While dog owners talk about dogs’ history as humans’ friends, cat owners sometimes wondered if their cats really liked them. But research shows that the reputation of cats as cold and aloof creatures is unjustified.
Domestic cats are by nature more independent creatures than dogs, due to their evolutionary ancestry. The wild ancestors of cats did not live in social groups like the ancestors of dogs. But during the period of domestication, cats developed the ability to form social relationships not only with other cats, but also with humans.
Although cats do not seek human support to feel safe like dogs do, most cats show their affection for their human companions in various ways and highly value human friendship. Cats’ attachment to humans is largely dependent on how they interacted with humans when they were kittens. Also, cats treat people the same way they treat other feline friends, so you can predict how attached they are by studying their behavior.
The ability to communicate with other cats at great distances when not physically present is one of the advantages that cats have in their wild ancestors today. In addition to maintaining these super abilities, our domestic cats often resort to this type of communication.
In particular, odors are used to identify members of a social group or family by creating a group odor profile. Cats have scent glands on the sides, on their heads, and around their ears, and they often release their scent by rubbing their heads on people and objects they find familiar and comforting. In other words, your cat head-butting or crawling on your leg indicates that it identifies you as a friend and can be perceived as a great compliment.
How does your cat greet you?
One of the clearest signs that your pet cat loves you is the way he greets you. When cats greet other members of their social group, they use a variety of signals to indicate friendship and a willingness to approach. These signals apply to humans as well as to other cats.
For example, a raised tail may indicate friendly intent and be interpreted as the feline equivalent of waving. Some cats may also use a question mark-like tail shape to greet a loved one or show their willingness to play.
Cats can sometimes tangle their tails to show their friendship among themselves, and the human equivalent of this is wrapping its tail around your legs.
Having your cat lying on its back with its stomach open to you also means that it trusts you completely.
However, cats mostly prefer your pet around the head and neck, and just because they leave their bellies open to you doesn’t mean they want you to love their bellies. Even making such an effort can cause the cat to quickly pull or paw.
How does your cat look at you?
Another sign that your cat sees you as a friend is the way he looks at you. When cats see an unfamiliar person or cat, they often look without blinking. However, they are more inclined to blink slowly towards cats (and people) with whom they have a good relationship.
Cat owners probably know how protective cats are in their personal space and often don’t want people (and objects) they don’t want to come near it. If a cat is letting you get close to it, it could indicate a close bond. Lying on your lap and napping is a sign of deep trust. Cats only clean and lick each other when they’re in an intimate relationship, so even if their barbed tongues don’t sound very comforting to us, licking your hand or face is a sign of affection…
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