Cats have picked up a reputation for being colder than their pet colleagues, dogs. However, we have come to realize that many cats love their owners just as much— if not more—than we love them and they like to show it either by kneading, bunting, and even blinking. Yes, you read that right, cats do blink.
But, if you compare humans versus cats, and how they show their love and affection it is very different. Therefore, whether you’re a cat person or a dog person, it’s important to know your pet appreciates you as much as you do them. In the cat world, there are many ways to express oneself, including these nine weird things they do around us to show us their love.
1. Tail hugging when they love you
We have seen numerous times kittens use their tails to hug their mum so if a cat does this to you, you should know they value you. Normally a cat will show you approval by purring and rubbing or brushing against you. This act shows approval and possession (This is my human so keep off). Therefore, curling their tail around you is a notch up the scale indicating that you might be their favorite person.
2. They rub their cheeks on you when they love you
I liked biology in school and when I get an interest in particular animals I like to study their anatomy. I had a cat called Chika when I was growing up and we were blessed with so many kittens and because of my passion for cats, I decided to check out cat’s anatomy. The majority of you might not know but cats have scent glands located in 3 parts of their heads: forehead, cheeks and chin, and also at the base of their tail. This is why you will see cats rubbing up against someone or an object and is a strong gesture of affection for you. By doing so it reinforces the relationship between you and your cat as they produce pheromones and at same time mark their territory of ownership with their scent.
3. Mooning you to show their love
Cats are probably not as bad as some construction workers who think they have the license to moon on every woman who walks past their construction site.
Have you ever seen your cat or a friend’s cat lift their butt and pose with their chest lowered and raised rear end with tail up high for you? We have come to learn this is their way of showing they can trust you by placing themselves in this vulnerable position. To them, the act of smelling is a form of communication for cats. This may be gross to you, but it’s a sign that they trust you. Just as a reminder, that cats are very private animals and you will realize this as they tend to prefer things like their cat litter to be in very secluded locations and therefore if any cat performs mooning on you, you need to consider yourself lucky as it’s a big deal!
4. They vibrate their tails when they love you
Cats will vibrate their tails to show their love and this is unique and you will not see if often. There is a difference between tail wagging and tail vibration. Pet Food Sherpa told us that tail wagging most of the time is an indication that she is angry and you might not like her next reaction. What do you have to watch out for?
A cat that loves you will lift their tail straight up in the air with a candy-like hook on the end and vibrate it when you show interest in them.
5. Offer gifts to you to show their love
Cats are independent creatures to some extent and just because we consider them domesticated they still have strong hunting traits. This is why you will often see your cat bring anything back with them to your house as long as they can carry it. Some stuff that I have been gifted with in the past include toys, clothes, leaves, shoes, sponges, and a dead rodent. The list is endless. Don’t go screaming at your cat as they are doing this to please you, sharing their bounty with the one they love. Let’s just remember that it is the thought behind the gift that counts…right!
Do you ever wonder where your cat goes and what they get up to when they aren’t at home? You can get them a GPS pet tracking device that attaches on their collar and traces your pet to an exact location and if they have picked something valuable it might help you trace the owner easily.
6. Nipping – they bite you!
Some of you are quick thinkers…obviously…love bite?! We don’t blame you thinking a nipping cat is a sign of love. Cat love bites are usually in a playful manner and don’t hurt. They also tend to be small bites. However, if your cat is hissing or growling and displaying characteristics opposite to what we have mentioned above, it might be linked to other emotions, mostly anger and it’s a clear indicator that you need to back off.
Just to be clear, a playful nibble from your cat is a sign that they think the world of you.
7. They headbutt you (aka ‘head bunt’) when they love you
Animal behaviorists call this head bunting (it’s much like head butting) and this is classed as a cat’s way of showing affection for humans.
We mentioned that cats have scent glands on their foreheads, cheeks and chin and this will explain this weird behavior in cats. So what is head bunting? Bunting is when your cat uses their head to press against yours or another animal as a way of leaving their scent from their temporal glands and can be either gentle or a rough bonk. Cats often do this when they like something and need to mark it as theirs including you, their pet parent.
8. They knead you when they love you
If you are an observant feline parent like me, you might have seen your cat on several occasions knead on items like blankets, cushions, etc, and can sometimes be confused with scratching which they often do on cat scratching posts or your furniture. This is unique as it’s in a rhythmic fashion just as you would knead dough for baking bread or pizza.
A good example can be seen when you are stroking her chilled on the sofa and she starts pushing her paws in and out against your lap. This behavior can be linked to her kittenhood as they use this to motions to induce milk out of their mother’s breast and this behavior is rekindled in adult cats when they are made to feel more loved and are relaxed. Therefore, if your cat is kneading you it’s a sure way of showing you some love back. Oftentimes this can be painful as they might end up clawing you so ensure you have a blanket close by to lay in between you and her claws.
9. Slowly blink back at you
We as humans normally have codes of communication and eye contact is an important part of communication in our species. Likewise in the animal kingdom, cats do the same. We have learned through research and common knowledge that by blinking slowly at a cat, you are communicating that you are aware of its presence and pose no threat to her and, as such, if your cat does the same act from across the room, be kind and return the gesture! It is their way of either saying they come in peace. They are also expressing their love and trust to you. Therefore, a slow blink according to cat behaviorists is considered a slow kiss.
This article has been researched and compiled by Holly from staycationcottage.co.uk: Coastal Pet-friendly accommodation at the best price.
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