Do Cats Love?

PaulinPilsen

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As I have been experiencing 2 new cats in my life and taking in the advice of many here on this site to help me assess accurately their behavior, I came to wonder whether our pets feel the emotion of “love.” I’m learning about my new friends.

I thought about my old pets who passed away, and I really believed in my heart that Princess Big Mama Panda loved me. This cat’s trust and faith in me and my spouse was total, or at least, it seemed that way, all the way to the end. I miss my friend. I cried the day she was euthanized, and I’m sad now writing this. Maybe all this emotion is just me reflecting this “love” and not my departed cat at all. Maybe she was only in it for food, warmth and safety for her time here. Any case, this cat certainly brightened my life for the time that I had her. I wonder, do cats love?
 

rubysmama

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I don't know if cats understand love in the same way we do, but they definitely can show affection to their human family. :catrub: And not always just when they want something. ;)

It sounds like you and Princess Big Mama Panda had a very special bond. Condolences on her loss. :alright:

We have a Crossing the Bridge forum if you'd like to post a memorial tribute to her. RIP sweet girl. :hearthrob: :angel: :hearthrob:
 

Maria Bayote

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I used to believe that my cats, particularly my Bourbon, did not "love" me. But cats have some odd ways of showing their affection at times. Lately I notice that my Bourbon also can't sleep if she is not sleeping with me. She has to be positioned in bed, just above my head, occupying my pillow. Even if she has her own comfy bed, she prefers to sleep with me. I tried to switch places with my husband and see if she would follow me on that side of the bed. She did! Then last Friday I napped on the couch. Bourbon does not like that couch. But I was surprised when I woke up she was sleeping next to my arm. To me it was a heavenly feeling. If that is love, then I am happy. :)
 
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PaulinPilsen

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I used to believe that my cats, particularly my Bourbon, did not "love" me. But cats have some odd ways of showing their affection at times. Lately I notice that my Bourbon also can't sleep if she is not sleeping with me. She has to be positioned in bed, just above my head, occupying my pillow. Even if she has her own comfy bed, she prefers to sleep with me. I tried to switch places with my husband and see if she would follow me on that side of the bed. She did! Then last Friday I napped on the couch. Bourbon does not like that couch. But I was surprised when I woke up she was sleeping next to my arm. To me it was a heavenly feeling. If that is love, then I am happy. :)
Our pets were loyal. I believe that for sure! But, what is love? My old friends- my cats who passed away—I believe they loved us, and it was beyond the food, comfort and safety. Romeo would at times wander into our courtyard. He stopped when I called him, and let me pick him up to go back home. He sounded off in disagreement but he never became more aggressive than a hiss and a growl of disapproval. He trusted me to him back home. His loyalty and trust in me was so strong. Princess’ trust also was complete. She gave us her life, and it was ours to cherish. Maybe what love is for cats is that complete devotion and trust. I want to develop that kind of relationship with my new cats Lisi and Luna.
 
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PaulinPilsen

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I don't know if cats understand love in the same way we do, but they definitely can show affection to their human family. :catrub: And not always just when they want something. ;)

It sounds like you and Princess Big Mama Panda had a very special bond. Condolences on her loss. :alright:

We have a Crossing the Bridge forum if you'd like to post a memorial tribute to her. RIP sweet girl. :hearthrob: :angel: :hearthrob:
I went and read a few posts. I certainly relate! I might write something a little later on.
 

rubysmama

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I went and read a few posts. I certainly relate! I might write something a little later on.
No rush. Some members post something right away, others need more time before writing out their thoughts and memories. And I'm sure there's some who never post anything. Whatever works for you. :hugs:
 

FeebysOwner

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RIP Princess Big Mama Panda. :alright:

When Feeby sits on the floor by my recliner at night, and my husband can see her - he tells me that she looks up at me with my every word, and waits for me to acknowledge that she is watching me. Oh, those eyes!! (Dinner is over so she is not looking for food.) :catlove:

In cat terms, to me, that is love. I will try to capture a pic of this, and when I do, you will see what I mean.
 
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Rosepud

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I think my cats in the past have loved me, one would always wait for me to come home and would cry and throw a fit if I didn't come home on time, not because she wasn't getting fed as she didn't get fed when I came home, but because she wanted me there. She would always wait for me by the door, and if I wasn't home at night would sit on the floor in my room and cry until my roommate took pity on her and let her sleep in their bed with them, even then she would periodically go to my room throughout the night and cry. My current cat Wilbur is always so happy to see me after I get home and makes happy little meows and arrives from wherever he was napping to get some pets and he doesn't get fed either when I come home, so I think it is love and they're happy to see me.
 

neely

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Whether it's love or affection I think when we adopted our cat(s) they were extremely grateful. Not only for food and shelter but for allowing them to live out their life as every cat should, free from fear or harm. And in return they gave us unconditional love. :catlove:Who could ask for more?
 
