Cats are considered quite relatively less affectionate than dogs Many people claim that it is rare for a cat to love their owner. This is a common misconception that many people have, so they tend to look for a dog rather than a cat for a pet friend. Cats are subtle when showing affection. They can be mean but to their favorite person, they are an angel. This is sometimes the main reason why many people adore this furball.
Cats show affection in many ways which we might not be aware of. Due to this it is sometimes misinterpreted or overlooked. Sometimes they can creep you out, for example bringing a dead mouse is a way of saying ” I love you ” to their owner which might be uncommon.
Here we have broken down some behavior of the cat that shows that they love you.
Signs of Cat Affection
You are in your home but your cat is more inclined to wander around different places of your home rather than coming to you. You might think that your cat doesn’t care about your presence and doesn’t love you. Cats are more likely to interact with the environment when they feel secure and trust the environment.
Cats are like people and can form strong attachments toward the owner and can also face heartbreak if they lose their owner. Like this, there are many subtle ways that cats tend to show their affection which you might have missed or misunderstood.
Posture of Tail
Cats’ tail is an emotional meter for them. The posture of their tail displays the emotional attachments of the cats toward different things like a human or their fur buddies.
The cat lifts their tail upright with a slight bend at the tip of the tail when they are coming towards you. This position is also called the ‘elevator butt’ pose. It’s their sign of saying ‘I like you. The adult catwalks toward their favorite people. Cat also love being connected with their favorite people by resting the tail on their favorite person.
They also love to wrap their tail around their favorite person. It’s like holding hands. It is their way of saying that they trust you and they feel secure around you.
Kneading
This cute action of a cat is also called kneading. They learn this first when they are still kittens. When sucking the milk they do a small march against the breast of the mother to squeeze out the milk.
When the adult cat does this they are expressing that they are feeling relaxed and loved. It also shows that your cat cares about you a lot. They knead on the lap of their favorite person This is one of the most known ways of cat showing affection.
Grooming
Cats love keeping themselves clean so they spend a lot of time grooming. It is also a way of expressing their friendship toward their feline friends. So when a cat licks you then it is a way of expressing that they have a special bond with you.
They lick on the skin or hair of their owner. Cat also love marking their territory, so they leave a scent on their favorite human. This way they mark the human as their own by licking and leaving a scent produced from the scent glands in the tongue.
This action also helps calm them and shows that they trust you and think of you as a family.
Nibbling and Scratching
Some may think that when your cats bite you or scratch you then, they don’t like you. But it’s not always that case. Sometimes they do this out of affection.
They nibble playfully on the hand of their favorite person out of affection. It feels ticklish and doesn’t hurt. This is a kind of cute and funny habit of a cat. They do this when they feel comfortable and relaxed around the human. It also shows that they don’t want you to take your hand away from them. They are treating you like a buddy.
As I have mentioned above cats love marking what’s their favorite. They leave visual marks as ownership on the human. It can be a little painful but bearable. This is their way of showing affection. So it’s sometimes better to use gloves when you are playing with cats.
Vocalization
Cats have different ways of vocalizing how they feel. They purr, meow, trills, or chirps. They are the sweet sounds that the cat make with their favorite human. They can be soft and sometimes very loud.
Cats purr they are enjoying themselves most of the time. When you are petting them or rubbing their belly, they purr out of enjoyment. It not only indicates that but also shows that your cat enjoys your company. When you go near the cat they purr to show that they are relaxed and enjoyed.
Cats rarely meow. When they are little kittens they meow at their mothers when they are hungry or trying to communicate. Adult cats rarely meow at humans but if it meows at you and comes near you then you are its favorite human.
Bringing Gifts
Cats love giving gifts to their loved ones. They love sharing what they have, from toys to dead mice. Yes, dead mouse, you read it right. This might be hard for you to digest but it is a way of cat showing their affection.
Cat is a carnivore animal with hunting instinct ad food is precious for them. So they spend a lot of time hunting and share it only with their closest. So if your cat brings you something then remember that your cat loves you and cares for you.
You can try gifting
cat caves made from felt to your pet.
Head Butts and Cheek Rub
Cats have learned the habit of the head butt or bunt or rubbing cheeks since they were kittens. They learn this behavior from their mother when they were nursed. This behavior is a sign of showing love and affection.
They head-butt and rub cheeks with only those who they trust and make them feel safe. It is their attempt of showing that they are close. They also mark their territory by leaving their scent. When they love something or someone then they show this behavior.
If your cat does then be happy that your cat adores you a lot and thinks of you as their own. Your cat is also spreading its scent and marking you as its buddy.
Loving Slow Eye Blink
Cats’ eye is one of the important assets for their survival but they also use it to show that they love you. It is a huge factor in how they show their affection. Cats are known to make eye contact with those that they favor and slowly blink repeatedly. There is a cute name for this behavior called ‘cats kisses’.
So if you find your cat doing such behavior then know that you are your cat’s favorite person.
Cats love their owner quite strongly and form a great bond with their favorite human. They are not affectionate but are subtle with how they show their affection. You just need to be attentive with your fur friend to notice their love. From cute slow blinks to purrs, kneading, and head butting, cats show love in many wonderful and unique ways.
