8 Signs Your Cat Loves You

Cats are well known for bring more aloof and less affable than pooches, but this does not mean that they do not love their human families. Kitties can also feel affection towards their owners, but it may be not easy for pet parents to read their fur baby’s feelings. Felines can sometimes act like they don’t care a button, but if you take a closer look, your kitty can send you a lot of signals to let you know that he is fond of you.

Adi Hovav, feline behaviorist at the ASPCA, says cats show love towards their owners in different physical ways. “Many cat parents know that kitties often take the initiative in deciding when it is time for a cuddling session, so don’t despair if your pet wants some private space and is not always by your side ^[1].”

Signs of a cat’s affection towards his human companion can be obvious or quite difficult to read. Look through this exclusive list of feline behaviors to find out how pets communicate their love for their owners.

How to know if your Cat loves you

1. Eye Kisses

The slow blink is one of the most charming ways of demonstrating great affection. Such eye kisses are a sign of feline love and trust ^[4]. If you blink slowly back at your fluffy buddy, you will show that this feeling goes both ways.

“This may be the expression of feline love that is easiest for pet parents to understand. If your fur baby first looks at you, then blinks, then opens his eyes wide, then slowly blinks a second time, he tells you, “I love you so much.” She says this is an extreme sign of love ^[2].

Says Dr. Karen Becker

2. Following You Around

You hear your cat jumping off the couch when you leave the room. You stub your toe on your fluffy buddy when you carry a large pot of water over to the electronic cooker. Or maybe your pet constantly accompanies you to the bathroom. All these are signs that you are lucky to have a feline friend that loves you to the moon and back.

3. Belly Up

A cat’s belly is its Achilles’ heal, that is to say, their tender spot. By rolling over and exposing his stomach, your pet shows that he is comfortable around you. And if your kitty allows you to rub his fuzzy belly? You achieved a great deal! This is an indication of trust and affection. WARNING: Touching your pet’s stomach can lead to light scarring. Felines are moody.

4. Bringing You “Gifts”

If you have an outdoor cat, you can receive various “presents” from your sweetheart, like dead animals or other feline prey. Although these offerings may be gross or even disgusting, do not punish your pet for leaving you a gift. This is a sure-fire sign of his respect. When your feline buddy brings you a dead thing, it can be difficult to take it as a compliment, but it definitely means your pet loves you.

Dragging a dead mouse, a dead bird, or, if you are an owner of an indoor kitty, a toy to your bedside is a sign that your pet considers you family and wants to feed you. It may seem odd, but your fur baby wouldn’t bring you such a special present if he wasn’t totally into you. So, accept it gratefully after you finish dry-heaving.

5. Head-Butting You

When you see your four-legged friend is approaching you with his head raised, get ready, your cat has prepared a good head butt for you! Such feline behavior may seem odd to some pet parents, but in fact it shows that you are not unimportant to your fur baby. When your cat rubs his head or cheeks against you, he tries to mix your scents to strengthen your bond and claim you as a family member.

6. Coming Into Your Bedroom For Nighttime Cuddles

Your pet may be a secretive creature and often does not want to show his affection for his human companion to anyone. Thus, your cuddle time might happen when you are fast asleep. Even if you sleep like a log and can’t share in this activity, this does not prevent your kitty from doing it. Your fur baby, coming into your bedroom at night and sitting on your stomach, chest, or side, is the ultimate sign that he loves you with all his heart.

7. Kneading Your Legs

Kneading is when cats use their paws to push in and out on a soft surface in an alternating right/left pattern. There are many theories about why cats knead or “make biscuits”. One theory says that grown-up felines learn such behavior to stimulate milk production from their mother cat ^[3]. So when a kitty practices this habit on a human, he demonstrates that he is relaxed and comfortable with his human family. When your cat flops eagerly into your arms and “making biscuits” is accompanied by purring, you know you have one happy pet on your lap!

8. You Get Your Cat’s Purr Motor Running

Kitties purr when they feel safe and happy. If your cat purrs every time he is curled up in your lap and you pet him, it means that he feels very comfortable next to you and tries to express affection to you by purring.

If your cat purrs loudly, he feels relaxed, safe, and happy. If your pet is totally into you, you may notice that his purrs become more intense while you are petting him.

Disclaimer! Not every purr is a happy purr! Some cats may actually purr when nervous or in pain. However, if your pet is calm and relaxed, you can be sure that their purr is a ‘love letter’ to you.

Dr. Linda Simon

READ MORE: The Best Cat Carriers

The Bottom Line

The most important argument for “cat haters” is that, unlike dogs, felines are more restrained and less likely to love their human companions. But the truth is cats do love their humans – they just show it in a different way. They may not run up to you wagging a tail like a dog does when you return home after work, but they may come up to you and knead your legs. When you rest in the armchair, your pet can climb into your lap and purr loudly. And when cats bring their owners a dead thing or a toy? It’s just their special way of saying, “I love you, buddy.” If you learn to recognize all the amazing ways they demonstrate affection, you will realize that your fur baby is really nuts about you.

Article Sources:

1. “Adopt a Pet.” ASPCA | American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 4 Nov. 2020, aspca.org/adopt-pet
2. “10 Ways Your Kitty Says ‘I Love You.’” Pet Nutrition and Animal Wellness – Mercola.Com, healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/10/01/10-ways-cats-show-affection.aspx
3. Dr Carla Paszkowski, Pet Circle veterinarian. “How To Tell If Your Cat Loves You | Pet Circle.” Pet Circle – Pet Food & Supplies, 6 Jan. 2020, petcircle.com.au/discover/how-to-tell-if-your-cat-loves-you
4. LaFontaine, Dawn. “Why Does My Cat Lick Me?” Cat in the Box LLC, 6 Oct. 2020, thecatisinthebox.com/blogs/kitty-contemplations/why-does-my-cat-lick-me