{"id":617426,"date":"2024-06-26T06:07:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T10:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=617426"},"modified":"2024-06-26T06:07:30","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T10:07:30","slug":"what-do-cats-think-of-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/lifestyle\/what-do-cats-think-of-humans\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Cats Think of Humans? Inside the Mind of Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n <\/span>\n \nWhat Your Cat Thinks of You<\/a>
\nWhat Cats Think About<\/a>
\nWhy We Know So Little<\/a>
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Cats are curious and mischievous little creatures. Has yours ever stared at the wall with such voracity that you\u2019re confident they\u2019re seeing something you can\u2019t? Or how about when they activate their turbo boosters and peel out of the litter box at top speed, scattering litter particles throughout your home? While we can\u2019t know for sure the driving forces behind such behaviors, experts can make a guess, which is what they often do when it comes to feline behaviors and emotions.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like most cat owners, you\u2019ve probably wondered what your kitty thinks about you. Do they love you as strongly as you love them? Do they think of you as their servant? While experts cannot say for sure what your cat thinks of you, they can make educated guesses, and the consensus is that cats look to their human caregivers as family members.<\/strong> Read on to learn more about what science has to say about the inner workings of a cat\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n

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What Does My Cat Think of Me?<\/h2>\n

Experts in feline behavior have differing opinions about what our cats think of humans.<\/p>\n

Cats Don\u2019t Treat Us Differently<\/h3>\n

John Bradshaw, the author of Cat Sense, <\/em>recently shared with National Geographic that no research currently shows that cats have a separate box they put us in when they communicate with us 1<\/sup><\/a>. Dogs, on the other hand, have been thoroughly examined, with research showing they view humans differently than they do themselves. When dogs see a human, their behavior changes right away. The way they play with their owners is very different from the way they play with other dogs.<\/p>\n

Bradshaw says that cats know we\u2019re bigger than them, but they don\u2019t change their behaviors much when they socialize with us compared to communicating with other cats. For example, the behaviors they engage in with us\u2014walking with an upright tail, rubbing at our legs, and grooming us\u2014are the same things cats do to one another.<\/p>\n

Conclusions can then be drawn that cats look at us like they do other cats. This may mean they consider us an extension of their furry feline family members.<\/p>\n

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Image Credit: Gordana Sermek, Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cats Develop Mother\/Baby Attachments With Their Caregivers<\/h3>\n

A 2019 study found<\/a> that cats can form attachments to their humans the same way that human babies do to their mothers. Researchers found that cats show a similar capacity for creating secure and insecure attachments toward their humans, which was previously demonstrated in children and dogs.<\/p>\n

Cats Love Their Caregivers<\/h3>\n

Cats naturally feel affection toward their human caregivers, who feed, look after, and play with them. They let us know this in their own subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways. They have their own way of communicating, and if you know what to look for, you\u2019ll be able to tell when they\u2019re trying to tell you they love and appreciate you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Signs your cat loves you include:<\/div>
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