I’m a cat owner. I can’t imagine my feline companion not loving me, but I just hear study after study that contradicts this or gives cats a bad rap. “Cat’s purring is a manipulation tactic.” “Cat’s are linked to mental disorders.” “If cats were bigger, they would probably maul us to death.”
I know my parents had a Rag Doll once, (she had some medical problems, so it’s not as if my folks were looking for a breed of cat), There’s no doubt in my mind that that cat loved people. She was amazingly affectionate. My cat right now… it’s a male, and he can be a little asshole sometimes. He purposely takes my favorite seat in my apartment, just to show his dominance I’m assuming. He seems so happy to see me when I come home after a long day out.
I have a 2 month old kitten and as far as I can tell my sole purpose in life is to provide him with a 200 lb heated chew toy every day (plus food, water and a place to sleep). Mostly it’s the chew toy.
Once you figure out what a cat’s thinking please start working on figuring out what women are thinking. The first word that comes to mind is inscrutable.
I’ve had cats, and I’ve had dogs. You and your dog can be true companions, to your cat you are just part of their entourage. In my experience if your cat ever shows affection towards you they are just trying to get something out of you. Either accept them for what they are, or get a dog.
Has your cat ever scratched you? My dog has never bitten me, I don’t think he could if his life depended on it. We don’t know if cats would maul us to death intentionally if they were the size of lions, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they tore your arm off if they were startled.
Contrary to popular belief, cats are not completely asocial. The difference is that, while humans and dogs will join groups, a cat’s relationships are all with individuals. And their Dunbar number is probably lower than ours, too.
I’ve seen Youtube videos of lions being very affectionate with people who raised them when they were young. In some cases the owners returned years later when the lions were gigantic and they showed much love for the owners.
No, cats are definitely capable of love at that level.
Since the OP says he has seen studies on the subject but doesn’t want to believe them, this is probably best suited to IMHO - especially since most posts will surely be anecdotes about people’s pets.
Right, what Chronos said. Cats are facultatively social, but are differently social than dogs.
Well-adjusted pet cats can generally be thought of as a little infantilized. They do bond with humans but it is generally a quasi-parental bond, where preferred humans are stand-ins for “mommy.” But because cats aren’t pack animals with a well-defined hiearchy, mommy may be beloved and a source of comfort, but she isn’t always right and the boss of them.
‘Breaking skin’ scratching, Not on purpose. I stay way from his petting his belly, he pushes his back paws, nails out, against my hand. He use to bite me, (never has to others,) but NEVER hard AT ALL. I scolded him until he stopped… mostly. He has a habit of biting my knees while I’m sitting and running away. It’s kind of funny.
Only drew blood twice. Dangled a toy from my hand and, he swatted. And once when he was a kitten, running around me apartment, missed a jump and scratched my arm.
My dog would not bite me now but when he was a puppy, oh my god. I looked like a person who was self-harming. I have scars. (He didn’t mean anything by it. It was more like, we both reached for the ball; one of us was faster and had sharp teeth.)
As far as my cat knows he IS the size of a lion, and he certainly seems affectionate. Since the other cat died (the one who was much less social in the first place), he’s been quite clingy.
I also don’t think it’s true that cats don’t miss you when you’re away. I was out of state for a couple of weeks and when I came home the cat and dog both followed me around the house–didn’t let me out of their sight for a couple of days, literally. The dog was more boisterous about greeting me when I came home, but the cat was right there too. Of course it could have been the cat just didn’t want the dog to have all the attention, or maybe I’m just anthropomorphizing.
Grin! My b.i.l.'s doggie – fully grown – gave me a wicked cut on the wrist, but as in your case, it was totally an accident. He moved his head suddenly, and my wrist was in the wrong place.
His cats have scratched me, most definitely on purpose. When they’re tired of being petted and wubbed and hugged and loved, they don’t say, “Okay, you can put me down now.” The scratch and bite. And there’s no warning, either. “I’m bored now: ZZZZAP!”
It isn’t an act of hostility. They aren’t being mean or cruel. It’s just their nature. I don’t take it personally.
If you’re going to have cats, you’re going to get scratched. It’s what they do.
(And double-overtime on steroids from hell when you take 'em to the vet.)
My kitty only scratches me when he’s playing “territory defense”. He has a specific chair in the house that he’s decided is for his exclusive use, and if I try to pet him while he’s on it, he rolls on his back and does his best to swipe and bite me. He still purrs when doing it.
It is true that the kitty is nicest when he wants something. Whether he wants food, water, or outside, he purrs the loudest and nudges the most vigorously when he wants it. Still, he also rewards me after I do something for him, by sitting near me and purring loudly.
Unlike a dog, he’s almost perfectly clean with minimal smell, and I don’t have to do anything - he maintains himself. The sensation of petting cat fur feels amazing, and when you hold the kitty and feel the purring, you feel yourself relaxing.
He may not be a selfless companion, but I think he offers more than the cat food costs, so it’s a profitable relationship. Kind of like women…
