If you love your cat that much, you probably hope to receive love in return from your cat as well. If your cat can give you the following feelings, it means you are truly loving your cat the right way, and the affection between you is mutual.
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Sense of Security
When you sit exhausted on the sofa, feeling lost amid one life challenge after another, doesn’t it instantly bring you comfort when your cat curls up beside you and emits gentle purring? If it does, don’t dismiss it as mere psychological effect—cat purring actually has real benefits. Studies show that a cat’s purring frequency ranges between 20 and 140 Hz. This range of sound waves can help promote tissue repair and bone growth, while also reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Another study found that people who live with cats and frequently hear purring have significantly lower anxiety levels compared to those who don’t keep cats. These are solid pieces of evidence showing how cats provide a true sense of security.
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Feeling Needed
If your cat uses its unique meows to express needs—like a soft “meow” when it wants a snack—it shows that you hold a special place in its heart. Can you feel this sense of being needed? Research indicates that cats primarily use “meowing” for communication with humans, rarely with other cats. Each cat’s meow is unique, effectively its personal language. When you understand what your cat’s meows mean and respond appropriately, it becomes more dependent on you, intensifying your feeling of being needed.
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Happiness
Owning a cat should make you happy, right? This isn’t just because cats are adorable, but also because they transmit positive emotions to you. Surveys reveal that cat owners have about a 30% lower risk of developing depression compared to non-cat owners. Cats’ lively antics and cute appearances bring joy, making our daily life sunnier and more cheerful.
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Sense of Belonging
Does your cat like leaving its scent in the places you frequent, like rubbing against your favorite sofa or occasionally against your body? This is a way for your cat to signal “this is also my home.” Studies show that cats mark their territory through pheromones, establishing a sense of safety. When your cat incorporates your living space into its “territory,” it willingly shares that space with you, indicating that it considers you part of its family. Research further shows that cats with a strong sense of belonging spend an average of over 8 hours per day in their owner’s activity areas—much higher than cats with weaker attachment.
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Feeling Trusted
Is your cat willing to show its most vulnerable parts to you, like its soft belly? If your cat lies down in front of you unexpectedly, exposing its round belly, and even allows gentle petting, this indicates extremely high trust. A study observing 500 house cats found that only 30% of cats voluntarily expose their belly to their owners, and these cats show significantly higher frequency and intimacy in interactions. When a cat reveals vulnerability, it demonstrates that it perceives you as absolutely safe and reliable. Experiencing this trust should make you love your cat even more.
If, while raising your cat, you experience all of the feelings mentioned above, it shows that you are caring for your cat well and that your cat loves you deeply in return. So, do you have these feelings? Do you think you are raising your cat the right way?
