We, as cat owners, see our four-legged friends as our children. We feed them, bathe them, and take care of them every moment of every waking hour. We entertain them, discipline them, and teach them our ways every day. Not to mention that we – unironically – identify ourselves as pet parents.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. But we don’t actually know whether our fluffers see us that way, too. What do cats think of us? Do cats know we’re humans? Do cats think we’re humungous, deformed cats? We’re bringing you the answers to these questions down below.
We’re warning you, though – the answers might surprise you!
What does your kitty think of you when she sees you?
Starting from the beginning, we do need to underline that we can speak for every cat out there. However, we can’t overlook the studies that suggest that cats showcase the same patterns of behavior toward humans and other cats – implying that there’s a chance cats might think we’re cats, too.
Circling back to the dawn of time, cats were never domesticated or bred for a specific purpose other than being cute and cuddly. Dogs, for example, were taught to tolerate humans for the purpose of protecting the household, chasing wild animals away, and taking care of the domesticated ones.
Cats weren’t taught to do anything other than tolerate humans for the sake of tolerating them. Hence, cats were drawn to us out of pure instinct and intuition, unlike dogs. Over time, cats started treating us the same way they treat other cats (with a few exceptions that confuse the haters and naysayers).
OK, does your kitty see you as a bigger kitty?
Yes, yes, and yes – there are reasons to believe your kitty does believe you’re a huge cat. We know that’s what you came here for and we’re over the moon to announce that there’s a chance your fluffy friend might think of you as one of her own. Regardless of whether that’s a roommate, a mother, or even a child.
Where do we even start? Most haters and naysayers focus on the fact that cats showcase certain patterns of behavior toward humans but don’t do the same toward other cats. Meowing, for example, causes the biggest confusion among people who study cats’ behavior – cats don’t meow at other cats.
Cats meow at humans because they figured out that’s the best way to get our attention. Cats make other sounds toward other cats, but they shy away from meowing for reasons we don’t understand.
Moreover, cats allow humans to pick them up, carry them around, and cuddle them. Cats would never allow the same treatment from other cats, nor would they attempt to do the same thing to other cats. Whether that’s out of respect, fear, or some sort of “law of nature,” we don’t know.
We can’t forget about the fact that cats accept food from humans, too.
Cats go hunting from time to time, even though they’re aware there’s no need for that. However, they’re quick to understand that dead rats, critters, and crawling creatures don’t taste that great. Especially not when compared to the food that humans serve them.
But wait ’till you see the theories that people who study cat behavior for a living came up with. Before you meow back at your cat, know that these people believe that cats see humans as nothing more than fellow cats because no evidence suggests they’re wrong.
What are the signs that your kitty believes you’re a giant, clumsy cat?
1. She’s bringing you dead critters and crawling creatures
Starting with one of our favorite thing that cats do, there are reasons to believe our feline friends think they’re supposed to fend for us. When they disappear for hours on end and come back with a critter or a crawling creature of sorts, they think they’ve gone hunting for the family.
Whether your feline wants you to eat the critters, share them with her, or leave them for later, she’s probably expecting you to thank her with a treat or two. And even though you feed her, she probably thinks she’s your mother and she’s supposed to feed you. Aww – sort of.
2. She’s making muffins on top of you
Oh, you’re going to freak out when you find out what “making muffins,” “baking biscuits,” or whatever you want to name the adorable paw thing, means.
On one hand, we’re obsessed when cats do the paw thing because we think that’s the cutest thing we’ve ever seen. On the other, we’ve got no clue what it actually means.
However, cat behaviorists do. According to them, cats do that motion because that’s what they used to do to their mothers’ bellies when they were trying to keep the feeding going. That would also mean that our cats see us as mothers rather than children.
3. She’s rubbing against you
Cats do that with other cats to show that they’re safe and secure around them – your four-legged friend might do that with her mother, siblings, and you.
When your cat starts rubbing against you, she’s showing you that she trusts you. Whether she’s doing that with her entire body, her head, or her cheeks, that’s how she’s showing her affection toward you.
Not to mention that that’s how she’s transferring her scent on you – claiming you as one of her own or marking you as her territory. Now, that’s much sweeter than anything a dog can do, right?
4. She’s grooming you
When your cat starts licking you with her sandpaper tongue, you might think she’s doing that because she’s confused. However, studies suggest that cats do that when they’re comfortable around you.
Grooming’s such a huge part of your cat’s daily routine, and you can often catch her grooming her mother, sibling, or even her kittens. When she’s grooming you, she’s pretty much saying “You’re one of my own, even though you’re sort of big and weird.” Welp, at least she means well!
