Do Cats Recognize Their Owners?

The simple answer to this is yes. Cats are able to recognize their owners and differentiate different persons in a family. Cats are evolved predators. As such, their senses are far more developed that those of humans. Their senses are also slightly different. Your cat will use these senses to recognize you. Most cats depend on their hearing more than other senses.

It is believed that cats can see even in total darkness. Since this makes cats seem like they have super powers, most people tend to believe it. But this is not the case. They can see in very low light but not in complete darkness (there is a difference). This is made possible by the part in the retina referred to as the tapetum lucidum which bounce the light back to the retina helping cats to see remarkably well at night. During the day however, their sight is compromised by the same part that enhances their night vision.

With regards to smell, cats can also detect your scent through their mouth courtesy of the Jacobson’s Organ which is available on the roof of their mouth. Every human has a distinct scent which cats can smell and differentiate using this organ.

Why Does My Cat Knead on Me?

If I ate a cookie for every time my cat kneaded on me, I would probably be obese or have diabetes. Generally, cats love to knead on their owners. They love to stretch out their paws and rhythmically close and open the toes while pushing slightly on the skin. Just like when my cat lays on me, I love it when it does this as well. Too bad it does not seem to understand when I tell it to keep kneading. It is more like an instinctive behaviour for my cat.

This behaviour seems to have its roots from kitten hood. As a kitten, your feline kneaded its mother to stimulate the production of milk. As the kitten nurses, they are flooded with happy hormones and with time they learn to associate kneading with happiness, food and safety.

When your cat is kneading on you, it is telling you that it feels safe and is content when it is around you. Interestingly, cats also seem to produce a special and unique chemical, from between their toes, that is used in territory marking. As such, there are also chances that your cat could be marking you as its territory. It is sort of warning other cats to stay away from you, you are spoken for.

Sound

This is the sharpest of all sounds. They can perceive even the slightest of noises and can determine its source. Your cat can hear three times higher than you can. With their accurate hearing, they can detect the tone in your voice, how heavy your footsteps are and other sounds. In my case, I notice that my cat runs towards the door when I am making my way to the front door. It does not get up and head for the door when my neighbour (who is considerably bigger and obviously heavier than I am).

Do Cats Love Their Humans?

Yes, your cat does love you. But no it does not express its love like dogs do. It expresses its love and affection like a cat. Dogs and cats are different animals. While a dog is vocal in its show of affection, cat’s expression of affect is almost like a whisper.

So how do cats express their love? The most common method is by purring. When a cat purrs, it is like it has a motor inside it that produces the soothing sound. The vibrations are almost hypnotizing. Additionally, they show and express their love by running up to you and rolling. Last but not least, they do this by bunting and scratching. Do note that the scratching at times can get out of control. To ensure that the scratching is not destructive, you should get a scratching post, or cat scratching tree for your cat.