How Do Cats Show Love and Affection?

Archie and Gizmo

How Do Cats Show Love and Affection?

Cats love company, it’s a well known fact and any cat parents will related to so many of the ways in which your cats show love below. Cats use a variety of behaviours and communications to show you they love you. Take a look at the list below and count how many of these you have seen your cat do…

Meowing – Cats love to talk and some are more vocal than others. Siamese cats are well known for having a lot to say for themselves and I know this from experience having grown up with Siamese cats. It’s not just meowing though, cats use a variety of sounds to communicate with us. Luna one of our cats meows and if she doesn’t get her point across or get what she wants (usually that she wants feeding again) she will continue to meow louder and more assertively! Sammy our other cat likes to have a good chat each day but he also makes lots of cute little noises that are half purrr and half meow, he is such a sweet little boy 🙂
Purring is probably one of the first things that pop into your head when you think about how cats show love and affection. When happy, cats purrr and you will feel and hear vibrations, they sound like they have a little motor going inside their head. Purrring is a lovely sound, very relaxing. Occasionally cats will purrr if they are frightened but this is unusual. If your cat has their motor going, it is highly likely they are a very happy kitty.
Cuddles – Cats love cuddles and most will sit there quite happily all day with you stroking their fur and giving them fuss and attention. Curled up on your lap having cuddles is one of a cat’s favourite places to be! Cat cuddles have been proven to lower a human’s blood pressure and improve mental heath so keep cuddling your kitties, it’s good for your health.

Sammy wrapping himself around my hand wanting cuddles

Head butting – have you ever been head butted by a cat? I know I have, on a daily basis usually! Cats love to rub the sides of their faces against their owners and items in the house so they can transfer their scent and claim ownership of their patch. Cats often head but and rub their face on people to show they love them.
Eye contact – when a cat feels very safe and comfortable with you they will have their face near to you and also hold eye contact, often having their eye’s half open and blink slowly, which is a sign of trust and love. You can slow blink back to your cat to show them you love and trust them too. These slow blinks are also known as cat kisses, which is adorable!
Follow you around – I don’t know about you but Sammy and Luna often follow me around the house, wanting to see where I am going, what I am doing, they love to be involved in everything! In the mornings they come upstairs and wait around for me to be ready to go downstairs. Sammy in particular will hover at the top of the stairs and as soon as I show I am going to go downstairs he tears in front of me to beat me and get their first, cheeky monkey!
Curling around your leg – Do you have to keep an eye on where you are placing your feet as your feline friends like to get under your feet and wrap their tail around your legs? This is another way your cat may choose to show you they love you.
Giving you their favourite toy – I see this with Sammy our male cat very frequently and it’s always the same one or two toys he will bring to me and drop in front of me to give me before wanting lots of attention and praise for being such a good boy hunting and bringing me the toy. Sammy will often meow loudly and a bit like a howl and I wonder what is going on, so I go and find him and there he is with his toy that he then drops in front of me to give me.

Sammy bringing me his teddy

Licking – Does your cat lick your skin or perhaps your hair? Sammy and Luna are always licking mine and my children’s hair! I have to be careful and discourage them a little with my hair as it is very long and I don’t want it to get caught in their mouth and swallowed. However, licking and grooming is your cat’s way of showing you love and affection.
High flying tails and bums! Do you notice that when you stroke your cats fur along their back they often elevate their tail so it sticks straight up in the air and they elevate their bottom as well so it’s as high as possible, inviting you to pay more attention to the area around the base of their tail. This is because they like the base of their tail to be stroked and scratched so they raise it up to make it more obvious to us that’s where they want attention!
Rolling – Does your cat often flop and roll over onto their back when they see you, exposing their tummy for tickles and attention? Well, this is their way of getting your attention and then having their tummy ticked, which all cats love.
Kneading – Otherwise known as “puddening” in our house, I am not sure why, it’s something my mum told me I think! When happy cats and kittens knead with their paws pressing up and down on our hands, legs, bodies, blankets, whatever they happen to be sitting or laying on. When young, kittens knead on their mum’s breast to express the milk so they can feed and they continue this behaviour as they get older when they feel happy and loved, often when sat on their owner’s lap, it’s their way of showing the love and adore you.
Sleeping on your lap – Cats choose to sleep only in places they feel, safe, secure and happy. One of those places is their owners laps so when your cat curls up on your lap to sleep, it’s a sign they love you and like to be with you. Alternatively some cats like to sleep next to you like Luna below sleeping on my desk!