So, do cats like it when you kiss them?
The question is a little deeper than that isn’t it. What I think the real question is here is that are cats capable of relating kisses are a sign of affection.
What are cats really thinking when you try to kiss them. So, in way the topic urges us to explore the affectionate dimension of the relationship between owners and their cats.
The general consensus among most people at least those who have never had the chance to live in close proximity to cats is that cats are aloof and independent characters.
That, as you are going to see isn’t entirely true.
Of course, in the wild, most cats belong to the predatory domain of the animal kingdom and as such lead solitary lives and don’t usually form big groups with few obvious exceptions of course.
This is in stark contrast to how the ancestors of our domesticated dogs used to survive in the wild, by forming packs that is.
Therefore, if you put dogs and cats in a comparative perspective, cats may come out as those beings whose only demand out of you is to submit to their will and serve them.
But there is one factor that inherently remains common among these two different ways of living in the spectrum of survival.
And that is adaptability.
Cats and dogs have been with us for a while now and call it maturity that is a consequence of evolution, but they have learned how to coexist with us.
Yes, they may have kept some of their tendencies from the wilderness but it would be wrong to say they haven’t shown eagerness to adapt and learn to the new and not to mention safe environments.
In in this process of coexistence and co habitation have our pets learned to relate different expressions, particularly that of affection like hugs, kisses to what they really are?
A very important topic that will demand all sorts of clarity. And from what I have seen, there isn’t much available. Let’s change that today shall we.
Let’s start with the most commonly asked question,
Do cats like it when you kiss them?
The answer is it depends whether in the time a cat has spent with you, she has learnt to associate your act of kissing her as affection or attention. Some cats like Siamese may be more inviting of your kisses while others may not. If she offers some resistance to your kisses, don’t fret cats have plenty other expressions of affection that she can shower you with.
I have mentioned this in plenty of spaces within this blog that cats have very strong personalities.
By strong personalities I mean each cat has a very vivid sense of likes and dislikes about herself and for the things around her.
And as such some cats have with time relate your kisses with affection, and be very inviting for it but if you perceive she doesn’t like it, don’t be disheartened.
Cat have plenty of ways in which she will relay her love for you.
In the subsequent section let’s look at the different way in which a cat expresses her affection.
These articles are will make you love your cat even more.
- Do cats get affectionate with age?
- Do cats slow blink to say I Love You?
- Why do cats purr?
- Why do cats knead?
- What is your cat’s tail trying to say?
5 Ways In Which Cats Express Their Affection
Now before we discuss different ways in which cats express their affection towards humans, I think its very important here to establish what affection is in the human-cat relationship dynamics.
Human beings are a complex bundle of emotions, feelings, memories and experiences.
And as such one mistake that we fundamentally do is expect our cats to express their love in a way we want them to do it.
And when cats don’t do that, I receive so many comments and queries in my mail box from people complaining their cat doesn’t love them the way they saw in a YouTube video or the way their neighbour’s cat stands on two legs for a hug.
That’s right, it isn’t just people on whom we load the burden of expectations.
I am not at all trying to be philosophical here, all I am trying to say is cats are different and much simpler than human beings.
If she has chosen to accept your ecosystem as a place where she is willing to grow, evolve and thrive, she already loves you.
Animals are usually very perceptive of energies.
They are very quick to understand whether someone’s presence exudes threat, anxiety or compassion.
So, if a cat is comfortably living in an ecosystem created by you, guess what she loves you.
And here is the funny thing and I have observed this with my cats, when you are truly okay with giving your cat what she needs and not bothering about how she reciprocates her gratitude, they tend to express via different acts how comfortable they are with you.
Which is great a sign of affection that you can get from a cat.
Anyways, here are the top 5 ways in which cat may choose to express her love for you.
- By Slowly Blinking At You
This is probably one of the biggest indicators that your cat is comfortable and feels secure in your presence.
Have you ever observed your cat sitting cross legged in a quiet comfortable posture and you catch a glimpse of her stare only to find her slowly opening and closing her eyes at you?
Experts believe that is a cat’s way of saying I love you to you.
