Do your cats tune into your moods?
By Loverbear
@Loverbear (4918)
United States
April 22, 2010 3:27pm CST
I haven't been too happy lately after being served with papers for a small claims law suit. As some of you have read I borrowed a embroidery sewing machine from my elderly neighbor and she decided that the machine I returned wasn't hers. (It was HONEST!) So after a horrible confrontation on her part where she scared the daylights out of me and hit my boyfriend for trying to say something, they filed a small claim suit for between $3000 - $4000 for a $300 sewing machine. (I've given up trying to figure out her thinking, I'm just busily gathering up evidence in my behalf.)
Anyhow, as I am writing this I am surrounded by three cats (Willy, Khuay and Dinglebeary) and three dogs. They have totally tuned into my frame of mind and are trying everything to brighten my frame of mind. What tickles me most is Willy. He and his brother Khuay were adopted in July of 2008. Khuay was the "cute" one and the kitten that the grand daughters showered all the attention on. I saw poor Willy sitting watching with a sad kitty face. I started keeping him with me and showering him with tons of love and attention. Now, he is my constant companion and stays right beside me when I work on the computer. He is reacting the most to my worry and depression. It never fails, three or four times a day he reaches out with his paws and grabs my right hand. He then flips over on his back with a hopeful look on his face (I'm a total sucker for THAT look). It's the "rub my tummy" look and I will drop everything and rub his tummy. Then when the house is quiet and we're in bed he will snuggle up to my left side and I feel those paws gently reach around my left hand and there is the little tug, it's tummy rubbing time again. I usually fall asleep with my left hand on Willy's tummy, and in the morning I wake up in the same position.
Do your animals tune into your moods? If you're sad or depressed do they try to get you out of the mood?
4 people like this
9 responses
@ElicBxn (63233)
• United States
22 Apr 10
Not as much as Briar Rose did for Maggiepie.
She'd love on her and do things to try and make her stop crying when she was crying.
One time she failed and turned around and growled at me - after all, I must be making her cry if she won't stop when Briar was loving on her.
Needless to say, we both laughed!
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
22 Apr 10
I am loving animals more and more! I have always been an animal lover, but I am discovering that I can trust my animals more than most humans.
Thank you for the great laugh! I can see the whole episode with Briar in my mind. It is so sweet and so funny! 
If I am crying the cats will bring me every toy they have to help me feel better. When I had to go through physical therapy in my home, the cats would all take strategic positions so that if the therapist hurt me they could attack. It wasn't until the last day that they got friendly with the therapist. What was so sweet was each of the cats would come up and check on me after the therapy and make sure that I was okay.
If I am crying the cats will bring me every toy they have to help me feel better. When I had to go through physical therapy in my home, the cats would all take strategic positions so that if the therapist hurt me they could attack. It wasn't until the last day that they got friendly with the therapist. What was so sweet was each of the cats would come up and check on me after the therapy and make sure that I was okay.1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63233)
• United States
22 Apr 10
My cats are all in it for themselves, they will come love on me because they know I'll pet them. I go to bed and I have Ping, Pong, Taj, Scamp and often, Gizmo, Timus, and Gabby all trying to be in pet range - and then there is the addition of Booboo, Tuti, Oliver and Tony often too!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Apr 10
I've been reading your discussions about the sewing machine disaster and didn't quite know how to respond since it's such a muddle, to put it mildly
Well as you know I suffered the loss of my Pyewacket out of the blue and very sudden. My emotions have been seesawing so much you'd think I was bipolar or something. But yes, my other kitty Kissy most definitely has been picking up my moods. When I settle into bed, instead of settling at the foot of my bed, which is where she always be (while Pye would be right by my side)---now she's taken over "his" spot and will snuggle right up close to me. As I write this now, she's laying on the floor right next to my chair...something she didn't do before. It's like she most definitely is trying to cheer me up during this time
@piya84 (2581)
• India
23 Apr 10
Hiii Loverbear
you sound like a great cat lover.Cats are great animal and they do understand human emotions.When i was going through break up few years ago my cat and dog were the creatures who showered unconditioned love on me.Because of them i was able to get out that situation early and start my life newly once again.
@kaylachan (57379)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Apr 10
When I was younger I used to have nearly daily emotional breakdowns to the point I was a wreack. Tears the works, just the whole nine yards. I had a cat named E.T. who used to spend a lot of her time with me and loved spending her free time on my bed. I was about seven when she started doing this. It took a while, but when I would have an emotional breakdown for what ever reason, E.T. would start purring, and if I was positioned right, she would put her paw to my eye and try to dry the tears.
She passed away when I was fifteen. About a month later, my mom got me a kitten I named Precious. I at first rejected him, but grew to love him. He usually can tell more then just what mood I'm in and will do his best to cheer me up. Usually by attaching himself to me and purring, trying to get my mind off the situation. Right now he's on the couch at my feet.
@mylila (104)
• Malaysia
24 Apr 10
Aww.. that is so nice of Willy to do that. Well all my life I have had more than 5 cats. And all of my cats are very well tuned into my moods. Mostly when I cry. They just can't hear the sniff sounds, and they will come to me and start to rub their face againts my cheeks. One of my cats, KayKay would lick my tears and gave me the softest, friendliest meows..I felt that she could understand my feelings at that time. Too bad KayKay is now gone I miss her dearly.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Willy is my favorite. I try hard not to have favorites in among the herd, but Willy stole my heart. He isn't a beautiful cat, like Khuay (the cat in my avatar) but his beauty comes from within. He is rather stocky and has bags under his eyes. He is built like a hot rod with the big tires in the back and the little ones up front. I'm fairly sure that if I hadn't adopted the two (Khuay and Willy) Willy wouldn't have gotten a home.
He not only is my constant companion, but when I leave the house he waits beside the door on the back of the couch. As soon as I come in the door a paw reaches out and grabs my sleeve and pulls me to look at him and give him some love. He also does that when it's feeding time. He perches on the cat food container and reaches out with his paw and grabs your arm, then he gives you a pleading look like "I'm starving, don't you love me???" It always gets him some cat food.
Gee, I could talk forever about my critters. I've got four inside cats, three dogs (2 mini Dachshunds and a pit/lab mix) and another four outside cats (Ralphie, Harlo, Indy, and Jonesy.) So I don't have to go far for a purr, kiss, rub, or bark.
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Neat. Absolutely. Cats have a way, I have learned to tune into our moods. If I am angry, they look at me and then, off they go under the bed. When they know that I am not feeling well, they tend to forget everything else and cuddle up next to me in the bed. They are very forgiving and they like to do everything they can to make you feel better.
When my mother lay in her home hospice bed during her final days, the cats would stay in her room night and day. They would either lay on the floor next to her or on the love seat that I put into her bedroom so that I could sit with her as well.
Cats are very intuitive and they know when something is not right. They do not tune out their surroundings. They play to their surroundings and they are very intelligent creatures.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
22 Apr 10
I think at 5 months my puppies only tuned into, playtime and mealtime..
Maybe when they grow older I will see, though they do know when I am angry and they kind of slouch away, sometimes into their kennel...Then I feel bad, especially when I am not angry at them and I have to reassure them that it's ok..
Maybe when they grow older I will see, though they do know when I am angry and they kind of slouch away, sometimes into their kennel...Then I feel bad, especially when I am not angry at them and I have to reassure them that it's ok.. 
