Thousands of years ago, humans domesticated the cat. In the Middle East, in Ancient Egypt, and later, the cat appeared near humans as a predator that killed rodents, and eventually entered homes as a friend. The gracefulness, gracefulness, and mysterious behavior of the animals attracted people, and they became pets more and more often. New breeds appeared. Owners observed the behavior of cats and learned to perceive and understand their needs on a non-verbal level, because every movement of a cat means something: a raised or lowered tail, a look, the direction of the ears, purring, meowing, moving, and much more.
Cats have a special character, a unique temperament, which is demonstrated by emotional attachment or indifferent disregard for their owners, which is not always clear to the owner, although in fact, cats have a strong need for humans, and they can even form a family bond, like a child and parents.
The animal’s behavior and manner of communication can contribute to mutual understanding and trust. It happens that a pet will do something bad, but such an act can be a manifestation of love. So how do you know if your cat loves you?
Typical manifestations of cat love
A few simple signs can help you recognize Fluffy’s deep love for you and make sure he is loyal.
The very first sign of trust and love is a manifestation of physical affection: greeting you with a purr, falling down in front of you and turning over on their tummy, rubbing their head or sides, purring or meowing contentedly, hugging their tail or playing with your hair, licking and tenderly stomping on you.
The next manifestation is body language: raised ears and a tail stretched vertically upward with a curved tip indicate greetings and good mood, squinting eyes or slow blinking as a cat kiss, and a long eye-to-eye gaze as a sign of trust.
And the last is the time spent together. Tail is often nearby, so that you are in his field of vision – this is a guarantee of comfort and security for him. Fluffy may sleep on your lap or on the bed with you, sit with you at the computer with interest, or try to participate in your household chores. The highest sign of trust is grooming, when pets allow their owners to comb them, clean their ears, trim their nails, and bathe them.
Hidden and non-obvious signs of affection
It’s hard to understand a cat’s love and affection for its owner when the animal’s inappropriate behavior suggests otherwise, but all of these are manifestations of love:
- shows indifference, thus demonstrating its independence;
- brings you its prey – a mouse, bird or butterfly – to show care and share the “trophy”;
- hides – not because of fear or dislike, but to retire in a comfortable place;
- ignores touch – does not allow you to pet him or avoids tactile contact altogether, especially when he is jealous of you;
- lightly gnaws or bites – not because of aggression, but because of a playfulness;
- scratches the furniture to mark the territory;
- a “surprise” outside the litter box is a sign of attention.
Manipulation as an instinct
Cat behavior is often driven by instinct. Manipulation is part of the natural behavior of the feline species. They socialize quickly, are able to copy the manners of their owners, and are able to adapt to different situations in order to benefit from the owner – food, affection, or play. The cat achieves the desired by deliberately manipulating: changing facial expressions, showing satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or indifference. Animals use different tactics or strategies to get their way and can adapt their behavior to different situations and repeat it over time.
The difference between love and habit or manipulation
A four-legged Fluffy tries to be close, shows gentleness and tenderness, unobtrusively caresses and purrs contentedly – this is the animal’s love, and when a cat persistently demands attention with annoying meows, shows irritation and impatience – this is manipulation. Cats use almost 100 different ways of meowing, changing the pitch, intensity, and length of the sound.
Conclusion.
The cat is a unique extravagant animal with a predatory nature, intelligence, selfish character, and a special temperament; it easily establishes strong social ties with humans, instinctively senses the physical or emotional state of its owner, and can adapt to circumstances. The cat’s independent behavior and refined manner of communication with its owner, playfulness, and innocent cunning have won people’s affection.
Scientists assure that cats have a positive effect on the well-being of their owners: purring has a therapeutic calming effect, communication with the animal affects the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, and sleeping next to a cat is calm and sound. Children are less vulnerable to allergic diseases from the first years of life, as it is known from publications in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Scientists at the University of Oregon say that cats need to communicate with humans more than they need food or play, so pay enough attention and respect Fluffy’s needs and habits.
Despite their independence, cats are very fond of their owners and become not just pets or companions, but true friends.
