Most people say cats are emotionless and they do not care about your emotions, like dogs do.It’s true that cats show less emotions than dogs. They act aloof and aren’t known to be people-pleasers, so owners often wonder if cats are able to detect when they are sad, angry, or happy.There’s limited research on this subject. But whatever has been done, it concludes that cats do know when their owners are sad. In one research, it was found that a cat changed its behavior when the owner’s facial expression changes. It behaved differently when the owner was frowning and smiling. But are there any concrete evidences? Unfortunately not because cats are not good test subjects. They are very hard to study by researchers. On top of that, they do not show overt reactions like dogs do. Find more information about how cats sense the emotions of others and how they react to those emotions.If you like reading this article, then also read do cats feel love and how much food should a kitten eat here on Kidadl.What do cats do when you’re sad?Cats aren’t overt in their reaction. Even when you call them affectionately after a long time, they don’t seem to be as excited as dogs. So what can you expect from a cat when you are down and feeling depressed? This would depend on how good your bond is with your pet cat. There was an experiment conducted by Oregon State University that studied a cat’s reaction to when their owners were around and when they were away. In this study, the cat owner was asked to vacate the room for two minutes and return back. The researchers found that cats that had a strong attachment with their owners paid more attention to them when they returned back to the room. Cats that had an insecure attachment showed signs of avoidance. This gives us a hint as to what to expect.When you’re sad and you have a strong attachment with your kitty, it may occasionally purr and crave attention and petting. It may even roll and rub around your legs. These are the common ways a cat shows its love for humans. Please note that cats can’t understand complex emotions. Since they didn’t evolve to be social creatures, they haven’t learned how to communicate emotions either. So if you have a strong bond, it will continue with its usual behavior of showering love. Cats that are not well-acquainted with their owners may not do anything at all and act puzzled.So why does a feline react so coldly? There’s a scientific explanation for that. When mammals feel loved or affectionate, they release a hormone called oxytocin. When pets get cuddles and are petted by their owners, their body releases this hormone. Studies have confirmed that a dog’s body produces five times as much oxytocin as a cat when they see their owners. Therefore, dogs respond so emotionally whereas cats act aloof. This does not mean that cats don’t care, it’s just that they can’t feel the love and emotions as much as dogs or humans do.How do cats know when you are sad?Cats know when you are sad just like you know when someone else is sad. It boils down to empathy. Most living creatures show some level of empathy, especially towards the members of their own species. Species that evolved as more social creatures show higher empathy than those who survived alone. Humans, being a highly social species, have greater empathy than others. That’s how we are able to know, or at least guess, if someone is sad, depressed, or happy. And we care about them too. The theory also explains why dogs are more responsive to our behavior and emotions than cats. Belonging to the canine family, dogs evolved as highly social creatures. Felidae family members, which cats belong to, are solitary creatures. Even in the wild, they do not live in groups. So their social interaction was limited.So how do cats know if someone is sad? They do read and react to our facial expressions. A study conducted by Oakland University in 2015 involving 12 cats along with their owners concluded that cats behave differently to different facial expressions. When the owners were told to smile at their feline pet, the cats purred and sat on their laps. But when the owners were asked to look angrily at their cats, the behavior of the cats changed and they became ambivalent and looked puzzled. These reactions indicated that cats do react to our moods. A cat may also sense sadness and know when you’re sad.There are other ways a cat may know that you’re sad. For example, if you stop giving them enough time or attention, it sends out a cue that something is not right. A change in voice or tone, change in behavior, and change in routine can all convey the same message. Depending on your attachment to them, they may sense your sadness or anger.People who believe in spiritual energy will tell you that cats can detect negative energy fields. Because sadness is a form of negative energy, cats will react to your sad behavior. People also claim that cats can sense a good person from a bad one. Again, there’s limited research and evidence for this. Cats might just be responding to different cues to form their judgment.But whatever a cat feels, it’s not what feelings mean to humans. The definition of sadness for cats might be completely different than what it is for humans. Since there’s limited research on this topic, a feline’s feelings and reactions are up for debate.Do cats comfort their owners?Many people turn to pets for their emotional needs. Animals can offer what humans, at times, can’t. This is unconditional love. We all know how dogs are able to comfort their human friends. They will do everything in their possibility to make us happy. But what about cats? Can they tune in to our mood and comfort us when we’re feeling down?Cats can comfort humans in their own ways. If they see you being depressed or sense sadness, they will start purring, pawing against your face or arms, and try to snuggle near you. Of course, cats aren’t knowledgeable enough to understand why you’re unhappy. They may not even know what to do. They will just go about doing what cats do.Licking is another way of comforting their owners. Cats will lick their kittens as a way to groom them and show affection. So if they see their owners in a sad mood, they will try to lick your hand or face. Cats are being used as service animals for PTSD patients and senior citizens. Called therapy cats, these felines are trained to provide mental support for people who need them the most. The purring sound, which ranges between 20-140 Hz, is known to relieve mental stress. It can also aid labored breathing, blood pressure issues, and heal infections. Since there’s been limited research, the US Department of Justice doesn’t recognize these benefits and considers them as service animals like dogs. But all in all, they can help you stay positive by comforting the cat’s way.Obviously, all of this depends on how good your bonding is with the cat. The more time they spend with you, the better.Do cats understand when you cry?As mentioned above, cats have the ability to recognize certain expressions like smiling and frowning. But new research done by the University of Tokyo sheds light on the fact that a cat can understand your voice and certain words. So when you’re calling your pet cat by name, it may seem like it can’t hear you. But they hear you clearly, they just don’t respond the same way a dog does. Research also stated that cats are quite sensitive to tone. If you speak in a loud, aggressive way, they may feel threatened. A soft and calm tone, on the other hand, is soothing for them. So they will cuddle or snuggle in response.It’s unclear if cats can understand what it means to cry. It’s an animal and animals don’t shed tears in sorrow as humans do. The cat, however, becomes attentive when it sees or hears its loved ones cry. There are numerous videos online of owners crying or imitating to cry and pet cats responding to it. At first, the cat gets curious and pays a great deal of attention as to what’s going on. They can at least understand the change in voice and tone. Then, they slowly come towards their owner and sense the situation.If there’s a good bond, they will start snuggling or licking the body to show love. So you can conclude that cats do react to their owner’s crying voice, but it is unclear whether they understand what it means to cry. At the end of the day, cats are animals and they interpret emotion and feelings in their own way. It’s better if you understand a cat signs and cues for love and affection. Then, develop a strong bond with the cat by interacting and playing with it. The more familiar it gets with the owner, the higher the chances that the cat will sense sadness and human emotion.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Do cats know when you are sad? Know your kitty emotions better, then why not take a look at Is a caterpillar an insect? Of course yes! cool moth facts for kids or Siamese cat facts?
Most people say cats are emotionless and they do not care about your emotions, like dogs do.
