Cats are brilliant creatures and independent in their behavior. It is one of the major reasons why many cat owners think that cats are not highly attached to their owners. But try leaving them alone in the house and find it out yourself. Do cats miss you when you are away? Do they feel sad when you leave them in solace? Have you noticed any anxiety symptoms in your cats when you leave them abandoned at the house?
These are a few questions that may make you curious and find out the real answers. Do they really love their owners and hate the idea of being left alone at home? Do they hate it when you step out for work?
Yes, cats do miss their owners and may become fond of them sharing the same vicinities for long. Cats are not very expressive in their attitude, and thus you may fail to understand their emotions at times. But they do build strong relationships with their owners.
Being a cat parent to a cute little cat, “Katie,” I can say that she surely misses me when I am out for work. Another thing to note is that cats do not like changes. If I spend an hour or two playing with her and suddenly remember going to the market to get some cat food or any other staples, she hates it like hell. Seeing me walk away makes her feel abandoned, and she shows off sudden changes in her behavior.
However, every cat’s code of conduct and behavior varies depending on the bond she shares and the environment she lives in. So here is a quick guide wherein you will get to know about the various attributes of cats and their feelings in concern with their owners.
Do cats get sad when you leave home for a vacation trip?
Do your cats miss you in the same way as you miss them? Having felines at home and leaving for a vacation can be a bittersweet task. While you may be filled with excitement to relax and enjoy your tour building lifetime memories, it may be a painful act to part with your cute little furry friends. You may feel the missing factor when you are out for a vacation, and the worst part is that you cannot even call them and talk to them while you are out.
Whenever I go out for a vacation, though, I cannot talk to my kitty, but I always try to stay connected with her by asking the caretaker to send me her pictures and maybe a video call sometimes.
Do cats miss you just like dogs do?
We know that dogs are very affectionate creatures and miss its owner whenever they go out. May it is for work or a vacation, you may always find your dog waiting for you to return, or wagging its tail as a token of welcome.
But do your cats miss you in the same way as dogs do? This mystery is a bit hard to decipher. Many times, you may be out for a week or two, and you may not find them waiting eagerly for you, nor you may see any signs of longingness to meet you after a long break.
You may even pick your feline friend up to have a cuddle session, but suddenly, you find she jumps off your lap in some time and run away from you. So, what does it mean? Are they least bothered about your presence? Don’t they miss you when you are away from them? Or is it a way to show their anger on you for leaving them unattended for so many days?
One can assume that such behavior is a combo of both aspects. Cats do not miss their owners in the same ways as dogs do due to the lack of attachment factors. The felines do not get attached to their human parents in the same manner as dogs, and thus such a difference is obvious. But some studies reveal that cats may find it annoying when you leave them in the hands of others resulting in aggressive behavior.
Though you may not be able to witness some strong signs when you return after a trip, your cats may have missed you while you were not there with them. Researches reveal that if you happen to find your cats purring themselves and show you some stretches, then it’s probably an indicator that they have missed you. These signs only state that they are happy to find you home again.
On the other hand, a few cats may incur higher levels of stress and explicit agitated behavior when their owners return back home. It is another sign that may not be relatable to emotional expressions, but the irritation and agitation may result in the missing factor.
One needs to realize that all cats are not the same and may display different behavior when they happen to find you back at home. A lot of these expressions and emotions depend on the way you treat your cats and your cat’s personality.
Here is the table that explains the cat’s emotion in a different scenario.
Cat’s reaction |
What do they mean? |
| Kneading | The cat kneads in front of you to show affection. Especially when you are playing with any other pet. |
| Following you | This means they are highly secured about you. This is common even with pet parents who are back from the office. |
| Watching you sleep | They are a little depressed because they have not seen you in long. |
| Always standing in front of your room | When cats understand that you are sick or ill |
| Meowing all the time | Seeking your attention or wants you to play with him |
Do cats enjoy being alone while you are out?
Cats are playful little creatures, and they can enjoy their own company. It may make you feel that it will hardly make a difference to them if you step out of the home. Isn’t it? Most of the cat parents have the same thoughts in mind and perceive that your cats are least bothered and hardly tend to notice you when you are out for work.
Do cats become sad when their owners die?
Do cats mourn the loss of their owner? Many will say that cats hardly care for their owners and may not miss them when they die. But this is not true in the case of every cat on earth. Cats may also experience the grief factor at the sudden loss of its owner, but their reactions may be different and may vary depending on cats to cats.
