Many cat owners call their furry joy a "friend" or even a "child". But what do cats think of this? Do they see us as parents or friends? And can a cat even think that a human is just a big, hairless and rather clumsy cat? We won't keep you waiting long for the answer, it's very likely that they do!
Cats treat people the same way they treat other cats
If you have two or more cats at home, you've probably noticed that their behaviour towards each other is not very different from their behaviour towards you. Cats spin together, lick each other, sit together, walk behind each other, poke each other with their heads, and bite, jump and scratch when they play, whether it's another cat or a human.
Editor's note: To take dog behavior for comparison, dog behavior towards other dogs and humans varies greatly. While a dog can lick a human just as much as a dog, and bark just as much at a dog as at a human or at a passing car, there is a noticeable difference in the behavior of a dog toward a dog and a dog toward a human.
Cat parents
And now a happy news for everyone who has a cat as their first, second, or simply a child. Cats not only treat us like any other cat, but their behavior is in many ways similar to that of a kitten and cat. It is the kittens who climb on the cat and massage her tummy with their paws to get more milk flowing. Similarly, many cats climb on their owners and "massage" them with their paws - cats, of course, do not expect milk to flow from their two-legged "cat" owners. But it is a behaviour associated with absolute trust and affection, which is just typical of a relationship between two bonded cats.
But one thing is different
While many cats live a solitary life in the wild and an encounter with another cat is more like a clash between two adversaries, in the home most cats are fully fixated on humans. Many owners don't even realise how much a cat's mental health can suffer if the cat is often home alone, or if the person doesn't give it as much attention as they used to (whether it's due to lack of time or changes in the household - such as a new family member).
At the end...
We are a big and important part of the cat's life, the cat loves us (yes, even biting and scratching while playing is still a sign of love, because this expression belongs to natural cat behaviour). Although a cat cannot show a certain humility and affection for someone who cares for it like a dog, for example, it can attach to its master like a parent. And just like human children - it can be a sweetheart at times, and sometimes mischievous.
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