Cats are the most popular pets. They are loved by both children and adults. It is no wonder why videos with cats on the Internet are so popular. Playful kitties make us smile, release our stress and make our lives joyful.
Often fluffy friends like to sleep on its owner. And they also like to lick the nose or hands of the owner. Many of the cat lovers wonder if this behavior is an expression of cat love? Moreover, during the day your adorable kitty can be quite independent and ignores your feeling of tenderness about her. But at night with purring, she jumps to your bed and curls up on your feet, on your chest or even on your head. There are several theories to explain this behavior.
We tried to study the main existing theories and explain such cat behavior.
Why does a cat actually lie down on a person?
The cat treats you
The most common option is a cat trying to cure a person. They lie down on sick organs and heat them. It is believed that the energy of the animals is very powerful, so they are really able to detect a sore spot in a person and to lie down on it. The following arguments are in favor of this version:
Cat owners often found that the animal stubbornly lies where the diseased organ is (for example, if you suffer from gastritis, it will always lie in the stomach area).
After lying down for a long time, the animal may go away, but after that, the pain, at least for a short time recedes. Pets effectively treat muscle or joint pain, stomach pain or heart pain, help with migraines.
Cats so accurately guess the location of the sick organ, because the temperature of inflamed tissues a little higher than the temperature of others. Also note that most important organs are located in the area of the body, a cat can choose just a comfortable and warm place to rest, accidentally being in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, the emotional state of the person really affects the severity of unpleasant feelings, so a pleasant society of your favorite pet provides symptomatic therapy in the form of pain reduction.
The desire to control
The second version assures that the pet, thus, just wants to control its owner. Simply put, it shows who is the owner of the house. Or it just tries to improve its own safety, because in this case, it can constantly monitor the person.
This is partly true. Such behavior can be demonstrated by pets who are not confident in the stability of their social status, that means animals are under stress.
I love you
The cat is trying to demonstrate its own love and affection. The version is nice, and there is confirmation – cats really like to climb on their knees (stomach, neck) and settle down there. At the same time, some cats behave quietly, while others actively purr and treads on you with paws (they can even release claws and gently tingle your skin, without showing any aggression).
The desire to get warm
This theory is supported by scientists, but not too favorite by the owners. According to this theory, animals are just trying to find the warmest place to sleep (see “The cat treats you “). Naturally, the human body temperature is much higher than the temperature of the surrounding objects so the cat is comfortable with a higher temperature.
The cat can also sleep on other animals (dogs, other cats, horses, etc.).
Why do cats lick their owners?
Such behavior, more typical for dogs and unusual for cats, can have many different meanings.
Understanding the language of cats is very fascinating and each owner tries to understand his pet. Cats communicate with people in sign language and sounds to make their message more understandable. Lick is one of these methods. Let us list a few reasons why they do this:
Showing attention
Cats lick us intuitively to say that they love us, and we are important to them. They do it because they consider us to be part of their family and they feel safe to be with us. In fact, they do to us what their mother did to them when they were kittens.
Mark their territory
Usually cats lick each other to wash areas that they can’t reach. Above all, this is a sign of strong friendship. But when they lick us, it is a kind of mark of their territory: licking us, they leave their scent, and so we belong to them.
Cats like to play
Licking each other, cats return to the time when they lived with their brothers and sisters. If a cat during a game begins to lick us, and then suddenly bites us, there is no need to worry and fight, it’s just a cat’s way to tell us that she is having fun and wants to continue playing.
The cat is trying to relieve stress
If the cat licked itself constantly or licked your hand persistently, it may be a sign of anxiety after experiencing stress. For example, a cat may lick itself to partial baldness after the operation. In this case, you should give the cat maximum attention, often hugging and stroking. If the situation does not change within a couple of days, you should always go to the veterinarian.
Just because your cat doesn’t spoil you with her rough, moist tongue doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you at all. There are many other ways she can show you her love! If you have a good relationship with your cat, she will show you her affection.
The idea of cats as selfish and egocentric animals is just a stereotype.
Just compare unhappy pets left by their owners in the shelter with sincerely happy ones who have found a new family.
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