Cat appreciation when you come home from a trip

Last year, I took a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and was away for the better part of 12 days. It was the longest time I had ever been away from Buddy, and it was the first time he was truly left home alone. (A friend of mine came by daily to feed him, clean his litterbox and play with him. She also took photos and texted them to me, which was helpful to know he was okay.)

Anyway, when I finally got home he came right up to me and started rubbing against me...and then he started shaking uncontrollably. I'd never seen anything like it before. He was shaking, then he puked...at first I was worried, but then I realized it was some sort of response to overwhelming relief and/or happiness that I was home. I can't imagine how long 12 days feels to a cat. Especially a cat who is so attached.

This week I went to my brother's house in Virginia for a long weekend, basically four days away from my little Bud. The same friend took care of him, and she's great. And this time, Bud didn't throw up (thankfully), but he spent about an hour rubbing up against me, circling around, rubbing up against me again, meowing at me, etc. I was tired from the long drive, so after getting some work done (I work from home), I got ready to take a nap.

Buddy immediately knew it was bed time, he hopped up excitedly onto the bed, and when I settled in, he draped himself over me and went to sleep. (He literally sleeps on top of me most of the time.)

It was really nice to be home and to be with Bud again, but I especially appreciate how happy he was to see me, and how excited he was that I was back. It's just another great thing about having a pet. For how close we are, and how well we're able to understand each other, one thing I regret is that I can't effectively communicate to him, "Hey, I'm leaving for a few days. But I WILL be back, don't worry!"

Anyone else have similar stories about their little ones celebrating the return of their hoomins? 

Our  Muskis used to immediately ran to his scratching furniture, and scratch vigorously.         He used a kitchen furniture for this, he was allowed.  Although he HAD his regular scratching poles too.

Once when I come back home, he run immediately ut to the bathroom and the water sink there.  He liked to drink his water running in there, and it was usually me whom helped him.  So although he wasnt thirsty at that moment, for him I was the association of getting his fresh water...

Our other cat Vagis, took after, and he did scratched in happiness he too, but  not so apparently., and he scratched the regular scratching posts...

StefanZ said:

 
Our  Muskis used to immediately ran to his scratching furniture, and scratch vigorously.         He used a kitchen furniture for this, he was allowed.  Although he HAD his regular scratching poles too.

Once when I come back home, he run immediately ut to the bathroom and the water sink there.  He liked to drink his water running in there, and it was usually me whom helped him.  So although he wasnt thirsty at that moment, for him I was the association of getting his fresh water...

Our other cat Vagis, took after, and he did scratched in happiness he too, but  not so apparently., and he scratched the regular scratching posts...

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I love that. All the little ways cats show they love their owners...we probably ignore or don't realize so many of those behaviors, because we don't see the world from a cat's point of view, but when we do recognize it, it's a great feeling.

Plan said:

 
I love that. All the little ways cats show they love their owners...we probably ignore or don't realize so many of those behaviors, because we don't see the world from a cat's point of view, but when we do recognize it, it's a great feeling.

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Yes, exactly!  So for example, my discovery of yawning as a friendly greeting.  Which Im doing my best to spread around here on this forum - and I notice some do buy this.   Its very seldom lazy or sleepy cat, its almost always a greeting.   Biologically it began perhaps as showing: Im relaxed and feel safe in your company, I do dare to be defenceless a couple of seconds, and take a broad yawn.

This was very apparent in my residents, Muskis and Vagis. Yet, its nowhere in the books on cat behavior!   There are also other telltales which I dont describe here and now....

So, although Im sure my interpretations are correct, and it works beautifully in our home,  yet Im a little unsure;  do all the rest of cat people miss this / these rather forceful behavior,  OR we did  dressage on each other, my residents and me:  because I reacted on some of their behavior as friendly gestures, and was friendly back talking sweetly and cuddling, we simply reinforced each others behavior.   Essentielly developed a sort of our own family body language, our residents and us / me...

Its entirely possible.

I think so too. It's like those stories you hear about certain isolated groups of great apes, for example, that learn how to use new tools or use tools in new ways. And they pass it on down the generations, and are the only group of apes in the world who use those particular tools in that way.

Same thing with dolphins. There have been studies that show certain families of dolphins develop unique hunting techniques, and pass those techniques along to the younger generations.

So I definitely could see how cats develop some unique behaviors that other cats don't have, especially if they're house cats who are technically isolated from outside cats and are learning some of the behavior from their humans. There are some examples of cats who have learned to use toilets just by watching their humans, without being trained, or in my case if I sit in a particular chair in my apartment, my cat thinks it's automatically play time because I often sit in that chair when I use one of his wand toys to simulate prey.