviors with you, Delgado says it has officially imprinted on you. They rub against you.
If your cat likes to sleep between your legs, it's most likely a sign of affection and means your cat feels safe and comfortable with you - Normal and affectionate cat behavior. Nevertheless, if you don't want to sleep with your cat, there are plenty of alternatives that will provide you both with happy sleeps.
Cats do often treat humans like other felines, using gestures like licking or rubbing on both feline friends and human caregivers, she says. “In a way, cats think of us as bigger cats,” Bonk says. “They might not necessarily know that we're a different species or they just don't care.”
That according to new research that has found that cats, dogs, and select other animals may be able to see things that are invisible to the human eye. That's because they're able to see UV light, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
As explained by Popular Science, cats actually don't recognize themselves in the mirror, despite what you see in those cute cat videos or in your own home.
It's true that cats are solitary beings: they know how to take good care of themselves. This also means that (unlike dogs) they don't necessarily depend on people when it comes to attachment and security. Research has shown that cats don't show signs of separation anxiety when their owner is away.
“There is great debate about how much cats mind their owners leaving,” Stelow told The Dodo. “One study showed that some cats show signs of separation anxiety when left; these cats were most likely to urinate outside their litter boxes or be destructive.
If you only have one interaction with a cat, she's likely to remember you up to 16 hours later. However, a cat's long term memory is quite strong (about 200 times better than that of a dog). This means that a cat can remember someone they are familiar with for years.