Does My Cat Love Me?

Dear Diary,

He loves me. He loves me not. Who knows?

Ever since I got Jamie, I wonder. Does he love me? Or are we more of a relationship of convenience? With humans being downgraded to stereotypical can openers.

Unlike dogs, cats are not spreading their love all over you. And in front of everyone.

They are more subtle and behind closed doors.

But nonetheless, they love you in their own very special way.

So, how do cats show affection?

The welcome cat roll 

Quite often when I come home, Jamie literally throws himself on the floor in front of me rolling around like crazy. I guess, he’s simply excited that I’m back. 

In doing so, cats are exposing their most vulnerable part, their belly. A clear sign that your cat really trusts you. 

The leg rubbing

Cats like to rub, a lot. Preferably around your legs, making it sometimes hard to walk straight.

This way they’re using their scent glands to spread pheromones onto their favourite human beings and mark them as “theirs”.

The head butt

Jamie is a head-butt master, especially when he wants something from me. Most of the time it’s his way of telling me that it’s time for food. How could I miss that? I’d call it a friendly love nudge. 

Similar to rubbing, head butting is a way of marking their beloved humans. 

The blinking kiss 

Half-closed eyes. A slow blink. A gesture of affection. Like blowing a kiss. It won’t get any better than that.

Oh and don’t forget to kiss back by mirroring your cat’s action.

Are love bites a thing?

Sometimes cats like to nibble on their humans without actually breaking their skins.

Some say this is a clear way of showing affection. Others argue it’s a result of overstimulating them whilst petting them. And their way of telling you that they had enough.

I go with the latter but it probably varies by cat. You will know them best. 

So, what’s your cat’s preferred way to show their love?