If you’re owned by a dog, it’s usually pretty easy to tell that she loves you. Who could mistake an exccited greeting at the door when you come home, kisses on your face, or a happy wagging tail? But how do you know if your cat loves you? Cats don’t always express their affection towards their people in obvious ways; many of the ways cats show their love are more subtle. Let’s examine some of them.
Cats Show Love by Purring
One of the most obvious ways cats show love is by purring. When your cat purrs while sitting on your lap or while you’re petting her, she’s telling you that she feels safe and secure with you and that she loves you. It’s important to note that cats also purr to comfort themselves when they don’t feel well or are feeling unsafe, but this is much less common than purring out of contentedness.
Cats Scent Members of Their Family
Cats use scent to recognize members of their family. A cat has scent glands on her flanks, on her head, and around her ears. Cats will rub their heads on objects and people they love. Cats also leave their scent on you when they want to claim you as part of their territory. So, take it as a compliment when your cat rubs her head against your hands or legs.
Headbutting is another way cats transfer their scent onto their humans. Tylan headbutts his favorite people. All I have to do is put my face near him, and he’ll give me a gentle little headbonk.
Cats Knead to Show Affection
As kittens, cats knead their mother’s breasts to get them to release milk for them to drink. As adults, some cats continue to knead. When your cat kneads you, she is showing you that she feels content, relaxed, and loved. Your cat may knead you while sitting on your lap, snuggling near you in bed, or while you hold her. Lita kneaded her favorite people quite often to show us how much she loved us.
She Brings You “Gifts”
Cats are natural hunters. They share their catches with the people they love. So, the next time your cat brings you a mouse, toy or real, remember that your cat is showing you how much she values you – and try not to scream if the mouse is real.
Your Cat Sleeps Near You
Like all animals, cats are most vulnerable when they’re asleep. A cat chooses her sleeping spots carefully; she’ll only sleep in a place she feels safe. If your cat sleeps near or on you, it means she trusts you and feels safe with you.; it’s quite the compliment.
Your Cat is Happy to See You
You’ll know your kitty feels bonded to you when she’s happy to see you. When a cat approaches you with her taill up or in the question mark position, she is letting you know she sees you as a trusted person and is showing affection towards you.
Does your cat ever run over to you and flop on her back, exposing her tummy? If so, take this as a compliment. Cats only expose their tummies to people they really trust. When a cat shows her tummy, she is vulnerable; when she exposes her tummy to you, she knows that you won’t hurt her.
A cat showing her tummy is not necessarily an invitation for a tummy rub, though. Most cats don’t like tummy rubs. If you try to rub their tummies, most cats will flee or use claws or teeth to get you to stop.
There are exceptions, of course. Tylan loves tummy rubs. He actually demands that I rub his tummy every night while I get ready for bed. Know your cat; if she doesn’t like tummy rubs, pet her on the head instead.
The Slow Blink
Did you know that when cats come upon humans or cats they don’t know, they tend to stare at them with unblinking eyes? Cats are more likely to blink at cats they like. Research indicates that the slow blink is associated with a positive emotional state and that it communicates trust, affection, and contentment.
She “Talks” to You
Kittens meow at their mother, but they typically grow out of this behavior as adults. Adult cats rarely meow at one another. Adult cats will meow, trill, and chirp at people they like. So, the next time your cat wakes you up in the middle of the night with her vocalizations, try to remember that she just wants to interact with you because she loves you.
She Grooms You
Cats groom one another when they feel close to each other. My dear friends, Cash and Cole, used to do this all the time at the shelter I volunteered with. It was such a sweet sight to see.
Likewise, cats groom the humans they feel connected with and close to. When your cat grooms you, she is helping create a community scent, something that’s important for her recognition of family members.
Does your cat ever give your hand or face a lick? Tylan really likes licking my face. I’m honestly not a big fan of it, but I know that he’s showing me how much he loves me, so I let him lick my face.
As you can see, there are many ways in which cats show their humans they love them. How does your cat show you she loves you? Please share with us in the comments section.
Sierra M. Koester has been writing in the pet space since 2006. She runs the blog Fur Everywhere. She joined the awesome team at The Cat Blogosphere as Content Manager in June, 2022. She is currently working on editing her upcoming anthology, Purrseverance, a collection of stories about cats who have overcome challenges in their lives from their perspective. Sierra’s home is ruled by her two special needs cats, Carmine and Tylan, who are the center of Sierra’s world.