Some cats may withdraw themselves, whereas some may be fine. On the other hand, there may be a few who continuously stay close to their owner’s belonging, rubbing them against themselves. A few cat owners report that their felines keep rubbing against the chairs or any other item used by the deceased person.
Sometimes if the person with whom the cats are emotionally attached dies, cats may experience stress and may also pee on their beds. Cats are supposed to be very particular about cleanliness and have proper litter box training, but such things occur as a result of stress and grief. A few felines may start adjusting with the loss and try to attach with the other owners of the house to find love and affection. Gradually all the cuddle sessions and love are transferred to the new humans.
Do cats feel separation anxiety?
Yes, just like dogs, cats also face depression anxiety. It can be really challenging to handle a depressed dog as they can create a big fuss and are noisier and uncontrollable. One may not face the same things being a cat parent, but yes felines also feel depressed and lonely.
The felines are not as destructive and uncontrollable as dogs. Sometimes the anxiety symptoms are so vague that you hardly tend to notice. Only in severe cases, the cat owners can find out that there is something wrong with their furry pals. Cats are loners and can keep busy all by themselves is a thought that prevails in the minds of many cat owners. But this is not true; they are high attention seekers and require ample attention, playtime, and love. These things are vital for them to stay happy and healthy. Lack of love from their owners can make them feel sad about the same and may make them prone to accruing depression anxiety.
How to treat cats with anxiety symptoms?
Your kitties may be suffering from anxiety symptoms; once you trace it out, you should take them to a vet who will further recommendations for treatment. The treatment may include modification in the behavior of cats as well as keeping them on drugs. Usually, if the case is not very severe, behavior modification is opted rather than medications and drugs. Practicing cat behavior modification techniques can help in hiking the stimulation aspect of your cats and also gives them relief from stress. Pet behavior experts and vets can help your pets to come out of such an anxiety condition.
Do cats feel sad when you send them to a new home?
Rehoming kitties is another act of separation between the cat parents and their cats. It can be really difficult to part ways after all the emotional attachment and bond that the two of you may have shared all these years.
But sometimes a scenario may arise, forcing a cat owner to rehome their cats. There may be ample reasons for the same, may it be a transfer order, a shift to a new country, and a lot more, such reasons are enough to build barriers between you and your furry friends. In such a case, all you can do is to leave them in the hands of your well-wishers. But what happens when your cats get a new home? Do they miss you once you have left them with a new cat parent? Do they show some changes in their behavior? Do they cry for you?
Getting a new home to live in might bring in a few changes in the behavioral aspects of the cats. It is said that these cats do miss their old companions and may consume enough amount of time to gel with the new owners. They will sooner or later adapt to their new surroundings, but it may consume a reasonable amount of time. Initially, rehomed cats may experience depression and loneliness and may also attempt to get back to their old home.
Rehoming may not be that easy and takes time to get acquainted with the new environment. Such an act brings a change in the life of the cats and may make them behave unusually.
Do cats try to sneak out to reach their former parent?
Yes, the cats may attempt to return back to their former home. But such an act depends on a variety of factors such as the bond shared between the former parent and cats, the rehoming environment, the comfortability that the cat experiences at their new home, etc. Apart from these, there may be times that a cat may miss their former owner badly and wish of smelling and snuggling with them. All these reasons are enough for cats to attempt a jump and cross the boundaries of their new home to reach their former territory.
Sometimes it’s not necessary that the cats miss their owners, but their place of residence. These felines are very intelligent, and they tend to develop a liking towards their hideout places, hunting grounds, favorite parts of the house, neighborhood, etc. very soon. So, if you see a cat cross the bounds of its new home, the chances are that it is either missing its owner or its place of former dwelling.
Do cats cry?
Yes, cats do cry when they feel grieved or are upset. Even you can find their eyes getting watery in such a case. Like humans, cats also have emotions and may cry at times to show their feeling of sadness when they are away from their owners. You may find them whining and whimpering when they are upset or anxious. Another thing to note is that cats are attention seekers, and if you are not paying much attention to them, then their cry might be like an alarm signal for you to understand to pay attention to them.
Conclusion
Cats are very sharp at mind and do remember their owners, but when you talk about missing their owners when they are put or have left them to a new home, it’s not easy to categorize their behavior. Each cat may behave differently and may show different signs. So, yes, cats do miss their owners and feel sad and anxious, but again it all depends on their behavior and bond shared with their owners.
