Do Cats Have Emotions?

by Sarah Hartwell
View Biography

When the owner returns to a household, the cat can react in different ways to this trigger - look at it from the cat's point of view:

Fight or Flight Response
Do I run away?	No. Unless I am a very nervous cat or my owner has unusual scents about him or makes unusual sounds.
Do I fight?	No.

Food or Mate Response
Do I feed?	No, my owner is not a food item.
Do I mate with him/her?	No. I have been neutered and in any case, s/he doesn't smell like a suitable mate for me.

Learned responses
My surrogate parent/surrogate littermate has returned	I will greet enthusiastically with submissive actions (rolling on back) or play actions appropriate to my status as a kitten.
I am curious	I will investigate and greet him/her. Interpreted as "pleased to see me" by owner.
S/He is no threat, is not food and is not a mate.	No action is required so I shall do nothing. Interpreted as sulking/punishment by owner.

Affection

Cats show obvious pleasure in company of a familiar person, often a modified cat/kitten relationship. The presence of a companion/caregiver (surrogate parent) produces happiness (a basic emotion).. In the domestic setting, most cats adopt a kitten role, allowing us to groom them, play with them and provide food and warmth. By demonstrating their happiness (which we term "affection") they reinforce the cat-owner bond and ensure a continued supply of companionship and care.

Mother cats show affection towards their kittens. This is part of maternal care. Male cats have been known to show affection to their mates and towards their own kittens - this is similar to the behavior of lions towards their own cubs (but not towards unrelated cubs)..

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