10 Signs That Prove Your Cat Loves You

1. Grooming

Many studies suggest that your furry friend actually sees you as a member of her feline family – that is, as an over-large cat (who’s not particularly good at hunting). If she licks or grooms you, you can usually take it as a good sign that you’re a beloved part of her clan.

2. Biting

Kittens show affection for one another through playful biting behavior, and your cat might do the same to you. However, if those sharp little teeth start to hurt, don’t react badly, as this could confuse her. Instead, try directing her attention away with a toy or game – or read our expert advice on discouraging biting behavior.

3. Eye contact

If you’re wondering how to tell if your cat loves you, watch for signs that she’s completely comfortable around you. Cats interpret eye contact with a stranger – whether feline or human – as threatening. If she’s happy to look you in the eye, and especially if she slowly blinks while doing so, she has lovingly accepted you as one of her own.

4. Head-butts

Cats mark their territory using the scent glands on their cheeks and head. So by head-butting you, or rubbing her chin against you, your feline friend is affectionately marking you out as hers.

5. Generous ‘gifts’

If your cat presents you with prey she’s caught, she could be taking on the role of a teacher – just as she might show her kittens how to hunt. Since she’s never actually seen you catch your food, she may simply assume you’re a member of the family who needs to be taught!

6. Tall tails

A cat’s tail can be a good indicator of how she’s feeling, and can help you get an understanding of her body language. If your pet approaches with her tail held high and the tip twitching from side-to-side, interpret it as international cat language for, ‘I’m friendly and I like you’.

7. Meowing

Adult cats rarely meow at other cats. Instead they often use their vocalizations specifically to interact with people. And, just like us, a cat is unlikely to ‘talk’ to those she doesn’t like. If your cat does a lot of meowing (even when she’s well fed and warm), it may be that she’s interacting with you out of love.

8. Kneading

There are many theories as to why cats knead your knee, but experts believe it’s a behavior kittens learn in order to stimulate their mother’s milk flow. By practicing this habit on you, your cat is once again showing that she accepts you as part of the family. If your pet is a keen kneader, try putting a thick blanket between you and her busy paws.

9. Sleeping on you

One of the most convincing signs your cat loves you is her being happy to snooze on your lap. As a natural hunter, your cat doesn’t like to feel vulnerable – and is especially wary of feeling this way while asleep. By sleeping on you, she’s exposing herself at her most defense less, and showing her trust for you.

10. Presenting her behind

Cats identify each other by scent, and so sniffing one another’s behinds is the equivalent of a very personal handshake. While presenting her tail to your face can seem a bit like a back-handed compliment, it’s actually a signal that you’re one of her most trusted people.

To make things more clear to you here are some more points that will make clear about the love your cat has for you.

Make sure your cat has been socialized.

Cats can love their humans—but not all cats can love the way we want them to. In order to make a great pet, it helps if a cat has become accustomed to human behavior from a young age.

Delgado cites a “sensitive period” in a kitten’s coming-of-age, between two to nine weeks, during which they become comfortable coexisting with people. “Kittens that are handled by people at that time are going to be more open and trusting of people later in life,” Delgado says. Dr. Sarah Nold, staff veterinarian at Trupanion, suggests that adopting a kitten up to seven weeks old for the speediest bonding.

When the sensitive period is over, a kitten can still learn to love a human—but it’s a slower process. Even though cats are a domesticated species, they’re able to live independent of human care. A feral cat, for example, would never be wholly at ease with people; and likely, vice versa. “It’d be like trying to tame a squirrel or raccoon. You wouldn’t end up cuddling a raccoon,” Delgado says.

As for homing stray cats? That’s a go, in certain situations. “Some cats that live outside do get a lot of exposure to people—they just may have never lived in a home. They learned, through association, that people are good. They bring me food, maybe I should trust them. But it’ll be an adjustment to living indoors,” Delgado says.

Look out for these behaviors in you cats:

They treat you like you’re a cat. When cats don’t feel threatened by other cats, they will show affection by rubbing on them, sleeping near them, and being in their presence. If your cat replicates those behaviors with you, Delgado says it has officially imprinted on you.
They rub against you. Delgado says this is the “telltale sign” your cat has accepted you into its social group.
They follow you into a room. If a cat is following you around, that means it wants to be around you, according to Delgado.
They come into your bedroom while you’re sleeping. Some cats are threatened by a humans’ size. As a result, they may feel safer around humans when they’re lying on a bed, compared to walking around.
They blink their eyes slowly. Happy cats tend to blink their eyes slowly and softly. Humans can mimic this gesture, and communicate with their cats. “Softening your gaze is definitely a good way to take the tension out of the space,” Delgado says.
They knead their paws like a kitten. Ever seen your cat pushing in and out with its front paws? That’s a gesture kittens make when they want their mother to release milk. “When they do that to you, it’s like you’re mommy,” Delgado says, and it’s another sign your cat is comfortable with you.
They make the right kind of meow. According to Delgado, “meowing” is a way for cats to communicate with people. “It’s a very effective way of pushing buttons and pulling at our heartstrings and getting us to do whatever they want, whether it’s giving them treats or attention,” Delgado says.
They show their belly—in some cases. Some cats expose their bellies as a sign of relaxation and trust. Other cats, according to Delgado, show their bellies because they want to play.
They show their tail, too. Once again, the meaning of this gesture depends on the cat. “Some cats only have an active tail when they’re irritated,” Delgado says. However, it can also be a sign of affection.