Does my cat love me? This is a question we furry felines hear often from our owners. Despite all the cuddles and affections we might offer in all the countless ways, that same question remains.
Now, I know we come off as standoffish or maybe a little bit snobby, but obviously we still love you. But, we are still cats, so we just love in our own little ways. My human, Jeff, can tell that I love him just by the way I follow him around the house all day.
It’s your favorite household feline once again, Milo Fwancis, here to help relieve your concerns!
Why Does My Cat Love Me So Much
Okay, calm down – it’s not like we’re obsessed with you :-p But nature and biology will play a huge role in the behavior of any of us animals, though we rarely realize it (yes, even you humans). The true driving force is that animals will almost always make decisions based on what benefits their particular situations.
Before we break this principle down further, the general reason why your cat, or any intelligent animal, thrives in your company is simple. You make our lives better! Sure, the idea might seem selfish at first, until you consider that humans do the same thing. I mean, I know for a fact I make Jeff’s life better, so it really is a mutually beneficial situation.
Think of Human Companionship
Essentially, human companionship offers a sense of security, along with the physical benefits (food, shelter, accomplishing goals, advancing oneself) that are easier to attain with other humans in a group. Cats aren’t far from you all in this area!
You Provide Resources.
We cats want to keep our humans around because they make our lives easier! They bring us food (preferably twice a day), always make sure there is enough water, give us treats… Stuff like that.
On top of keeping us fed, you humans entertain us on a daily basis. You give us plenty of toys to play with, and we associate our enjoyment we receive from playing with you.
Scent Marking
Cats have the benefit of tiny scent glands all over their bodies. While humans may think our rubbing ‘budding’ behavior is out of affection, sometimes we’re just trying to leave our marks!
Does my cat love me if he sleeps with me?
When we cats sleep with our owners, we are letting them know they’ve earned our trust! We also like the body heat you provide.
In other words, your cat sleeps with you because you make him feel safe and comfortable! This is a fantastic sign for any kitty parent out there. Your cat doesn’t just want to spend time witty their warm ‘heat-box’ humans, they want to make sure the humans know it too!
Signs Your Cat Hates You
Does it seem like your cat just doesn’t want anything at all to do with you? You want to give your fur-buddy the world, but he just doesn’t seem to care. What are the signs your cat hates you?
7 Creepy Signs Your Cat Hates You
1.) Your cat darts out of the shadows to attack you (or the ‘invader’), before running back to his shadowy lair. This behavior is common in stressed or insecure cats dealing with a higher level of anxiety. You might see this if you’ve just introduced another animal into the house, or another large change he doesn’t like.
2.) Your cat hides often, rarely seen by anyone in the house. Again, something has your cat feeling uncomfortable, instinctively hiding from a possible threat. Your cat might be anxious about a new change you’ve recently made, or (again) another new addition.
3.) Your cat’s tail is held low- horizontal, lowered, or tucked. Like dogs, cats are very visually expressive and their tails are kind of like antennas in a way, though sometimes harder to read. A lowered tail could indicate a sense of fear or hostility. Accounting for other visual signals is helpful here.
4.) Your cat keeps on biting you! When we cats bite, we aren’t happy! Take it from me, Milo Fwancis, cat’s don’t just bite the owners that care for them because it is amusing. I’m talking ‘break the skin and draw blood’ biting, not play nibbles.
Sure, biting is normal kitten behavior, but it should usually end there. If your fully grown cat is biting you, he isn’t pleased at all and likely wants to be left alone.
5.) Your cat looks right at you and hisses. Cats usually hiss when they want to let you know they’re either not pleased or feeling threatened. Your little hissing friend is telling you (or whatever he is hissing at) to either backup or there could be trouble.
6.) Your furry feline refuses to use his litter box. Cats urinate or defecate often as a way of marking our territory, letting other cats know we own this property. On the flip side, they often bury droppings to hide scents from larger, more powerful animals and avoid any challenges.
If your cat isn’t using the litter box (assuming you’ve cleaned it), he might not think much of you.
7.) Your cat either walks away whenever you enter a room or actively avoids you.
This is another sign your fur-friend simply doesn’t want to be around you.
How to Make Your Cat Love You
You keep asking yourself “does my cat love me?” over and over. You’ve seen any one of the behaviors above, or maybe even all of them. It sure seems a lot like your cat doesn’t want anything to do with you.
How will you make your cat love you again?
Determine the Reason.
You can’t cure any behavioral problem if you don’t know the cause. What is causing your cat to feel this way? If the problem is something you can change about your cat’s environment, change it. Anything else is little more than a shot in the dark.
Socialize Your Cat Young.
Unfortunately, it might be a little bit late for this step. Just in case your cat is a kitten, start teaching her fabulous social skills right away! Your goal is to desensitize (or in the case of a fearless kitten, just promote happiness) your cat to new experiences.
Introduce your kitten to other humans, the neighbor dog, the family dog, other ‘friendly’ cats, and any other new or unique encounter. Make sure these encounters are enjoyable ones!
Give Your Cat Personal Space.
Your cat might just want to be left alone or might not want to be bombarded with attention. Try offering a nice, clean area of the house (of course perch and scratching post included) for your cat to call her very own!
Entice Your Cat with Rewards!
Rather than force play, simply offer treats. Offer fun toys. Make sure your cat knows when you’re about to bring out the catnip!