As a matter of fact, I have dedicated a whole post to the topic, given the fact that so many people wanted to know more about this behavior of cats.
And here is the thing, the most that we can say for certain when a cat slowly blinks at you is that she is feeling secure in your presence.
And that not a small thing. Because cats and animals in general are simple beings. If their needs of survival are taken care of and they understand that it is you who is taking care of them, their contentment is an expression of their love.
Which is usually expressed when you catch their stare and they are slowly and calmly blinking at you.
- By Purring Around In Your Lap
I have covered why do cats purr in a separate post, which was received incredibly well by you guys. But regardless of what are the dynamics behind why cats purr, what is relevant to the context of this post is, it’s a sign of relaxation.
A cat that is relaxed in an ecosystem that is created around her by you is a happy cat.
A cat produces her oddly soothing purrs to let you know that whatever it is you are doing for her is working.
She is relaxed, calm, comfortable and happy.
And that is why purrs are a big signal from a cat that she has nothing but love for you.
- By Showing You Her Tummy
Probably the biggest indicator that a cat completely trusts you is when she rolls over and exposes her belly to you.
A cat showing you her tummy is being totally vulnerable in front of you. And that is a big thing.
The biggest instinct within an animal is that of self-protection. So, if your cat is letting her guards down in front of you by showing you her softest and the weakest part, guess what?
She loves you.
- By Head Bunting You
So, what’s bunting?
Bunting is when your cat rubs her cheeks, her top of the head and her forehead on you. What she is basically doing here is claiming you as her own.
Cats are big on smell. They have a very stark sense of smell and head bunting is an act of leaving her scent on you.
She is kind of indicating everyone in the ecosystem or anyone who is going to come into her ecosystem that this thing or human is mine.
So, if you find your cat revolving around your legs and rubbing against you or demanding your face to bunt against, she loves you very much.
- By Bringing You Semi-Dead Or Dead Animals
There are so many opinions on this behavior of cats. But most agree that if a cat brings in dead animals or even toys in front of you in dismissive mannerism, it portrays that she considers you a part of your family.
Or more importantly a family member that can’t fend for himself or herself.
So, if someday you find your cat bringing dead smelly mouse to your doorstep or even better on your bed.
Don’t yell at her.
You may very well hurt her feelings and confuse her.
Those were the top 5 ways in which cats express their affection for you, but know this those aren’t the only ones.
Some are again more general and some may be very specific to your particular cat. Cats are unpredictable and unique in that way.
Here are some other ways in which a cat may express her love for you.
- Licking Or as you may perceive, Kissing you.
- Playing with you obviously.
- Kneading on you.
- Raising her tail in a loving way.
- Short trills and meows.
Those were the ways in which cats express their affection.
Now lets go the other way round and see what you can do to let your cat know you lover her or him.
5 Ways To Show Your Cats You Love Them
- Reciprocating Her Slow Blink
In the previous segment I explained how when a cat slow blinks at you it is a sign that she is comfortable, relaxed and has a heart full of love for you.
Guess what you can reciprocate the love by slowly blinking back in a loving way too.
It’s really fantastic, I can’t really explain how you will know it, but when a cat slow blinks at you and you do it back, you perceive that loving exchange.
What’s funny is I have been doing this without me knowing I was doing it to show affection.
Whenever I saw my cat sitting comfortably and staring in a relaxed way by slowly blinking her eyes, it just felt like reciprocating back.
It’s only later when I saw a video from Jackson Galaxy that confirmed my act of reciprocation as a sign of affection.
- By Playing With Them
This is big with cats. Cats are like these bubbles of energy that need active involvement and playtime to expend it and develop as finely adjusted pets.
If you don’t do it, it won’t take much time for that energy to take negative expression like lethargy, boredom and anxiety.
The good thing is cats don’t demand much. Yes, there are cat specific toys that you can get easily but you can keep them occupied with simple and silly things like yarn thread or a cardboard ring that they can chase.
As a matter of fact, I have created this post on how you can easily make cat play things using easily available household materials.
What is interesting is most of the engagement and involvement needs of a cat can be met if you get another cat.
