Do cats love us?

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
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Baggypants
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Do cats love us?

Post by Baggypants »

I'm loving this article in the Guardian - especially the thousands of comments at the end:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ists-wrong" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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bobbys girl
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by bobbys girl »

26 - likes to wipe dribble around your face and

27 - in OH's case Purdy uses his facial stubble as a comb. :roll:
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Crewella
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Crewella »

I'm not too sure about some of my gang, especially as they are all adopted/fostered and this is not their first home.

Grumpy Nellie likes a fuss now and again, on her terms, and she definitely prefers my OH to me, but I couldn't really say that I think she loves either of us. She gave a very good impression of thinking we were a rather grotty hotel that she was waiting to go home from for some months, but three years on she seems happy and settled and I guess she likes us well enough.

Merrick is a miserable, grumpy git that had always lived (9 years) with Nellie and doesn't even seem to like her much, but I 'get' Merrick and we have an understanding. He doesn't like to be stroked too much and he's independent but he does love a nice warm lap. He may not exactly love me, but he certainly likes me a lot more than he does anybody else.

Two years on after a hugely traumatic year when he was abandoned and lost with a broken leg and then went through months of surgery and cage rest, Basil is only just starting to really gain confidence and come into his own. At last he's beginning to demand food and attention instead of skulking away as though frightened that he's done the wrong thing, and he's started to follow me around and want to be where I am. He's obviously been a loved and loving cat, and I can definitely feel the affection building between us.

Daz is a complete mummy's boy and very definitely loves his mum - he'll even run to me if he's scared and bury his head in my armpit. He's not particularly clingy, but he hates it when I'm out at work all day and I know a good cuddle sets him up for the day and makes everything right in his world. The feeling's pretty much mutual. :)
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Lilith
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Lilith »

My cats own me. 'Nough said :D
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Sue Goddard
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Sue Goddard »

Mouse doesn't seem to like me watching telly..(not paying attention to him I suppose..) so rubs himself against my face until he knocks my glasses off..!! this is done by either standing on my chest...so I can't see the tv or from the arm of the chair...

Ahhh but he wuvs me sooo....!!

So does Thomas but he's a bit more restrained...To wake me up in the morning he flops down on my face and smothers me..purring his head off..closly followed by Mouse who tries to get between me ad Thomas, so I end up with a big heap of Siamese on my head.....No one sleeps thru' that.!!

Oh God bless 'em.
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Walesgang
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Walesgang »

Henry gets very jealous of the others and is particularly close to me. I recon he loves me!!

Tips is more restrained, but she loves us both in her special way. The more interaction she gets, the more responsive she gets.

Squeak is truly trusting of us, and Mr G loves everyone!!

So, yes, the simple answer is, our gang love us :D :) :D :D
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SarahT1 [PLLE]
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

Definitely! My Pepsi loves me to the point of obsession. We rescued her from a very lonely situation and the first night with us she was on my lap watching Match of the Day and we never looked back. She is never far away from me and invariably demands that I sit with her with huge meow and by attemoting to physically pull me down on the sofa! Her head rubs are lethal as they tend to involve teeth at some point. If I am late home she waits for me to get back to eat her dinner. Usually the first thing OH says as I walk through the door is a relieved 'Mummy's home! Pepsi's waiting for you to eat her dinner'. She definitely would prefer to be an only cat and reminds the others of that if she's feeling feisty. She does love OH and was starting to attach to one of our cat sitters who has unfortunately just retired but she would be perfectly happy if it was just her and me. I think she would attach to Carol, darling HRH Fluffy's mum, and if I died unexpectedly then I would hope that she could go to live with Carol whilst Lou and Edgar stayed with OH. (All our cats are with the Battersea Forever Loved scheme so we're covered if we both died suddenly).

Lou Lou loves us both unconditionally. She is just made of pure love, light, goodness and healing powers. Her life revolves around cuddles, lap time, chicken, running up her scratch post, sunbathing and dashing upstairs hoping we will follow to lie on the bed with her. She has come to me when I was illl over a hundred miles away so energetically that I felt her physically get on the bed and cuddle up to me. Margrit Coates uses that story in her workshops now!!

