You’d expect felines to be very intuitive and empathetic, much like their canine counterparts that are also seen in households all around the world.
However, we can never truly tell what a cat is thinking.
Cats seem to be a lot more independent than dogs and will often require their own space to chill and have some alone time.
Cat owners will be the first to tell you that cats are feline friends when they want to be but will not hesitate to let you know when you’re being annoying or being too close to them.
But, do they know when you’re sad? Let’s find out!
Ways That Cats Communicate With Us
Cats use many different ways to communicate with us. They’ll look at us as if to say “I’m here, give me attention.”
Their eyes will follow us up and down as we walk by and sometimes even make eye contact as well.
Sometimes, they’ll just stare right into your face, making it feel like they’re trying to read your mind.
They may meow as if to say something and then stop before giving voice to whatever message they were trying to convey.
You may notice your cat rubbing against your legs as if they want to cuddle up or rub their head across your leg as if they need a scratch.
These are signals that your cat is letting you know that they like being near you.
They might also get on top of you as if to protect themselves from an attack or jump onto your lap to show affection.
If you see your cat doing this, don’t worry – it’s normal behavior for them.
Can Cats Tell When You’re Sad?
Some people think that cats cannot understand human emotions, which is why they try to remain aloof from humans.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Various studies have shown that cats recognize sadness and other emotions in humans and respond accordingly.
Experts believe that cats’ ability to sense emotion is innate and developed early in their lives.
This is because of how they’ve been raised since birth.
It’s common practice for kittens to be bottle-fed by their mother and given milk through a tube attached to their teat until they reach about six weeks old.
This is a very personal time in a kitten’s life, with lots of the felines forming strong emotional bonds with their mother and the rest of the litter.
Because of this, a lot of experts believe that cats will become very caring and social creatures.
How Do Cats Sense Sadness In Humans?
When it comes to sensing sadness in humans, most researchers agree that cats rely heavily on facial expressions.
For instance, if someone is smiling, they won’t necessarily assume that person is happy unless they see the person smile back.
The same goes for frowning: they won’t assume that a person is unhappy unless they see the person frown.
Another thing that seems to help cats identify sadness is body language.
We tend to hold ourselves differently when we’re feeling sad.
Our bodies may tense up, our arms may cross over our chest, and we may hunch forward slightly.
If someone is so sad that they’re crying, then a cat will be able to tell by the noises and the facial expressions that someone is feeling bad.
What Can Your Cat Do To Help You Feel Better?
If you’re having some kind of a hard time, it can be helpful to talk to your cat.
Although they can’t fully understand us, apart from basic reoccurring commands and words like their name, talking to your cat can be very therapeutic and can often allow you to get things off your chest that you wouldn’t usually do with other people.
Cats are without judgment (for the most part!).
Your cat can also play a big role in helping you relax.
Playful interactions between you and your cat will help release tension and strengthen the bond between the two of you.
Try bringing toys into their space and playing with them together.
You can also have food and sleep together at similar times to have similar routines.
Cats are great listeners, but even though they aren’t always able to interpret what you mean, they do understand your moods and feelings and try to make sure you feel better.
So next time you’re feeling down, remember to take a moment to pet your cat and spend time with them.
It could really help!
We all love our pets and it’s always nice to know that the feeling is shared from their end as well.
How To Tell When Your Cat Is Sad
Because they’re often there for us in our times of sadness, it’s always nice to be there for our feline companion when they need support.
When cats are sad, they often turn inward; they may not want to interact with you or other people.
They’ll also retreat to their favorite spots and may eat less than normal.
There are many ways to tell if your cat is sad. They can act a lot quieter than usual and will avoid contact.
Alternatively, they might be clingier than usual and stay very close to you.
In these situations, it’s always best to make sure that you display lots of love and affection because your cat will be needing some emotional support.
It’s hard to tell what’s upsetting your cat, but usually, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with some quality time with their favorite human.
Insecure attachments and separation anxiety are common problems that most cats experience from time to time.
These issues are easily treated with their favorite foods and their human parents spending time with them.
When a cat gets anxious, they may try to hide their emotions. This makes them appear more withdrawn than usual.
They may become nervous and jumpy and may seem upset.
A cat who is scared or stressed out will sometimes tremble or shake.
Sometimes this shaking becomes uncontrollable and violent.
Final Thoughts
So, the answer to the original question is yes, it’s believed felines can tell when their human is sad or upset.
Because of this, they make great company to have around and will often make you feel better by not doing much at all.
Making sure that you and your cat have a strong bond and a healthy relationship is important, so make sure that when they’re displaying affectionate and empathetic emotions you ensure that they know you’re grateful.
At the end of the day, we love them and they love us, so make sure that they know!
I’m Courtney Trent and I hope that I can answer some burning questions that you have about cats, as well as some questions that you’d never have thought to ask before.
I am aiming to shed new light on these amazing pets and hopefully change some people’s opinions on them. Also, let’s talk about wild cats - they’re just as awesome as domestic cats!
So, stay a while and learn more about domestic and wild cats from Windhaven Ocicats.
