Those of us who have the opportunity to share our home with these wonderful and intriguing beings that are cats, surely ask ourselves numerous questions about their behavior and their way of relating to the world, as well as to ourselves.
The truth is that feline nature continues to be a mystery even for the most expert researchers and scientists dedicated to the animal world. Without a doubt, we will need many more years to discover how our kitties think and feel (and perhaps we will still have many doubts…). However, observing their behavior and body language, we can conclude that cats manage to understand many things about human beings and their way of acting in their home routine, thanks to their privileged intelligence and sensitivity. In this article on our site, we tell you 10 things your cat knows about you and you may not have realized. !Do not miss it!
1. Your cat recognizes you as part of his group
Cat lovers and guardians around the world wonder how our fellow animals see us. Of course, we must understand that much research will still be necessary to come close to knowing what and how animals think. However, we can interpret theirfacial expressions, body postures, and actions toward us to get an idea of how they view us human beings.
Regarding cats, there are many exaggerations and mistakes to ensure that felines see us as "inferior" or "stupid" beings. If we think a little, it is unlikely that an animal as intelligent and perceptive as the cat would show his affection and trust another individual who seems weaker or unable to relate to him.
According to some experts, such as Dr. John Bradshaw, author of the book "The Mind of a Cat" and a researcher at the University of Bristol, cats relate and behave with people in a way very similar to how they do with other cats. This does not mean that cats cannot acquire certain behaviors in their upbringing and in relation to their guardians. They are animals intelligent and sensitive enough to learn commands or tricks, or know how to get or request something from their "favorite humans" with certain actions or sounds. However, our differences (between humans and cats) will not be enough to condition their behavior towards us or cause them to treat us completely differently.
If we observe the behavior of dogs towards humans, we understand that dogs have an idealized image of their guardian and establish a bond of extreme devotion, being able to put their own lives at risk to preserve the well-being of it. Clearly, dogs do not interact with their guardians in the same way that they do with other dogs. But cats are completely different animals and their nature makes them much more independent than canines. Cats also recognize our role in the home and, of course, understand that we take care of their well-being, provide them with food, a quiet environment and, above all, affection because we love them. All of this makes them feel protected and safe and want to continue sharing their life and territory with us, even if they don't show it in the same way as dogs. However, a cat will not treat you as a special being totally different from himself, but for him you will be part of his social group, of his family nucleus, so he will treat you as one more member he trusts..
And it is for all this that, although we still need to understand many things about how cats think, we are somewhat convinced that they know that we are one of the yours, even if we don't belong to the same species.
two. Your cat knows you love him
In the same way that cats include us in their family nucleus and, therefore, know that we are part of the same social group, they perceive our affectionto them. Cats know that we love them when we care about their well-being, we offer them food, water and rest areas, when we respect their space and adaptation times, when we spend quality time with them, when we offer them safety and protection, as well as when we detect that something happens to them and we try to improve it. If you do all this, you know you love him!
If you have just adopted a kitten, we recommend that you consult this other article to gain its trust: "How to gain a cat's trust?". This is a fundamental aspect so that the feline feels safe in its new home and, together, you establish a strong bond.
3. Your cat knows if you're sick
Among the things that cats can "predict", or rather perceive, are some alterations in the organism of human beings. You have probably already heard many stories about some people who went to the doctor after noticing that their cats constantly sniffed or showed certain insistence in relation to some part of their body. In fact, there are very moving testimonials from guardians who have detected malignant tumors in their bodies with the help of their feline companions.
So, it seems that the key question is: are cats able to predict some diseases in people? Although the "sixth sense" of cats still remains in the background in our general culture, some studies show that, thanks to their developed sense of smell, kittens they are able to detect chemical and physiological changes in our body with some ease. In other words, your feline is capable of perceiving the abnormal secretion of some chemical substances that your body produces when it is sick. Therefore, one of the things that your cat knows about you is if your he alth status is out of balance.
4. Your cat notices your mood swings
Even when you can't put your emotions into words, your body adopts postures and performs movements or actions that anticipate the emotional changes. Perhaps, for other people these details may be imperceptible, but they will not go unnoticed by the powerful senses of your cat. Although cats can make a variety of sounds, they mostly use body language to express their moods. In other words, their way of understanding their environment and communicating is based on body language and not verbal language.
By reading your body language, your feline can easily sense if you are angry, anxious, nervous or afraid for any reason. That is why your cats quickly know if your mood has changed even when you do not say a single word. And don't be surprised if your kitty prefers to respect a certain distance when your body communicates your anger, or he shows himself to be more affectionate and a companion when he perceives that you feel sad.
5. Your cat knows your type of diet
Do you wonder why cats bring dead animals to their guardians? Well, the truth is that there is no single explanation, because science has not yet managed to identify the exact reason for such behavior. According to some hypotheses, it would be a way of showing appreciation and care towards their guardian. However, there is another very interesting theory that says that felines do this because they perceive that we humans are not good hunters In addition, it states that cats would maintain a "social custom" of teaching each other (usually adults to puppies) within their community. So your kitty might give you his prey to show you how to survive in his world, especially if you're on a special diet
In other words, your cat knows about you that you would be in serious trouble if you had to hunt your own prey for food. In this video we give more details:
6. Your cat can predict a pregnancy
Another very popular belief about the supernatural powers of felines is that they are capable of knowing when a woman is pregnant. As we mentioned earlier, the developed sense of smell of cats allows them to identify chemical changes in our body As the female body undergoes various hormonal and physiological changes during pregnancy, it is possible that the feline is curious about these new smells in its environment. Likewise, cats are capable of detecting menstruation in women, also due to hormonal changes.
If you are going to be a father or a mother, on this occasion it seems vital to highlight the importance of correctly presenting your cat to the new member of the family. On our site, we offer you the best tips for coexistence between cats and babies, don't miss them!
7. Your cat sleeps on your chest because he knows it's a safe place
By lying on your chest, your cat can feel your body heat and