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Tobermory

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Oh, yes. I believe absolutely that cats feel—and express—love. I don’t know how they feel it, but I think the actions I see my cats take toward me are expressions of love. Cats appear to feel other emotions such as fear or distress, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that they are capable of love.

I also see them express this emotion in degrees. They like or have affection for my husband, but if he’s petting them and I call, they come immediately to me. They don’t do that if I’m petting them, and he calls them. They get on my lap, never his. They sleep with me not him.

Maybe they sense our emotions and partly reflect that back to us. My husband is very fond of the girls, but I love every fiber of their fuzzy little beings.
 

1 bruce 1

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Love is a big word with a lot of little fill in the blanks. We usually feel love for our pets differently than we do our spouses and a different kind of love for our children, or for strangers during a bad time. It's all love but it's different, so sure, why wouldn't they?
 

lalagimp

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I know my cats use me for a lot of stuff, and you know that sometimes you pet them, and they decide they have to wash it all off?

So when my cats approach me, don't want anything to eat, and don't request that I pet them, and they just want to fall asleep curled up in my personal stink - then they really do enjoy my company.

And the cat with a huge genuine trust in the rest of the family member is Tommy.
My boyfriend's twelve year old daughter scoops him up off the couch when he's asleep, holds him like a baby, and then sits down and lets him relax in her arms over her lap. He's awake for like a full two seconds and then just goes loose and finishes his nap with her. He's HUGE and she's a little less than short like I am.
I like walking up to him sleeping on the top of the cat tree, and he'll get a whiff of my hair, stretch and start purring without opening his eyes.
 

Maria Bayote

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I remember when I got very high fever my cats never left my side, even Barley who never sleeps with me jumped up on the bed and curled at my feet, probably ensuring I got the warmth I needed. If that is love, I am happy.
 

Genesis123

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I believe by nature, they "like", but when humans truly love them, and take care of them, they learn love (they learn that deeper emotion). They, then, can extend that to other cats (or other animals), at their choosing. [I'm an "animal psychic", so I believe this to be true.]
 
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1 bruce 1

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I like walking up to him sleeping on the top of the cat tree, and he'll get a whiff of my hair, stretch and start purring without opening his eyes.
Or when they're asleep, and you're on the phone, and every time you say something they stay sleeping but make a little purr-chirp noise. So cute :)
 

Saber_Wing

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Oh, yes - without question. Anyone can feed a cat. It takes something special to cherish one, and they can feel that. And, give it back in return. I do think they have a different understanding of love, but ultimately, it adds up to the same thing. That bond -- one that transcends words -- is irreplaceable. I think it is one of the purest loves that can exist. One completely without expectation.

They don't care what job you have. What cars you drive. They don't judge you. They just...love you. We are their whole lives. It's up to us to make it a good one, and they understand when they are cherished. They can sense that in our actions.

There is nowhere I go in my house where they don't follow me. They go to bed when I do. They cuddle me, until all of us fall asleep. They want to be with me. No matter where I go. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

They may not speak our language, but they do speak, if you know how to listen.
 
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bengalcatman

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If you want a concrete/scientific answer regarding whether or not cats "love" their humans, it gets complicated......

To test if an animals emotional cognition includes love, or any other emotion, you first have to explicitly define the emotion. An "intense feeling of attraction or affection" falls very short of the needed criteria. Something like fear can be easily defined: fear is a defense reaction to some stimuli that triggers: hormonal signals, muscle tremors, eye dilatation, heart rate increase, etc.

Love is much more difficult to define. You could just as easily ask do people love each other? Or are they in it just for sex, warmth, safety and companionship? Maybe the whole love thing is a trick of evolution to get us to mate and procreate.

People even have different categories of love. The love between a parent and a child is a very different emotion than the love between a married couple.

For these reasons, the literature offers many studies about fear in cats in but you won't find much regarding cats and love. You can't test what you can't define. There are some interesting studies about cats "bonding" with each other and people, but they stop short of using the imprecise term "love."

Do humans actually love? If you were an alien visiting this planet to study human emotion, your findings on human relations would read just like the studies on cat bonding.... "Humans choose a mate and spend time bonding with them prior to mating. Subsequently the pair pool their resources to raise the offspring. They often mate for life and benefit from the safety of a partner who looks out for their needs. The mates express their appreciation of their bond by offering gifts to one another such as flowers or food."

You won't find a definitive concrete/scientific answer.

But just because you can't precisely define it, quantify it and develop a test for it doesn't mean it does not exist. If you take one of the studies on feline bonding and replace the word "bond" with "love," the study reads about the same and makes perfect sense....

So I have to ask, does our Makena love my wife?

Because if he doesn't - why is he rubbing her face?


And why does he make direct eye contact and listen carefully to her?


And why does he want to be close to her when she is doing a puzzle?


And why does he let her squeeze him like a stuffed animal for an afternoon nap?


And why does June Bug follow me all around the house?


And why did she reach over and pull my arm to her tightly as I sat reading this afternoon?


I believe that cats, in their own way, can love us very deeply.
 
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