cats and emotions

It seems to me that cats just know when they're needed. My boyfriend is going through a rough spot and all the time my Draco will run up to him as soon as he comes in the door and meow and rub up on him, wanting to be held and nuzzled, and he used to do that with me, but today was kind of hard and the whole day Draco and my girl, Meeker were around me, cuddling with me and following me around.
It's like they want to comfort us and the best way for them to do that is to get us to pet them. Maybe it's just certain chemicals that we release when we're upset that they can sense, kind of like those siezure alert dogs. Whatever it is, they certainly are a big help. Has anyone else experienced something like this?

Oh yeah, Layla is like that too.
If Im feeling down or something, Layla comes up to me nuzzling and grooming me. She even lets me hold her longer than she normally allows to me.
It makes me feel that Im really intune w/my baby boo.

Oh, you're absolutely right! If I get upset or cry, my Pearl is all over me right away. She mews and snuggles me... and the other night, she actually stood on my lap with her paws on my chest and rubbed my wet cheeks with her furry little face!

And some people say animals can't really feel love. Hmph! No HUMAN has ever done that for me!

I grew up with cats and dogs around and observed pets closely all my life. I can tell for sure they know what it means when somebody is upset or sick. When I make a sad crying sound, cats come right away to check on me. My dogs used to do the same. No doubt in my mind that animals can feel love, compassion, or worries, as well as an emotional pain or happiness. Somewhere deep inside they know that attention and warmth make all creatures feel better.

I noticed that cats and dogs watch us a lot. Cats do it better I think, maybe because they are less emotional then dogs. They know what is their owner's usual behavior and schedule, face expression, etc.

I always stay up very late but on rare occasions I go to bed early when tired or sick. One of my cats gets very nervous and worried when it happens and tries to lay down on me and stare at my face just to make sure nothing horrible happened to me.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh, you're absolutely right! If I get upset or cry, my

Pearl is all over me right away

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. She mews and snuggles me... and the other night, she actually stood on my lap with her paws on my chest and rubbed my wet cheeks with her furry little face!

And some people say animals can't really feel love. Hmph! No HUMAN has ever done that for me!

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And, they are smart enough to stay off of you when applicable. Case in point: Persi always liked to lay on my lap until I had abdominal surgery. He then somehow knew to stay off of my lap and IN FACT, the day the doctor told me I could go back to work, Persi started being my lap cat again. So, who told Persi it was OK to be back on my lap?

Its true, cats are very friendly and they can tell if you are upset. My cats even know when I am coming through the door before I have even got to the house!

cats (and animals) are amazing when it come to human emotions !

All mine know when things are not normal and react very differently.

Miss Moofs comes and sits on your lap
Dino will head-butt you and snuggle up real close
Princess Pepsi will follow you everywhere and talk and talk and talk and.....

You gotta love em

It is said that cats' purring has healing properties. Somthing to do with the resonance...

Perhaps they feel somewhat like our emotional guardians; for instance when they were kittens their mothers would groom them and cuddle with them when they get upset and are crying from the time they're born til they're big enough to be on their own, so maybe they just learned from their mothers example that a loving touch and a kiss (or lick, whatever you want to call it) cures all ailments.

Belle gets really upset if there is yelling in the house, she will actually jump on something and try to get to the person yelling. and she HAS to be in the bathroom with me all the time she always has to know where I am! Cats know what is going on. whenever we have a party they are nowhere to be found, people leave, they comeout.

Originally Posted by Namo

Perhaps they feel somewhat like our emotional guardians; for instance when they were kittens their mothers would groom them and cuddle with them when they get upset and are crying from the time they're born til they're big enough to be on their own, so maybe they just learned from their mothers example that a loving touch and a kiss (or lick, whatever you want to call it) cures all ailments.

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I really like that idea. I feel like that might have a whole lot of truth to it. If only I could ask my kits what they think....

I always feel left out when people talk about their cats in this role. Trout doesn't notice or care when I am upset. She just goes about her business..she is a snob I guess. I wish she was more mushy with me

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I always feel left out when people talk about their cats in this role. Trout doesn't notice or care when I am upset. She just goes about her business..she is a snob I guess. I wish she was more mushy with me

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Well, honestly my current kitties aren't that sympathetic with me. The other night I was just sobbing and they ran away to go play with each other. Thanks kitties, real helpful! Though they are snuggly with me when they want it.....

Some cats are just like that, I guess. My sisters cat doesn't do anything when she's upset and she's had him since he was around 7 weeks old and he's 9 now.