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Can Cats Feel Love? The Facts

Written by: Christian Adams

Last Updated on March 3, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

cat playing with owner

Can Cats Feel Love? The Facts

Most of us pet owners put a lot of time and care into our cats. We constantly shower them with love, and they become a huge part of our lives. We often love our cat as much as we love other people, and we are devastated if something happens to them or they leave us too early.

The question is, do they have the same feelings toward us? Are cats capable of loving us the way we love them? While they may demonstrate it differently, cats have their own way of communicating affection, and science backs this up. Keep reading while we collect and present you with several facts and observations that can help you understand your pet better and tell how they feel about you and others in your home.

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Love Hormones

One of the arguments for showing cats may be able to feel love and affection comes from the scientist and author Paul Zak, who has found that cats and humans share the same love hormones.1 These hormones are responsible for creating the intense feelings of love that we have for our spouses and our children. Since cats have these same hormones, they likely experience something similar to what we class as affection.

Demonstrations of Love

Cats have five personality types: neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsiveness, and agreeableness. This was determined based on a study using a research model on human personality and looking at answers from cat owners. These traits are present in each cat at variable degrees, and while some cats are friendly, loving, and easygoing, others may be quite independent and more private.

Most cats like their routine and generally disapprove of any bigger changes in their environment. Cats are also easily affected by competition for resources in a multi-cat household. Some cats may maintain their claws by scratching at your furniture, clothing, carpets, and curtains, particularly if there aren’t enough scratching posts, and one of their favorite games may involve getting as much litter out of the box as possible. When cats exhibit any of these or other potentially unwanted but natural behaviors, this often indicates that they are stressed, anxious, frustrated, bored, fearful, in pain, or they may be suffering from an underlying illness. Cats are capable of a wide range of emotions, and here are some ways you can tell how they feel.

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Photo Credit: Jaromir Chalabala, Shutterstock

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Their Behavior Gets Worse When You’re Away Too Long

There are certain behaviors that cats exhibit when they are stressed, bored, scared, or anxious that may be wrongly misinterpreted by their owners as being done out of spite, but they are just a way for cats to express the harmful effects that stress and changes in their routine have on their behavior and demeanor.

Many of you will notice that this behavior can get even worse when you spend a long day at the office. While many people see this as a cat seizing an opportunity, it’s much more likely that your cat misses you and is becoming anxious about your absence. Cats are extremely routine-based and will notice if you are late, particularly for their meal times. Your cat might become fearful when they’re at home alone, if there are loud noises in the house or the yard, or they may exhibit separation anxiety, which can cause them to express undesirable behaviors, such as scratching up the furniture or breaking house training.

If your cat is feeling stressed or anxious when you’re not at home, it’s likely because they have a close bond with you and are feeling insecure without you, their routine is broken, or they are not used to being left alone.

  • Purring

The easiest way to tell if a cat likes you is by purring when you give them attention. While most cats love the attention and will purr when anyone pets them, they will not engage people they do not like or trust and will choose to run and hide instead. Therefore, while purring may not prove love, it does prove that the cat enjoys your affection. If it seeks you out frequently, the cat has likely developed strong feelings for you that you might equate to love.

  • Exposing Their Belly

If a cat exposes their belly near you, it’s a sign of extreme trust. This area of the body is vulnerable to attack and your cat will protect it at all times. They would never show their belly if there were anything nearby that they didn’t like, and there aren’t many ways your cat can send a clearer message that they trust you with their life. Some might argue it is a sign of love.

  • Head Bunting

If your cat presses the top of their head against you, they’re doing what we call head bunting. Bunting is how the cat spreads pheromones, which mark their territory and ownership. Pheromones are a scent that cats produce that humans cannot smell. Their scent marks the environment, so other cats know to stay away.

If your cat marks you with their pheromones and claims you as their territory, it could be a good argument that the cat loves you.

  • Gifts

You have likely heard many stories of cats that caught a mouse and left the dead carcass on the owner’s pillow or favorite chair. Some cats may bring their owners toys and leave them by their bed while they sleep. While no one can be sure why cats do this, we know it has something to do with the person who receives the gifts. The cat’s trying to tell you something, so whether they’re giving you a treat for a change, showing you how well they’re protecting the house, or they want to play, the reasoning behind it is that they like you.

  • Sleeping on or Near You

Sleeping on your lap or close by you is another way your cat puts their complete trust in you. A cat is most vulnerable when sleeping, even more so than when their belly is exposed. Cats often find secure places to sleep, so if they’re taking a nap on your lap, they know you will protect them. This level of trust is a good signal that your cat has a deep feeling for you that might be a sign of love.

  • Loving Eyes

Many cat owners are aware of the slow blink that cats do. The slow blink is when the cat sits out of reach but stares at you, blinking their eyes slowly with what appears to be a content look on their face. Most experts consider this a cat kiss, and it’s one of the more profound ways your cat is expressing that they’re pleased with your company.

  • Meowing

Cats don’t meow to each other in the wild, so they only do it to communicate with humans. Cats will meow to signal they want food or their litter box cleaned, but if they are signaling you to play, it means they enjoy your company. Cats that hide behind a wall and meow to get you to play are trying to pull you away from what you are doing to get your undivided attention.

  • Comforting Us When We’re Sick

Many cat owners will tell you that cats can sense when you are sick and will often spend extra time near us in an attempt to nurse us back to health. Comforting us while we are sick is a strong signal that your cat has deep feelings toward you that you might compare to love.

  • Protecting Us

Many owners will tell stories of how their cat warned them in times of danger, like fire or an intruder. There are also stories of cats jumping in to protect their owners from snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous animals. Although we may not fully understand why cats do what they do or how they express their affection toward their owners, we believe this to be a signal that your cat loves you.

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Summary

While we have scientific proof that cats feel love, most of us already knew that from our interaction with them. While dogs usually get the credit for being affectionate, cats are every bit as loving as dogs are; they just show it in subtle ways. Dogs are pack animals, while cats are solitary hunters, and for them to spend time with us away from the hunt is pretty significant, but they do much more than that.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over our look into cat behavior and found it interesting and helpful. If you agree with us, please share our look into if cats can feel love on Facebook and Twitter.

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Featured Photo Credit: Andrew Kota, Pexels

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