Do cats know their owners?

Many people have this notion that cats are opportunistic animals…that these pets would only follow people that provide them with a regular supply of food. Non-cat lovers believe that cats would not care what happened to their caretakers precisely because these animals do not know their owners. These theories can’t be farther from the truth. Cats surely know their owners. Cats may not show it but these pets love their owners deeply.

The independent personality cats have is oftentimes the reason why association with humans is believed to be the cats’ strategy to survive. People that have never owned cats have this mistaken notion that cats don’t even know their owners. Cats only stay with humans as the caretaker is viewed as a meal ticket especially when hunting is nil. People may have a reason for believing so. Let’s face it. Cats indeed, are not big on showing affection to their owners. There are even instances when the cat would not only ignore the calling of the owner…cats would even feign indifference. Cats would not grovel for attention and affection. Unlike dogs, cats would not follow the owner around with the tongue hanging to wait patiently for a pat on the head. When it comes to bonding with humans, cats are simply different from dogs. Cats are not frivolous creatures…they do not give their love lightly. But when they do the recipient of the love would know that they are loved deeply.

Cat owners would assert that their pets know them. This fact was proven in many occasions. Cats do not really have very many distinct marks. A cat that was lost for quite a while and was reunited with the owners may not be recognized by the owners at once. However, cats would readily show signs of recognition especially if the animal has closely bonded with the owners. At the sight of the owner, the cat would purr and immediately jump into the owner’s lap or rub its body against the owner’s legs. Cats have shown signs of missing their owners. We have heard many stories about pet cats that would persistently wait or look for the owner that has died. Cats don’t usually vocalize but pets that are missing their owners would incessantly cry and go from room to room trying to find its favourite person. These situations would not be possible if the pet does not know their humans friends.

So how do cats know their owners? Cats are very perceptive animals with keen senses. Cats use these senses to identify the objects, the animals and the humans around their environment. Cats have superior sense of smell. Aside from the ultrasensitive nose, cats have an additional organ at the roof of their mouths – the Jacobson’s organ. These scenting organs are used to identify their human friends. Ever noticed a cat rubbing its head or body against the owner’s arms or legs? The cat is actually marking the human using their distinct smell that is secreted by the glands on the cat’s cheeks and paws. This scent will be used to identify the owner even in the dark. Moreover, cats can see well in low lights. The silhouette of the owner can be easily identified. Of course cats have very sharp hearing abilities. A cat would get familiar with the voice of the owner that it hears every day. Even if parted from the owner for quite a while, cats would easily know the owner simply by hearing its voice.

Cats may behave differently from other pets but this behavior is a part of the cat’s allure. Being solitary animals, cats have the tendency to show indifference but owners are certain of one fact…that the pet knows them and that their affection for the pet is fully reciprocated.