Animation Source Forums

It is a commnoly said thing that dogs are far more loving than cats. I think that this is the reason why in many films, the cats are always portrayed as the bad guys, and the dogs the good guys, for example "Cats & Dogs." This annoys me a little, and one of the reasons whyI am writing this article.

But of course it is hard to argue against, when you see a dog bound up to greet you, barking, tail wagging, toungue lolling , pawing your trousers, literally squirming and wriggling with delight, treating you like the best thing since sliced bread. And every day, they greet you with the same enthusiasm, the same unconditional love. It is enough to put a smile on the face of the grumpiest of sods!

Whereas cats, have always been thought of as aloof, independent, and not in need of company except on their own terms. They seem to live by their own set of rules, treat themselves like gods - It is no wonder that they were worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians.

Yet, after living with my own adorable cat Crumble who we rescued from a shelter 11 years ago, i beg to differ. Cats, too, in my opinion, are capable of showing deep affection, but in far more subtle ways.

Love of a Cat

Cats raised by people from an early age either think they are almost human, or that the human is almost a cat.

In fact, throughout a cat-person bond, the two may switch roles without realizing it. On occasion, a cat will bring home a dead or half-dead animal as a token of her love and respect (a touching, if gruesome, method of confirming the bond).

Bringing home "love offerings" of this type is a sign of attachment and belonging. There are others that require less clean up. When the bond is strong, a cat will:


Tend to follow you around. She may not follow immediately, but after a moment or two she might casually saunter into the room where you're sitting (as if she's trying to play the whole thing down). Your cat may jump in your lap or may just find a chair nearby. Either way, she prefers to spend time with you.


Become slightly depressed when you leave, and greet you enthusiastically upon your return. She may learn to recognize the sound of your car pulling up and run to the door, expecting your presence.


Send subtle cat signals of affection to you throughout the day. These often take the form of classic "cat kisses" – staring at you adoringly, then squinting or slowly closing her eyes.


Send not-so-subtle signals, such as rubbing her head upon you (marking you with her scent), and of course, purring.


Lying on her back, with her stomach exposed. This is a sign of trust, because your cat is now in a vulnerable position. Many owners mistakenly think this is a request for a belly rub. It usually isn't.

Also, when a cat tail vibrates when they rub up againt you, it is a sign of extreme pleasure and affection.
Licking, or "cleaning" your hand is also a sign of affection and bonding - like a mother would do to her kittens - or maybe your hand just tasts nice....

This is a cat's affection at its most intense. They can't hold your hand, and they are not given to jumping up and kissing you. There's no difficulty to describe this sort of relationship as love.

THios is a wonderful topic.

I think it does make sense. my mom and dad hates cats because of the whole affection thing.

i could try that. it would be cool.

Of course cats can be affectionate. I love my cat. She probably shows more affection to me than my dog does.

I love it when she greets me at the door and sleeps with me.

Nice topic. ^^

My cats do almost all of the affection signs, my 7 year old female cat always rubs her head against me when I sit down on the couch, and she jumps in your lap as soon as you sit down. She also kills chipmunks and leaves them on our porch. Our 3-4 year old male cat LOVES my mom, he's her cat, and the female is mine.

I have a kitten and a puppy and they are amazing friends xD

Great topic, R_R!!

i hate it when cats are meant to be the 'baddies' in movies it seems to happen alot.
i used to have 4 cats but they all passed away, not at the same time but they never were very road wise.
i really miss them, they were very loving and always wanted to play but it creeped me out when they brought home dead animals lol

I love cats alot more than dogs. My cat will follow me around and wait for me when I am not home. She'll "Cry" for my love and attention. Cats are affectionate if you treat them correctly.
My mom told me, " If a cat likes you that means you are a good person."

I don't have any cats, but I know they can be. I stayed at my friends house once and I woke up with all of them on me.

Baaaw cx I just wish some people on here would see cats the way you do.

I own a gorgeous little black cat. She so precious to me, without her I really don't know what I'd do. I find it annoying how people think cats aren't as clever as dogs. Cat are very intelligent animals (if the peticular thing you want them to do has something in it for them xD.)

For example, my cat Chloe comes up to my room mostly every morning (usually around 7:00-7:15am) and scrathes at my mat to wake me up for school cx I find it very intresting how she gets there around that time every morning (:

Also, there used to be this cat (who was actually owned by our neighbours x3) who was the most soppy, affectionate creature I think I've ever met. Once when I was upset, she meowed at me, and put her little paw on my leg. I'll never forget that cat :') She made all my problems just dissapear that day.

So personally, I adore cats. <33

Was waiting for somthing like this to show xDD

My cat, Ginger, does most of the things you described, and she knows the some commands my dogs know (Takes alot of hard work >.<)

I love my cat, and both of my dogs equally (but all in all, I'm a dog person xD)

Yes! My cat, Nino(whom came mainly to me when he came up to us as a stray) exhibits a lot of these, especially following me, rolling onto his back and showing his stomach, and sitting on my lap and purring.

He comes mainly to me, not my mom, so I have a feeling this is a sign of real love from him towards me. For some reason, he also seems to like my bed more than my mom's(maybe it's because it has my scent).

I've never understood why cats are seen as the "bad guys" in cat/dog movies. :[

My little girl has to live at my parents house because I couldn't bring her with me when I moved out, but when I go down to visit she's at the door when I open it and literally jumps into my arms meowing and purring.

Ehhh... I'm not really much of a cat person anymore. My cat's a nightmare.. he's so clingy and greedy and is always begging for attention and food. And he scoffs his food up all at once, which results in him throwing up. It's gross. His constant meowing is becoming incredibly annoying, and he's such a lazy useless lump xD I mean, I love him and all.. but god he's a pest.

Plus my boyfriend's cat hates me. She hates everyone. All she does is growl and hiss and look all paranoid. That kind of put me off cats even more. She really pisses me off sometimes, it's not nice going into your boyfriend's flat and being hated by his cat, just because I 'stole' him from her. She annoys everyone else too.

I'm much much MUCH more of a dog person. They're so loyal to you, and will protect you with their life. Cats are cute and all, but all I've ever had are cats, and I'm sick of them. I need a dog in my life. I've never owned one, and it breaks my heart. But luckily my boyfriend promised me a German Shepherd later on in life, and he never breaks his promises. So it's all good <3