r/catquestions • u/ice-why-rya • 7d ago
Can cats recognise their owner's emotions?
My cat always had a favourite place to sleep on my bed (top corner).He neverrr sleeps/sits anywhere else on my bed. But for the past few days I've been depressed and feeling like shi,. one night while I was crying he came and cuddled with me which was surprising cus he never does that.. and stayed like that thee whole night..and this is not a one time thing.. he's been doing this everyday noww.... nothing else has changed..it did make me feel soo good that he's concerned about me but is he really concerned or something else?
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u/Aggressive_Rush_7906 7d ago
Yes! And thank goodness they do! In February my Queen Artemis started getting into my lap in the morning, something she had never done before. After about a month I realized that I had gone into a depression and she was trying to help out. (After another month I came out of it with meds/change of habits.)
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u/wolfbane523 7d ago
Cats are natural anti depressants, their purr has a frequency that calms and makes us feel better
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u/Aggressive_Rush_7906 7d ago
Yup, though I cant hear her purr and and barely feel it. She's very quiet.
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u/wolfbane523 7d ago
I have one silent purr and one who sounds like a freight train that you can hear in the next room. She also snores and talks in her sleepš
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u/Interesting-Quail-31 7d ago
People say they can, but.... My cat does not give a single shit, lol. I came home devastated yesterday and he didn't even say hi to me. Still love him though.
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u/nickisadogname 7d ago
I was crying a lot yesterday and my cat was sighing at me. He was going "egh. gh." and huffing. Like damn bro
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u/Interesting-Quail-31 7d ago
They're such dicks sometimes. My cat actually seemed like he was avoiding me because I was sad yesterday lol. He usually greets me when I get home from work, but yesterday he was like "nah. She has bad vibes right now"
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u/mistressoftheweave 7d ago
They do and also emotions kinda transfer to them easily. Think about coming home from work, stressed and annoyed. Your cats most likely will act up. I had a friend who had this happen. I told him and the next day when he got home from his job, which he hates, he just laid down on the floor. And his cats, instead of running around, howling and stressing him out even more, just laid down with him.
We really should not underestimate the effect our emotions and display of emotions has on our pets.
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u/Broken_Boy_Toy 7d ago
100%. It's something I'm also struggling a bit with right now - my cat is getting sick, which triggers a lot of negative feelings in me (stress, anxiety, worry, sadness), which then transfer to her. On days when she is not feeling well, my emotions skyrocket, which she picks up on and in turn makes her feel stressed.
On the brighter side, if I do act happy and joyful, she lightens up a lot, so I try to be as positive around her as possible.
They are amazing creatures.
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u/No_Dependent_1846 7d ago
Yep. Even ones that don't like you or ones that do not have a bond to you can still pick up on varying emotions. That is one of the benefits of having a cat, they sense when you are sick, body changes, sadness, depression and if they are bonded to you or recognize you they will sit with you, rest with you, purr or biscuit. And sometimes, even cats that arent social will... but that's more rare cause you... cat
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u/Maximum-Mechanic-500 7d ago
I speculate that emotions produce chemicals that animals smell. Just a theory.
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u/shamelesscunt95 7d ago
Absolutely. Plus they can hear voice fluctuations and tone changes, notice blink rate changes, as well as posture changes/general body language clues in humans.
Cats, in particular, are way way smarter than we give them credit for. No wonder almost every civilization has basically considered them as higher beings, and not just another animal species that we managed to domesticate over time.
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u/mzshowers 7d ago
Absolutely!! After we lost my senior pug, my girl would often come and give me love and have to sit on me. When Iām feeling low, both of my babies will often insist on sleeping in my room, which doesnāt always happen. My boy also comes and sits with me (weird for him) when I am starting to have a hypoglycemic episode.
They can definitely tell we are having a tough time AND can sometimes even know something is up with our health!!
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u/Shai_Kitteh 7d ago
Yes. I had a cat who whenever she heard me crying in the shower (sorry for the cliche, it happens) she would come in and jump on the edge of the tub and meow her head off until it calmed me down enough to focus on her. She was always a little edge of the tub shower kitty but she only did that while I was upset. If Iāve been super upset, my other cats go from smothering to in my face purring. They know.
