The bond between cats and owners is strong! They see us at our best and at our worst. But can cats sense sadness, and how does it affect them? Understanding the impact that your mood has on your cat can deepen your bond and help you to recognise how they're feeling too.

It's important to highlight that every cat is different, so yours may not react the same as others. But you can be sure that your furry friend is very perceptive. They will know when you're feeling off.

So, how are they able to track your mood? Are some emotional cues more effectively communicated to cats? And what do cats do to help you feel better? Let's get into it.

Do Cats Know When You're Sad?

Research shows that cats can sense the emotions of their humans. They may not understand sadness, but they do notice emotional cues and will often adjust their behaviour accordingly. This includes several behaviours. Let's explore those in more detail now.

Cat Spending More Time Around You

This doesn't mean that they're clingy, they're just more present. As well as being a way to show their affection towards you, this is also their way of reassuring you and being on hand if you need a cuddle or want to make a fuss of them. And they might be on to something, too, as a study by Washington State University found that stroking a cat or dog for just 10 minutes can help reduce cortisol and other stress hormones in humans.

Comforting You

Cats know that physical contact can help make you feel better. When you're feeling sad, your cat may try to comfort you through physical exchanges like head-butting, kneading, and sitting on your lap. They may also try to get you to engage in play by bringing you a toy or playing by attacking your feet.

Cat Avoiding You

If your mood is making your cat feel uncomfortable or stressed, they may stay away from you. They're not being mean, they're just protecting themselves. Your cat's behaviour should return to normal as you start to feel better, but if not, speak to your vet.

How Does My Cat Know I'm Feeling Sad?

Cats can sense human emotions in the same way they communicate with other animals. As an incredibly perceptive animal, your cat's understanding of your mood can depend on you exhibiting the following visuals and cues.

Auditory Cues

Tonal changes in your voice are an indication of how you're feeling. Soft tones are comforting to cats, whereas louder, sharper tones will often cause them to run and hide. Crying noises will be interpreted as distress, which they may respond to by comforting you or instead choose to hide away from.

Behaviour Changes

When your normal routine changes, your cat will notice. If you spend more time sleeping or lounging on the sofa, your feline friend is sure to join you for a comforting cuddle.

Additionally, most fantastic felines are receptive to and enjoy interacting with you physically. So, if you're not showing them as much attention as normal, they may ask for it by vocalising or through physical contact, like rubbing or head butting.

Your Facial Expressions Can Trigger Emotional Recognition in Cats

Research has shown that cats react in different ways based on a human's facial expressions. This suggests they can "read" how we're feeling in a similar way that humans can "read" each other. Your cat is more likely to come to you if you're smiling. If you avoid eye contact or are scowling, they're more likely to stay away.

How Do My Moods and Emotions Affect My Cat?

Your emotional state will have an impact on your cat, but how they'll respond varies from cat to cat. Some cats might find the change in their owner's emotional state distressing, so they'll become distant or hesitant. On the other hand, other cats will be even friendlier and try to cheer you up. Often, cats will mirror their owner's mood, so if you're stressed, it's likely your cat will feel stressed too.

When feeling low, we can lose focus and purpose, which can affect our normal routine and our cats, too. Cats love routine, so it'll have a negative impact on them if they're not getting their dinner on time, for example.

However, most cats recognise and engage with their owners more when you're giving off emotional signals of sadness, grief or loneliness. They seem to know when they're needed and will try to bring you comfort by sitting on your lap and purring. A cat will purr when it's content, but they also purr when stressed to comfort themselves. This is your cat's way of sending you positive vibes.

Understanding your cat's social skills and how they communicate will help you to define how they're feeling. Look at your cat's body language, behaviour and vocalisations. Any dramatic changes, like excessive vocalisation or hiding away when usually they're very social, should be discussed with your vet.

Are Cats Good Therapy Animals?

Cats are one of the most popular choices of therapy or emotional support animals. Grooming, cuddling and playing with your pet cat can distract you from your thoughts. This has been shown to release endorphins that make you feel good.

Humans have a basic need for contact and companionship, so a cat's touch can help alleviate sadness. Plus, the low-frequency vibrations from a cat's purr can have a calming effect, which has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and even blood pressure in humans.

Owning a pet also keeps you to a routine and gives you purpose, which we can lose when feeling low.

Cats Can Sense Human Moods and React Accordingly

Cats can recognise human emotions and will change their behaviour accordingly. When feeling sad, some cats will mirror how you're feeling and choose to stay away, but most will try to make you feel better.

Cat cuddles and purrs help to release endorphins that make you feel better. Looking after a cat can give you purpose, routine, and companionship.

The sadness you're feeling will pass, and your cat will be there to help you through sad times. But if you notice your mood having an adverse, long-lasting effect on your cat, it's best to speak to your vet.

Everypaw Cat Insurance

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.