Cats have a reputation for being loners who don't have much use for people except as sources of food. But any cat owner knows better. Cats do have an independent streak, which is part of their charm, but they also form deep bonds with their humans and don't neglect to show it.
There are all sorts of ways cats demonstrate their love for their humans, some obvious and literally in-your-face, others more subtle. It varies from cat to cat but the list includes: purring, rubbing against you, head-butting, kneading, licking, curling up next to you, curling up on you, always wanting to be in the same room, meowing at you, staring at you, and more.
One cat in Sweden insists on a lengthy goodbye ritual when his human dad Fredrik gets ready to leave in the morning. Ville -- the name is a Swedish variant of William -- is an orange tabby with white belly and paws, and a lavish plume of a tail. The ritual begins with Fredrik approaching Ville, who's sitting on the kitchen counter. When he gets close, the cat stands up and starts kneading his chest. This leads to mutual head-butting and rubbing, and plenty of kitty kisses. There's even some hand-licking thrown in. Fredrik leans back a little and Ville, who isn't done with the loving, reaches out to paw his chest and "drag" him back. Of course, being a cat Ville has to take a break to wash his own face and scent mark some of the objects on the counter with the side of his head. But soon it's back to more chest-kneading and kisses.
We've posted video of this cat's charming goodbye ritual. You kind of get the idea he'd like it if dad stayed home, don't you?
