In the great debate about pets and our love for them, there are normally two main sides. There is team cat and then there is team dog.
One of the most common generalizations made is that dogs are loving, caring and affectionate beings who are attached to their owners and love them, while cats simply do not care one bit.
Since cats might not be as outwardly excitable towards their owners, that proves they do not get emotionally attached to said owners.
Sings Of Cats Showing Their Love And Attachment
If you speak to cat owners in person or look at various forums online, you will see a ton of cat owners with stories of their cats growing attached to them over time.
Every owner likely has a story about a time (or multiple times) where their cat doesn’t want to leave them alone, will follow them around the house or cuddle and beg them for attention.
This sort of widespread evidence of cats showing emotional attachment is hard to deny.
#1 Purring
One of the most well-known signs of a happy cat is their purring. Cats purr for a variety of reasons, but it’s often a sign of contentment and happiness.
When a cat purrs while cuddling with their owner, it can be a sign of affection and a way of expressing their attachment.
#2 Kneading
Another common sign of a cat’s attachment to their owner is kneading. This behavior involves a cat pressing their paws in and out against a soft surface, such as a blanket or their owner’s lap.
It’s thought to be a leftover behavior from kittenhood, when kittens knead their mother’s belly to stimulate milk production. When cats do this to their owners, it’s a sign of trust and affection.
#3 Following
Cats that follow their owners around the house or insist on being close by are often showing their love and attachment.
Cats are independent creatures, so when they choose to spend time with their owners, it’s a sign that they enjoy their company and feel secure around them.
#4 Head-Butting
A cat head-butting their owner may seem odd, but it’s actually a sign of affection. When a cat rubs their head or face against their owner, they’re leaving their scent and marking them as their own.
This behavior is a way for cats to show ownership and affection towards their human.
#5 Bringing Gifts
While it may not be the most pleasant sign of love, cats that bring their owners “gifts” are actually showing their affection.
Cats are natural hunters, and when they bring their owners small prey such as mice or birds, it’s a sign that they want to share their bounty and show their love.
Of course, many owners would prefer a different kind of gift, but it’s important to remember that the behavior is rooted in the cat’s natural instincts.
Final Word
Do cats love their owners?
The answer is largely inconclusive and there is something to be said for each side.
However, there has been a study done that has come to the conclusion that cats do not need humans to feel protected, and they even prefer to look after themselves.
The study also found no evidence to suggest the bond between a cat and owner is an emotionally attached one, which may be shocking to cat owners everywhere.
However, before you go and get mad at your cat, you can look at these findings in a different way.
Because the cat doesn’t “need” to stay with you, you should actually take it as a compliment that it decides to stick around and be your companion.
So while at least one study has shown that cats have no emotional attachment to their owners, thousands of cat owners around the world would likely disagree with those findings wholeheartedly and claim their cats most definitely have an emotional attachment to them.
Olfa knows how to get things done and has a keen business sense that others admire. She’s always on the go, coming up with new ideas! Her ability to anticipate the needs of her readers and deliver information that they want is what makes CatVills such a success. She loves cuddling her cat Picaciu. He is her inspiration.
Yes they do get attached, mine cries for me when I leave to do shopping or etc. My husband tries to keep him happy. But he is not happy until I come home and hugs me every time.
My two cats like to hang around with me. Except when napping, they follow me around the house and love to come to the enclosed outside porch when I go out to sit and read, or do anything. They are amused and love to join in…
I will let you know the next time I go to my parents home. When I moved, I left my cat with them since he had been living there for several years already (with me too). I can’t wait to see him, but my parents said he became so loving after I left, lol.
Cats are different from dogs and perhaps don’t show their excitement as much as dogs. The cats we have had were loving but on their own terms and when they wanted some attention.
I would disagree with the study. Our cat is very attached to us. He follows us everywhere and even sleeps with our son.
I think all domesticated animals get attached to their people. They definitely just show it differently!
I went out of town a few weeks back and my cat was walking around the house crying for me. So I believe they do get emotionally attached.
This is really interesting, I would say they do from seeing cats but they are definitely independent as well.
My Mums cat is getting old and if she loses her she will yell until my Mum comes and finds her.
Just because our cat doesn’t think they need us doesn’t mean they don’t love us! I think my cats like me.
It’s funny. I was watching this movie Homeward Bound the other day and it made me wonder about it. I think they are emotionally attached to their owners. They love their touch and being in their surroundings.
I think they do but show it in a very subtle way. I personally like how you have to work for a Cat’s affection more than you do with a dog.
As a long time pet blogger, oh yes they sure do. I know many cat lovers and they have a strong bond with their feline family members.
