We've all heard the adage "Dogs have Friends and Cats have Staff", but is
this really an accurate portrayal of how cats feel about their owners? Certain breeds of cats are quite
desperately attached to their families and others will pick one individual to call their own, wasting away
when they aren't given the love and affection they feel they are bestowing on their owner. Here is a list
of five ways you can tell if your cat really, truly loves you.
1. Scratching your bed, pottying on your bed, and putting their behind in your
face.
Not the most flattering arrangement of compliments to our minds, but cats show affection by marking their
territory. So when they shred your favorite shirt, or potty on your freshly made bed, they're just trying to
tell you how much they love you and love your shirt or your bed. It is frustrating for us as humans because we
have to clean it up or replace it, but in feline language this is a huge compliment. Furthermore, much like
with dogs, when a cat turns their hindquarters to you it's not necessarily a shunning. Many cats greet one
another with a smell of the behind and so they are offering you the same gesture of friendliness. Give the
compliment back by scratching the base of the tail.
2. Purring and Kneading
Most people recognize these as signs of happiness and they are correct, however they are
forgetting that these can also be signs of affection. When a mommy purrs for her babies it's a beacon
guiding them to food and affection. When a baby purrs with mommy it's a sign of love. Babies also knead
their momma's tummy to stimulate the flow of milk. While that isn't what they're trying to do with you,
it is a habit that is formed when they feel warm, loved, and secure, so they are sharing that feeling of
pure happiness with you.
3. Rubbing and Head Butting
Cats, as mentioned before, show affection by claiming you as their own through marking.
When they rub against you and headbutt you, they are taking advantage of the scent glands in the head to
claim you as their own. In addition, head butting is a real sign of trust as it means their eyes are
vulnerable and they trust you not to hurt them as much as you trust them not to hurt you.
4. Grooming
Mutual grooming is something that anyone with more than one cat has seen and knows that it
is a sign of affection. It's all part of spreading the scent and making one family unit. Cats love to
groom the people they love, so don't be surprised when your cat cleans your hair or licks your hand while
you are petting. They're saying hey, you're my family so it's okay. So go ahead and "groom" them back
with a bit of petting.
5. Curved Tails
When baby kitties greet their momma it's with an erect tail that has the tip folded back.
When your baby greets their momma it is probably exactly the same. Revel in the love of being the kitty
momma (or daddy) when you get home from a long day of work and indulge in some mutual grooming and accept
the purrs, kneads, and headbutts. They're all just signs of love and affection.
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