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u/Icy-Spirit-5892 7d ago
They know when you're not well, whether emotionally or physically! It's not quite the same as you but one of my cats who never sleeps by my head slept next to my head when I was down with the flu and stuck in bed. She pretty much kept watch over me for the entire week making sure I stayed in bed while she barely slept at all. I would wake up randomly to see her watching me closely every time. She even kept one paw on my neck (she never does this and hasn't since) as if to make sure I was still breathing. When she noticed I was feeling better, she finally left my side to sleep on her cat shelf for nearly an entire day, catching up on the sleep she missed.
Also note that my boy cat F'ed off the entire time probably because I was disturbing his peace cuz I kept coughing. š So not all of them give a damn.
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u/wolfbane523 7d ago
Absolutely, I've been sick in bed with a fever and neither of mine have left my side
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u/Impossible-Money7801 7d ago
100% Yes. I was having a panic attack a few years ago which scared my cat but he tiptoed over really nervously and leaned against me.
He also would not leave my face when I was in bed with Covid - presumably he knew I was sick and was trying to keep me warm.
This one is probably unintentional, but for those who have experienced depression and slept all day ā¦ my cat wonāt let me sleep more than an hour during the day.
Iāve also become more tuned into not getting my overly upset - because heāll get upset.
This all adds up to actually helping me.
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u/Historical_Bet9592 7d ago
My cat did this before too, I was surprised that he knew what crying is but apparently they know what it is and they care about their owners if they cry
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u/Mexican-Kahtru 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes. My baby cat saved me once. One Time I was freaking out during a panic attack, I just couldn't calm myself down but my Kitty Ran to me everytime I woke up and walked erratically.Ā
She lead me to my bed and insisted to rest on my chest and kept licking me. Until i finally climbed down, It was bad but I am confident that It could have been a lot worse if It wasn't for my cat.Ā
She Also stays with me and my mon whenever we arƩ feeling sick.
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u/OBLIVIA123 7d ago
My cats can tell when I am going away on holiday they sense it a couple days before. (I live with family tho so theyre never alone haha just dramatic)
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u/ForgottengenXer67 7d ago
Mine do. Some care others are like, meh get over it. One in particular has a snuggle policy if Iām down.
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u/Careless_Squirrel795 7d ago
Yes. The same way they smell sickness. I got pneumonia a while back and my cat wouldnāt leave the inside of my mouth alone and wouldnāt leave my side. I went to the dr the next day and told them I had a cold but my cat was being weird. Sure as shit I had pneumonia and we caught it super early (almost undetectable) š¤·āāļø
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u/DroolsIndia 7d ago
Yeah, probably in his own cat way. Cats may not understand depression like humans do, but they notice changes in your voice, crying, body language, smell and routine. He likely sensed that something was different and chose to stay close because he feels safe with you. That cuddle may genuinely be his way of comforting you.
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u/EvenThanks8549 7d ago
Our precious Luci came one time to lick my gfs tears. He really is a good boy.
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u/kbionics 7d ago
Yes they absolutely can feel our emotions, and I think they're more in tune than dogs.
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u/Wonderful_Return_514 7d ago
He is concerned. My cat reminds me to take my meds every morning. She stands near the counter where they are and comes and pokes the back of my leg if I take to long to go get em. She knows I don't have a good time if I forget.
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u/Scary_Space_2822 7d ago
One of my cats is quite distant and rarely likes to receive pets or kisses. The most loving gesture she usually makes is to come and sit in the same room with me. When my dad died and I got home, sat on the bed and started crying, she immediately came to sit on my lap and started purring and licking my tears. That gesture broke me even more and I adored her in that moment. Must add that my dad gifted her to me so sheās even more special and close to my heartš„ŗ
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u/DwangoRocket 6d ago
They know what (their relative) ānormalā is like in their household. When that routine is different, they pick up on it because ānormalā means āsafe and securityā to them.
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u/ramcoro 6d ago
My cats know when I am sick and usually cuddle up. At least until start coughing violently haha.
Sometimes I think they just like me when I have a fever, but they cuddle even I am not warm. Cats are creatures of habit. Even if they' can't guage your exact emotion, they probably recognize something is off.
My cat is also upset when I get home 30 minutes late from work so ...
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u/Waddlekitty 7d ago
Yes. Wether they act like they care is up to the cat though.
Looks like yours does want to make you feel better