How Does Kitty Show Affection?

I am totally amazed when people ask me how cats show affection. Most do not know the signs and consider kitties to be aloof, which is definitely not the case.

Cat affection can be displayed in very subtle ways. Totally different from dogs, who express love through tail-wagging and wet sloppy kisses, felines show their adoration and trust using body language that might can easy to miss.
Here are some common signs of cat affection:

• Eye blinks: When a cat meets a stranger for the first time, they give them an unblinking stare. They are wary. Cats that feel trust and affection for a human often blink at them. Now you may wonder why that is a positive sign. While it is not exactly the "wink" that humans use to express affection, (although it makes a lot of sense that may be the origin of that very commonly-used method of "flirting" between people), it is a gesture of trust and acceptance. So if your cat presents you with half-closed eyes, and blinks at you, you have received a kitty "kiss".
• Grooming: When your cat allows you to groom him, this is another sure sign that he trusts you and feels cat affection for you. Not only are cats cleaning each other when they indulge in one of their favorite pastimes, they also usegrooming as a stress-reliever and a way to build mutual bonds. If your cat offers to groom you, you have actually been accepted as part of his feline "family."
• Head Rubbing: When a cat rubs her face on a human, she is using scent glands on her cheeks to mark her territory. this can both mean affection, and that she is claiming the human in question as her "property." Cats also rub their faces on a wide variety of objects around the house, so it is fun to see which possessions are favorites. Head "butting" is yet another common display of loving.
• Belly Display: This sign of cat affection is one of the most profound acts of trust a cat can bestow on a human. This vulnerable act is one that needs to be truly appreciated and respected. However, it is not necessarily an invitation for a belly rub, so please approach a cat in this position very cautiously.
• Kneading: A cat kneading against your body is an act of sheer contentment, trust and true adoration. Often this is accompanied by drooling, which is the ultimate display of pleasure. This behavior originates when cats are newly born kittens, and helps stimulate milk flow from their mother. Highly regressive and instinctual, when your cat kneads you it is a supreme expression of delight and love.

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Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!

Ever wonder why do cats lick you? When a cat jumps into your lap, settles in, relaxes and shortly thereafter starts licking your face, you have just received the feline version of a huge compliment. Since this behavior is an expression of deep affection and trust, it is truly a moment for cat guardians to treasure.

Even though some of my friends, who are not cat savvy, start making disapproving sounds and disdainful clucking noises when they observe Sir Hubble Pinkerton, our white Oriental Short-hair start “grooming” me, I  feel his love  and I am  deeply honored that he considers me part of his family.

I am sure my friends’ apparent scorn is based solely on their concern for my health, and stems from not understanding what makes cats do what they do!

However, this said, one of the most common questions asked by folks who live with felines is, “What does it mean when a cat licks you?” And since I always enjoy Sir Hubble’s raspy-tongued shampoos, I thought it would be fun and useful to shine some light on the subject.

As social beings, cats lick each other for a variety of reasons. As newborn kittens, their very first worldly experience is being licked clean by their mother and as they get older, for grooming. Kittens groom one another, and adult cats who are not related, but get along well who get along often spend considerable time grooming one another.

If you have ever watched cats licking one other, it’s obvious that the cats receive great enjoyment from the tactile sensation of a rough, moist tongue grooming their bodies. It is not only pleasant and calming, while exchanging their scents, mutual licking helps to build and maintain close bonds.

When I am watching our cats in the middle of a grooming session, I too start getting drowsy. And when Sir Hubble Pinkerton starts grooming my hair, his tender ministrations can lull me to sleep.

But even the most passionate cat lovers don’t lick their kitties to return the favor. Instead, we pet them. The sensation cats feel, as we gently stroke their fur, may in fact resemble their mother’s loving touch. Of course there are some of us who do sniff our kitties, since the scent of a healthy cat is delightfully subtle to feline connoisseurs. But don’t knock cat-sniffing until you try it. Our cats appear to really enjoy a good sniffing session.***

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King Street Cats in their Furrever Homes-JuSha

Sweet JuSha

When I first met Ju Sha, she was spending most of her time in an enclosed basket because being around all the other cats at King Street Cats was unsettling to her. Most of the other cats ignored me when I came in, but Ju Sha came out of her basket and let me stroke her head, almost as if to ask me to rescue her and take her somewhere quiet.

She's now been with me four months, and her personality is beginning to bloom. She is quite firm, especially when she wants food (Fancy Feast tuna, of course). Otherwise, she is quite the lady. She likes silky and soft fabrics to lie on, and she has taken over all my chairs and upholstered ottoman, moving from one to the other, as if to say, "These are all mine, dear. You can sit on the floor."

At night she usually sleeps next to me on the other pillow. She hops up onto the window sill from time to time to sniff the fresh air when the window is open and check out everything below. And she only drinks her water from a glass.

Now that she's going through the usual Spring shedding, she lies down on her scratching box and waits till I give her a thorough brushing. She has especially soft fur, and she is quite vain about it.

Her favorite toy is a rubber band she found on my table. She likes me to hold it and she catches it in a claw and pulls it. The stretchiness seems to amaze her. She brings it to me when she wants to play with it and looks up expectantly till I get the idea.

She doesn't try to go into the hall when I open the door. My small apartment seems to have become a big enough world for her, for now anyway.  ~Elizabeth

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