This is false my cat his name was addicus he would greet me after school and comfort me if I had a bad day he waited tell one he wasn’t there witch conceded me because he’s always there he was sick badly he want to see anyone but me he was frighten and meowing but when I came in I could see he was happy no longer frightened but calm and happy when I had to leave he tried to follow me but he wasn’t allowed
I bottle raised a two week old tuxedo kitten. She treated me as her mother, cried at the bathroom door until l let her in, followed me to the beach on walks ( hiding behind rocks, but determined). I once was gone for two weeks. Upon my return, she came crying and bounding down the stairs when she heard my voice. She died unexpectedly at nine years old . I miss her to this day, ten years later, my darling Cleo.
I think all animals get attached to the people they are around. I know my dog sure does and I have seen my friend’s cats act the same way!
We have three cats of our own and I’m positive they’re all emotionally attached. One sleeps on my pillow .. another comes in to greet me in the morning .. and the other meets me in the kitchen to hep with breakfast!
To be honest, I have had both cats and dogs. And I know some cats who do seem to get attached to their owners. I have had some amazing cats like that. And the I have had cats that could have cared less. I think it just depends on the cat and how you raise it.
Wow this study is shocking to me indeed. My sister had a cat that would call her name looking for her while she was at work. Her roommate didn’t believe her cat could talk til she heard it for herself. This is an interesting find indeed. Thanks for sharing the information.
I guess every pet can be as close to their owners. Sometimes it depends on how they were treated. Glad I also learned something from this post. Never knew this before.
My dad’s cat is so close to my dad. They have a little cuddle every morning and evening and he loves to play fight with my dad
to be honest . every time I am coming back home . when I call my cat name GANGA . if he was at home when he hear my sound maybe 5 or 6 second he purring too much . cat is deferent I love cat . it’s clean animal
Who were these “researchers”? They obviously have never lived with cats!!!
There are five people in my family, mother, father, brother, sister and myself. I also have a cat. If she wants to go outside, she’ll come to me to let her out, if she wants to eat, she’ll come to me to give her food, at night, she meows under my window for me to let her inside, when it’s time to sleep, she’ll sleep in my room on my bed.
Now my question is, if cats don’t get emotionally attached, why does my cat ALWAYS come to me when she needs something? Whether it’s for her needs or cuddles. If a cat sticks to a home because of food, why won’t my cat go to my parents or my siblings for these things?
We have a dog at home, and whenever she needs something, she goes to my parents, not me, not my sister and certainly not my brother.
I am minding a friend’s cat while they’re gone. She has four kittens. If cats don’t get attached to their owners and only live with them for food, then why do the kittens come to me for cuddles and play time when it’s their mother that provides them with food? The mother cat herself will follow me around the house despite her having EVERYTHING she needs in the room. Food, water and milk, a litter box… she’ll meow and purr whenever she sees me (shows a little bit more affection than my own cat).
Looking at John Bowlby’s attachment theory where he experimented with monkeys, it’s clear that animals and humans are looking for comfort, not food. Comfort is what attachment is based off of.
I totally disagree with the experiment. My cat Tobi is so much emotionally attached to me, she hate being alone. Wherever I go she follows me. She meow’s by the door when she hears me coming in from work. I adore my Tobi (baby). lol 🙂
I saw a video on Pinterest that a cat and a girl wouldn’t let go of each other!??
Our cat, Rupert, came to us via a friend who was a mechanic who found this feral kitten up inside the engine of a car in the lot the day after 4th of July 2013, due to the noise this handful sized pipsqueak was making. He was 3-4 weeks old (his eyes& ears were open, but he only had the little canine teeth) and we had to eyedropper feed him for a few months. When he first came his ear was half torn due to a fanbelt injury (we believe the fireworks the night before scared off the feral momma cat after he was in the car engine) . Needless to say Rupert was terrified. He was dehydrated and meowing and hiding under my couch. I spent four hours w my hand out half under the couch, just calling sweet things to him. Finally I had to stand up. I walk down the hall and two seconds later the little fuzz ball followed. I finally got some food into him, and he was sleeping on my lap, and I cleaned and put ointment on his ear. He’s been my and my fiances baby since. He now is 6 years old and greets us at the front door after work and cries for us when we leave, according to my MIL. (I’ve seen this when I am out on the balcony and my fiance leaves and Rupert thinks I’m already gone too. He gets all sweet when I call him to me, and stops his 5 min mournful plaint. Rupert considers 11pm bedtime, and will herd Adam and I up the hall and sleep all night on my legs. He is still skittish of strangers and is only really comfortable to sleep soundly in our room w the door closed, but he is a complete trusting mush to us. Everyone thinks were nuts because he’s a brat or standoffish to everyone but Adam, myself l, and while not as mushy w her, he loves my MIL too. This cat gets really upset if we aren’t home at night, like when we went to Maui , and to us it is obvious he is our baby and has an emotional connection based on affection and trust with us.