But know this even though having two cats is fantastic, if you want develop a bond of affection with your cat, you need to take some time out to play with her.
- By Massaging Them On Their Favourite Spot
Simple but effective. If your cat lets you massage her, she is probably going to have a favorite spot. For many cats its at the base of her tail.
You will observe this when you pet her. If you start petting her near her forehead, she will sweetly twist and turn with her tail raised so that your hand arrives at a place on her back at her tail joint.
Many cats respond very positively to getting massaged around this spot.
That being said, all cats are different, maybe your cute little devil wants you to massage his tummy or pet his forehead.
Whatever works for him you better massage him real nice if you love him.
- By Communicating With Them
In a previous post, I explained why Siamese cats are so vocal and how to respond to their chattiness.
Well, even if you don’t own a Siamese cat and maybe she isn’t as vocal as them, but make no mistake they will have their ways of communicating with you.
Reciprocate their communication with an acknowledgement.
Cats love attention. You don’t need to understand all the time what they are saying.
But you need to relay the message to her that she is being heard and that she can have the centre of attention is she wishes.
If your cat is new, don’t fret, over time you will start perceiving different communication signals and when you reciprocate rightly, she will know you love her.
This article will help you a lot.
- By Presenting her With Her Favourite Treats and Yes That Includes Catnip.
You can treat her with her favorite treats when it deems fit or when you are training her.
Treats are a wonderful way to convey your love for your cats. You may have to try different treats to see what she likes.
Usually, treats must be small, unique, with a taste that differs from her normal food. Once you lock in on what she likes it is a sure way to let her know why you should be her favorite human.
I think catnip deserves a special mention here. Catnip is a great, harmless herb that in addition to providing a rather “happy-high” gives you a reason to have a few laughs when you see her rolling around in catnip with her favorite toy.
Another very effective way to have a very special place in your cat’s heart.
FAQs
Now that we know how cats are known to express affection and what can you do to reciprocate it, I think you won’t mind if your cat doesn’t accept your kisses.
The question do cats like it when you kiss them shouldn’t have an emotional edge, now that you know cats have plenty other ways to say I love you to you.
When talking cats and affection in the same breath, I know the questions that you may have will not be limited to what we have discussed thus far.
So here are a few more frequently asked questions that I know to a great degree of certainty cat owners often ask.
Don’t worry if you have any other query in your mind let me know it in the comments section and if it is potent enough, I will include it in this section.
Why Do Cats Kiss You On The Lips?
There is a good chance that your cat may have associated kissing you on the lips as a way to express her affection. It is also possible that your cat is just trying to groom you out of the comfort that you are generating for her and her grooming instincts are kicking in or she is just revisiting her kittenhood memories.
If your cat isn’t using kisses to express her affection, that’s okay, there are plenty other ways that I have described above via which cats are known to express their love for their owners.
Do Cats Like When You Hug Them?
There are many cat breeds who relate hugs with affection and explicitly demand it from their owners. But that isn’t all, Siamese, Burmese, Persian cats for example, enjoys cuddles, snuggles and sitting on your laps. Of course, there will be cats who won’t be too fond of hugs but they have plenty of other ways to express their love.
Do Cats Like To Be Held?
Once cats start feeling comfortable and secure in your presence eventually, they wouldn’t mind being held by you or sitting on your lap. Some cats depending on breed and accompanying personality would be more inviting about it. But most of them wouldn’t mind cuddling with you once they start seeing you as family.
It’s worth noting here it is easier to teach your ways of affection to a kitten when compared to adult cats for obvious reasons.
It’s also possible especially with stray and adult cats that they may have some bad experiences in the past because of which they would resist being held, cuddle, hugged.
In such cases, its not that it is impossible to turn them around to their joyful ways, but it sure will take some time and patience.
I hope you enjoyed this query post on do cats like it when you kiss them.
I created the article in such a way that it wholesomely covers different topics and questions that I get around cats and how they understand, receive and reciprocate affection.
If you enjoyed reading it or have any other query around the article, leave it down below in the comments section.
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Take care of yourselves and I will see you around.
Tada!