Edgar is more self sufficient but his love is steady and trusting. He lies on the pillow with me purring for England and is the first to run to me when I get home (Pepsi at 18 relies on the power of her vocal chords to greet me). We rescued him too and the first night he was on my lap on the bed with his legs in the air. I sent a picture of it to the rescue and they couldn't believe that he had settled straight away. He is a rock of pure calm and content love.
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Jacks »

That's so lovely, Sarah.

I think we sometimes do cats a disservice when we anthropomorphize their behaviours, but if bonding is a sign of love (and it's taken to be in the strange situation as well, in a basic sense, then there are many ways that a cat can show you they have bonded with you, although you're not their birth-mother. But there is also a huge variation in the way cats show they are bonded to you.

I'm not sure that our 5 'love us', but Jessie (who was a feral kitten) adopted me as her mother at about 4 months when we took her in, and would spend ages grooming my face - eyes, eyebrows, nose, ears, hairline... Quite painful at times, especially in the middle of the night. Now she's all grown up she doesn't do this anymore, but we are her security, her comfort at night (like one of the commenter's ex-feral cat, she sleeps on our feet if she wants comfort and reassurance) and scampers home to me with such joy when I call her - as long as she's not involved in anything too pressing in the garden. To her, I think, I am her salvation, her bonded mother (even though as a grown-up she can go off and do her own thing now) and at the vets she hides in the crook of my arm, so I'm her safe place as well.

Phoebe, who is probably the most domesticated, doesn't 'love us' I would say, and has had to put so much energy into making friends with the other cats that she's more bothered by what they are doing than us. But she LOVES brushing sessions, claims our fusses with headbutts, purrs when her tummy is kissed and does the 'fluffying up' pose beside our legs which I take to mean 'I really like you'. I think maybe 'love' (full bonding) will come in time.

Sophie loves human company above all things, and will follow you from room to room. She wants to claim Daddy's lap in the evening and is the only one who 'talks' to us with her meows - regularly. She NEEDS a human to love. She would quite happily lose the other cats I think, as long as there is a human to be 'hers'.

Socksie is devoted in a manly way. As a long-term stray he charges to me with such enthusiasm if I meet him in the street and then wants to walk home with me, and I think this is saying 'you're mine, and I'm happy about it'. He's still tormented at times with fears of being hit, and if a carry something large past him he will hiss, cower and flinch. But when I was ill at Easter he was up on the bed with me, snuggled, all day long...

Lara is an enigma. She is so full of catty personality - a ninja, a chat noir, a killer, a minx; temperamental, bold, impatient, curious, playful... but everyone says is devoted to her mum - she'll sit beside me blinking at me frantically, investigates everything I do (very helpful washing up and cooking) - including getting her claws into the guitar strings alongside my fingers when I try to play, frantically grooms me if I sing, and when I was in pain once was beside herself trying to comfort me. She comes to me at night to 'suckle' on my clothes before settling down to sleep, curled up next to my stomach. If I move away from her in the night she moves closer just to stay touching. So I think as much as a disobedient, enigmatic, 'catty' cat can, she loves me. And of course I love her, unconditionally... She is my baby.
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by hgale »

I think Denver loves me all right - when I got back from holiday yesterday he wouldn't leave my side, and every moment he could since he's been on my lap, nuzzling, purring and mewing when I haven't stroked him in the last 30 seconds.
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Jacks »

It sounds to me like love! He is absolutely, truly, your boy now :P
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Mrs Kane
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Mrs Kane »

I'm still not sure if Sofi loves us, but she does come and sleep with us at night and paws at the bathroom door when I'm in there. She generally also wants to be in the same room we are. I'm not sure if this is love or just keeping an eye on us :P
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Lilith
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Lilith »

I once heard of a cat who cried real tears after being separated from his owner and reunited again. I think they love us all right :)
Lena_Grant
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Re: Do cats love us?

Post by Lena_Grant »

I think they do love us
Just check this out
look how lovely they are
i have found lots of cute pictures of them there
http://lodozo.com/us-en/detail/kitten/c ... -in-a-pot/
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