4 signs your cat wants to show gratitude: how they say thank you in their own language

Have you ever thought about whether your cat is grateful to you for the abundance of kindness and love that you give it every day? Well, it definitely appreciates you a lot, you just might not understand the way it communicates it. We have collected the metacommunication signs that all indicate that your cat is extremely grateful to you.

Of course, understanding animals is not necessarily an easy task. We clearly have to tune in to understand our pets. Moreover, we have to learn the meaning of many ways of expressions in order to actually understand what the animal wants to tell us. Below, we have collected the most common signs and gestures. With these the cat wants to tell you that how grateful for you and the things you do.

1. Purring

Kitties often purr when they are satisfied and happy. If a cat receives attention or love from its owner, it will very often express its gratitude by purring. It is a manifestation of its love and satisfaction. Kittens learn to purr just a few days after birth, as this is how they signal to their mother that they are fine and healthy. It is likely that even in adulthood this purring can be linked to a close relationship and the expression of satisfaction or even happiness. So, if your cat often purrs on your lap, it is most definitely close to you and grateful to you.

2. Kneading on you

Kneading is also a type of behavior that shows that the cat is attached to the person. In this case, the animal places its front legs on some part of its owner’s body and makes kneading movements by pushing its two paws forward and back alternately. This behavioral mechanism also refers to satisfaction, attachment, and gratitude. The reason for this, like the previous one, can be derived from the behavior of the kittens, because the kittens knead the belly of the mother cat with their paws while breastfeeding to stimulate the milk production. This provides a positive experience, which turns into an expression of love as an adult.

3. Rubbing up against you

Rubbing is also a sign that your cat is grateful to you and very attached to you. There are many scent glands on the body of cats, which when they rub against their owners, leaving their scent on them. With this, they also express a kind of ownership, which is in some way an admission that they owe a lot to their owner.

4. Following you

Finally, one of the clearest signs of how much your cat cares about you is that it follows you almost everywhere. This is a big word for cats because they are independent creatures by nature. However, if your pet loves you very much, it will love to follow you almost everywhere. So, if your kitty is often following you, it means that it loves you very much and is grateful for your presence.