Experts have weighed in on this common sign of affection.
Humans like to show affection to their kitties. (Photo: Poprotskiy Alexey/Shutterstock)
How do you tell your cat how much you love her? If you do it with kisses, have you ever wondered how much your kitty likes them?
Franny Syufy, the cat expert on About.com, ran an informal poll for on her Facebook page and found that the vast majority of her readers kiss their cats regularly, but most were unsure if their cats enjoyed the attention or not.
It should come as no surprise that cats can be fickle about when, where and what type of affection they care to receive. While some cats seem to like and lean into human kisses, others very clearly do not. Chances are, you already know which side your cat falls on.
A cat’s like or dislike for affection may even change from day to day (or hour to hour,) depending on its mood. The same cat that loves affection in the morning may swat or hiss at such attention later in the evening. They sure can be moody critters, but learning to speak their language can go a long way toward understanding them.
When a cat gives you the slow blink, it’s her way of saying ‘I love you.’ (Photo: Tomatito/Shutterstock)
For starters, kitty kisses are much different from the kind we dole out as human beings. Have you ever noticed that when your cat is relaxed and happy, he closes his eyes softly while looking at you? No, he’s not sleeping. He’s actually sending you the kitty version of a kiss! Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy explains that when cats slowly blink, “they’re letting you know that they are vulnerable to you.” Now that’s love.
Again, you should know your own cat’s particular signs to understand what they mean. As cat behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett explains, “Narrowed eyes with ears at half-mast are certainly not displaying love and affection at that moment.”
In other words, there is a big difference between this reaction:
This is not a happy cat. (Photo: Stefan Petru Andronache/Shutterstock)
And this:
This cat is just oozing with love and affection. (Photo: Verkhovynets Taras/Shutterstock)
In addition to kisses, there are some other ways that you can tell your cat you love her. This video from Galaxy of “My Cat from Hell” fame was created as a funny diversion for Valentine’s day, but his tips are relevant all year-round:
