If you have ever had your cat suddenly appear and settle into your lap on a tough day, you probably wondered about that. Was it a coincidence? Just good timing?
Turns out, it likely was not a coincidence at all.
Cats have long had a reputation for being independent, even a little indifferent. But a 2020 study found something that will not surprise anyone who has shared a home with one. According to the study, cats can actually tell human emotions, even when you do not show your emotions to them directly. They distinguish feelings like happiness from anger, and they do it using a combination of visual and vocal cues.
Here is how they pick up on you. When you are sad, your cat hears the softness in your voice. When you are stressed, it notices that your posture stiffens up. And here is the part that might surprise you: cats can actually smell shifts in cortisol, the stress hormone, through your sweat and breath.
Some cats go a step further. They mirror what they sense. A cat may curl up beside you and purr when you are feeling low. When the mood in the house lifts, that same cat might turn playful and full of energy.
Of course, every cat is different. Social cats and certain breeds, Ragdolls and Siamese especially, tend to be particularly tuned in. Shier cats feel it too. They just show it in quieter, more subtle ways.
So the next time your cat makes its way over to you for no obvious reason, there is probably a reason. It has been watching, listening, and reading the room all along.
