How To Know If Your Cat Loves You?

People who have never owned a cat often perceive cats as selfish creatures that lack social skills, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Felines may not show their love by wagging tails and jumping on the owner like dogs do, but they have unique ways of expressing affection and gratitude.

If you’re curious how to know if your cat likes you, pay attention to its body language and behavior – habits like grooming, nibbling, purring, and kneading are nearly 100% guarantee that your cat adores you.

Grooming

Cats spend half of their lifetime grooming themselves, but sometimes, they also attempt to groom the owner. If your cat licks your face, hands, and hair, it perceives you as family and genuinely cares about you.

Feral cats wash one another to leave their saliva on another cat’s coat. As a result, a group of feral cats will have the same smell – that’s how cats recognize who is part of their social circle.

When a cat washes you, it instinctively wants to leave a scent for other cats to know that you are family – even if there are no other cats. Female felines may also lick owners expressing their parental instinct.

Biting

Most people perceive biting as a sign of aggression, but nibbling is a cat’s unique way of expressing affection. Of course, you should read the overall cat’s body language and evaluate the biting intensity.

Cat love bites are light, sometimes ticklish, and playful. According to scientists, cats preserve this habit from kittenhood when their mothers nibble them while grooming. So, cats perceive biting as caring.

Be careful not to confuse nibbling with biting caused by overstimulation. If a cat has had enough of play or petting, it may start biting the owner.

At first, the bites are gentle, but if the owner doesn’t read the message on time, a cat may attack for real. A cat that bites the owner to show affection should not have dilated pupils, pressed-down ears, or tense posture.

Eye Contact

Many inexperienced feline owners are confused – “why is my cat staring at me?”. Everyone knows not to look in the eyes of an animal because it can be interpreted as asserting dominance.

Most animals indeed don’t like when someone looks them straight in the eyes. They either try to look away or become aggressive. If a cat stares you in the eyes, it trusts you and wants to show affection.

If you pay closer attention to how your cat looks at you, you may even notice it sending you so-called eye kisses – slow blinks with half-closed eyes.

Furthermore, cats that love their owners are genuinely interested in their lives and what they’re up to. For your kitty, you’re the center of the universe and the most amusing thing in its life.

Purring

Purring is among the primary means of communication for felines, but not everyone knows why cats purr. Yes, cats purr when they’re content, but they can also purr when stressed, scared, anxious, aggressive, or in pain.

Scientists don’t know for sure how purring occurs, but research has shown that purring vibrations have a soothing effect on cats and humans. Feral cats lie alongside each other and purr when one of them is injured.

So, a cat purring on your lap may be simply happy, but it may also be trying to comfort you if it believes you’re anxious or stressed. Either way, unless a cat shows any signs of distress, purring is a sign that your cat loves you.

Some owners are worried that their cat doesn’t love them because it never purrs. But purring isn’t the only way cats express love; each cat is different. So, if your cat doesn’t purr, don’t overthink it – it loves you anyway.

Head-Butts

Has your cat ever rubbed its cheeks against you or bumped into you with its forehead? So-called headbutting or head bunting is an apparent sign that a cat likes you. But why do cats do headbutts, exactly?

This habit stems from kittenhood. Cats have pheromone glands on their cheeks, chin, and forehead. Mother cats head bunt their kittens to mark them with their scent, indicating to other felines that the kittens are under protection.

Feral cats also headbutt each other to easily identify individuals from their social group. So, when a cat head bunts you, it rubs pheromones on you to mark you as a family member.

Your cat may also headbutt you when seeking attention – cats typically like to be scratched on the forehead and under the chin, so your cat may be asking you to pet it.

Gifts

Cats are natural-born hunters. If your cat is allowed to go outdoors, it may bring you prey as a gift. Although this habit may be repulsive, don’t rush to scold your furry friend – it’s a way of showing love.

Your cat doesn’t know that you don’t eat mice and birds and may be bringing you dead animals as a gratitude for your care. Perhaps, cats think that they’re doing their part and being helpful.

Indoor cats that have never killed a single bird in their life can have a similar habit of bringing toys. Some owners think that their cat simply asks them to play fetch, and this may be true.

But feline behavior experts suggest that cats bring toys to their owners to teach them to hunt. Your cat expects you to finish off the “prey” and learn to provide for yourself. Either way, this odd habit signals genuine love.

Tail Language

Cat tail language can tell a lot about its attitude to you.

Some feline behaviors, such as purring, biting, and direct eye contact, can be interpreted differently, and your cat’s tail position can help you distinguish positive interactions from negative ones.

A friendly, confident cat keeps its tail straight up, but this position doesn’t yet indicate love – the cat is simply comfortable around you. However, if your cat wraps its tail around your legs, you can be sure it adores you.

On the same note, a cat that wraps its tail around its body while purring may be feeling stressed, anxious, or defensive. Be careful with a cat twitching the tail’s end, keeping the tail between its legs, or thrashing it.

In contrast, fine tail quivering is a positive sign – cats quiver their tails when they are excited to see someone.

You may notice this tail movement when you arrive home from work or after vacation. However, intact males do the same tail movement when marking their territory.

Kneading

Kneading is among the cutest ways cats show affection. This habit stems from kittenhood when kittens knead their mother’s stomach to stimulate milk production. The answer to why cats knead at an adult age is simple – it helps them feel content.

When a cat kneads a blanket or another soft object, it remembers how it used to sleep next to its mother and feels happy. If your cat kneads you, it shows you its love.

Sometimes, cats also knead to stretch muscles, relieve stress, make a soft resting place, or mark territory using scent glands in their paws. But cats usually choose targets other than owners for these purposes.

Kneading can sometimes be painful, but you should never scold your cat for it because it’s a genuine expression of affection. Instead, keep your cat’s claws trimmed and maybe place a pillow or blanket between you and its paws.

Presenting The Stomach & Behind

Cats only expose their bellies to people they trust. However, a cat showing its stomach doesn’t necessarily invite you to touch it. Perhaps, everyone knows the “tummy rub trap” when a cat shows its belly but scratches you once you pet it.

This habit is instinctive. The stomach is a sensitive, vulnerable area, so cats generally don’t like it being touched. If a cat allows you to rub its belly, it trusts you with its life.

A less apparent sign that a cat trusts you is showing you the behind. Many feline owners have experienced it – you wake up, your cat is purring on your chest, but then suddenly turns around and shows you its butt.

From a cat’s perspective, it greets you. When cats meet other cats from their social group, they sniff each other’s butts, but if they encounter an unknown cat, they never turn around.

Sleeping Together

Cats sleep where they feel the most comfortable and content. If a cat prefers your bed to any other place in your home, it loves you. Some may argue that a bed is simply warm and soft.

But a cat would never sleep next to someone they don’t trust. Furthermore, cats often choose their favorite person in the family and only sleep in their bed.

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