In this video, we will discuss 10 ways that cats show their love. Prolonged eye contact and slow blinking. You’ve probably noticed your cat staring intently into your eyes at one point or another - don’t worry! your kitty is showing you how much they love you! Prolonged eye contact in combination with slow, precise blinking is equal to the love shown by an adoring human partner who gazes into your eyes before a kiss or during intimate moments. To respond, you can always blink slowly back. Cats appreciate it because they can easily decipher the meaning behind a slow, meaningful blink and intense gaze. Cheek rubbing. If you’ve ever been giving your cat some friendly ear scratches and had them start to rub their cheek against your leg, you’ve been exposed to this feline love language. Your cat rubbing its cheeks against you is a way for your cat to mark its territory - you! Your cat might also rub its cheeks against furniture and other objects within the home. This action promotes the excretion of oils from your cat’s facial glands, which it then transfers to the things it rubs against. Other cats within the area can smell this oil and know to stay away. Head-butting Many cat owners consider the ever-popular head butting that cats do to be an action done out of impatience or jealousy. In all reality, though, it’s not usually either of those things. When a cat rams its head against your arm, side, leg, or any other body part, it’s a sign of friendship and trust. As mentioned, cats’ heads have oil glands and oil can be released by headbutting the same way that it can be by cheek rubbing. Cats with strong personalities, though, could sometimes use headbutting as a way to get attention. This is especially true if, the first time they do it, their human takes it as a clue for a good back scratch. Bringing you gifts. Toddlers are known for bringing their loving caregivers everything they find that they deem to be cool, exciting, or worthy of showing off. Did you know that cats do this, too? Much like human children, our feline children are prone to bringing us “gifts” - that is, offerings such as favorite toys, birds, and mice. Nice, right? Well, maybe not. But it does mean that your cat has fond feelings for you, so accept their gift with a smile and try not to be too upset upon receiving a slobbery ball of fur or feathers. Kneading. Your cat is kneading to show affection. As kittens, cats will knead their mother’s breast as well as litter mates in order to gain comfort. So, when your cat kneads you, it’s being taken back to a happy time and is very, very comfortable with you. If your cat’s nails are sharp, you can make kneading more bearable by trimming the nails or by placing a blanket or soft cloth on your leg before the kneading begins. Nibbling. One easy way to gauge how much your cat loves you is by its tendency to nibble. Does your cat nibble your fingers or hands when you touch their face? If so, your cat most likely loves you to bits! Keep in mind, though, that cats can bite but rest assured that you’ll know when your cat bites you out of aggression versus when it gives you a love nibble. If your cat nibbles or nips a little too hard while playing with you, it’s probably just an accident as the act of playing alone is a sign of love. Curling their tail. The way a cat feels can often be observed through what its tail is doing. Like humans who have facial expressions, cats express their emotions through the use of their tails. Cats who are scared will puff up and hold their tails stick-straight, while those who have curled the tips of their tails are showing their undying love and affection for you. In addition, cats who lazily swish their tails are comfortable around you and cats who wrap their tail around your arm or leg are head over heels in love. Exposing their tummy. All animals have an instinct to protect their tummy. This includes cats. So when your furry friend rolls over and shows you its tummy? That’s when you know you’re considered to be part of your cat’s family. Some cats might let you rub their tummy once they do this, but it’s important to know your cat because some cats still aren’t fond of tummy rubs even if they leave the area wide open. Following you. If every time you turn around, your cat is somewhere within reach, you’ve got a cat who enjoys following you. Many cats enjoy doing this, as their goal is stay near you because they love you. Cats who practice this behavior might follow you into the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, and even outside if you let them. Sleeping on Your Things Cats have a particular habit of sleeping on their beloved human companions whenever they see fit. Often, this is when their human is trying to do work on a laptop, read a book, or do something else that requires their attention and for them to sit still. Alternatively, your cat might choose to sleep on your bed with you. This is a sure sign of companionship.