Does my Cat Love me or just Want Food? (The Truth)

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Welcome Crazy Cat People

So you have heard that cats only come to humans for food and your asking ”Does my cat love me or just want food?. In this post, I answer your question and look at the truth about cats and how they love us just as much as we love them.

Cats love humans and show love to humans in different ways. Cats are hunters and can easily hunt for their own food when they go outdoors but still come home for love and cuddles, many outdoor cats bring their prey home to share with their owners to return the favour.

Below we will examine in detail how our feline friends show us love and how our cats don’t really need us for food and ill share some of my own stories about my little kitty cat’s and let you make your own mind up about cats and if they truly love there owners.

Read on to find out more.

So does my cat just want me for food?

So for a long time, people have spread rumours about cats being animals that only come to you when they want something and when they want to feed.

Well of course cats will come to their owners when they want food, the one thing we all have in common in this world is the need to eat and the need for survival.

If you have indoor cats then they can’t hunt for their own food so they must rely on us humans to provide for them but that isn’t their choice.

I’m sure if they could open the tin of cat food themselves and pick which flavour they want then I am sure they would.

I think that this rumour started due to cats being very independent animals, their personalities vary so much from cat to cat.

Some cats are very loving, some cats are more aloof and don’t want to be stroked all day.

When you have spent a lot of time around cats you get to know the individual personalities that make them unique.

In my experience cats give back what they get, I have spoiled my two little cats with so much love since they came into my life and I taught them to be affectionate.

They come to me for love when they want food and also when they just need a little bit of affection and a reminder that they are wanted and valued.

My little boy Lenny is a big lover of food and he is very affectionate with me, when he wants to feed he comes and sits next to me, he rubs himself up against me, he gives me little headbutts and I don’t feel that he only does this to receive food but to thank me in advance, which is kind of cute.

Yes, I am a big boy and yes I love food but so does my Daddy.

My little girl, on the other hand, is always around me and follows me everywhere, sometimes I put food out for her and she turns her nose up and she won’t go to eat her food until I have given her morning cuddles and love.

So this tells me that she values strokes, kisses, and affection more than food, although if I get the dreamy treats out then it is a different story 🙂

Cats love those treats.

There have also been studies that show that cats, like children and dogs, develop attachments to their caregivers -the study is here to read for those that are interested.

How cats show love to humans

  • Eye contact – cats often stair at the ones they love
  • Slow blinks which some call a Kitty Kiss
  • Purring shows that your cat is content and happy
  • Rubbing against you with their face or their body
  • Playful gentle cat bites and nibbles
  • Bringing prey back for their owners to return the favor
  • Meowing – Meows can often be a way to greet their owners.
  • Headbutts – little nudges to let us know they care.

Cats show love in so many ways, we just have to know what to look for. How many of the behaviours listed above does your cat do?

I guess your Kitty loves you as much as you love them. 🙂

Take a look at my blog post that outlines 13 ways we can build trust in a cat this will help if you have adopted a new cat and it’s taking time to gain trust which can sometimes happen depending on the cat’s history.

Cats are independent and can get their own food

I think it’s a well-known fact that cats are very independent animals.

They love to spend time alone, they are natural hunters and they love to chase and hunt their own prey which is why if we have indoor cats play is important and two cats living together will often chase each other and hunt anything that comes into their territory, including house flys.

Cats that go outdoors will hunt birds and any small animals for food and once they have been out hunting all day will still come back for cuddles, affection, and love and often bring us back presents.

Dead mice, rats and other small animals on your carpet or bed are not pleasant but your cat is showing you that they are grateful for the times that you feed them.

If a cat can feed itself why would it even bother to live with us humans?

Because they enjoy our company just as much as we love their company.

Just like humans some cats are more affectionate

A friend of mine always used to say cats are like humans they only come to you when they want something.

Not exactly true!

Some cats are more affectionate but so are some humans, just think of how the humans you know vary in personality and how very different they are to each other.

We get lazy humans, we get moody humans, we get humans that are needy and more vocal than others. Cats are more like us than we often realize. Some cats will just want food and love now and again and some cats will be very vocal and ultra needy all the time.

Conclusion – Does my cat love me or just want food?

I think this post should have answered your question, studies prove cats develop attachments to humans, they show love and affection to us and if you have a close bond with a cat they will often feel your emotions and they know when you are upset and will come to comfort you.

We also know that they can hunt for themselves easily and could easily feed themselves if given the chance but instead, they choose to share their life with you instead and what better animal to share our lives with than a cute chirpy loving cat!

Of course, I love you, you silly human.

As always take care of yourself and your little fur babies

Mark (The Crazy Cat Man)

Mark

Mark loves Cats, he is the Daddy to two little cats who you will see throughout his blog. He has a passion for Cat care and enjoys everything cat-related. You could call him the crazy cat man.

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