Stray Cat Came To Comfort Someone That Was Crying In Public Proving That Cats Don't Lack Empathy

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elina lee
Jul 14, 2022 12:00 PM EDT

As cat people, we, unfortunately, have to hear a lot of cat slander. Whether it's the classic 'cats are mean' or the constant comparison to dogs. People will say dogs are more empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and cuddly. But that's just simply not true! We can almost say for sure that cat haters have never owned a cat nor had any 1/1 experiences with them. Or if they did, they weren't positive (obviously). 

Listen, don't get us wrong, there are many cats out there that are more reserved and maybe even unapproachable. But what we have to remember is that they weren't born like that, they were born into a life that required them to become like that. Whether they were abandoned on the streets or abused in a home, most of the time, a cat's negative attitude towards humans was caused by the human hand. Regardless though, we should never categorize all cats as mean and uncompassionate, because they're the complete opposite and we have just the Reddit thread to prove it. 

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  • 01
    Comfort
    via u/sm0ltrich
  • 02
    Font - 35 Posted by u/sm0ltrich 13 hours ago Crying on a public bench and this angel comes to rescue S
    via u/sm0ltrich
  • 03
    Font - smOltrich OP 12 hr. ago edited 1 hr. ago He just started purring and rubbing against me without me even noticing him at first, was he trying to comfort me? Edit: I am ok I just needed to let it out for a bit, thanks for caring and trying to help. I did not take the cat with me. we have a lot of stray cats in here, people feed them and this one even got castrated by the municipality. In my experience older strays are better off staying outside living the life they know than being cramped i
    via u/sm0ltrich

    "He just started purring and rubbing against me without me even noticing him at first, was he trying to comfort me?"

    He absolutely was trying to comfort you! Yet again, proving that cats are magical beings that can quite literally sense our emotions. 

  • 04
    Organism - King-of-all-clowns69 12 hr. ago I've found that dogs and cats can identify a human crying. Whether or not they come over and comfort you is a matter of the animal's character and trust of humans. This has happened to me twice before; once by my dog, and then years later my cat.
    via u/King-of-all-clowns69
  • 05
    Font - +2 . 10 hr. ago My cat is a rescue and I am not sure what happened to her, but when I cry she gets visibly upset. If she plays too hard and scratches someone she will face away and get upset. It is all very strange. She has a lot of feelings. Animals know more than we think and they are better at understanding us than we are at understanding them... Ameows
    via u/Ameows

    ?? They do have so many feelings and emotions that we're not even half-aware about. We can never know for sure, especially with rescues, but all we can do it love them to pieces and care for them with all our hearts. Das it 

  • 06
    Font - Insanitydividedby0 - 8 hr. ago When my cat is mad at me or my fiance she has to let us know by finding us so she can sit a few feet away with her back to us. She'll peak back once in awhile to make sure I'm looking.
    via u/Insanitydividedby0
  • 07
    Font - Kasei Makoto 6 hr. ago · That's a sign of trust, I think. Like, "I trust you not to kill me if I turn away from you, see?"
    via u/Kasei_Makoto
  • 08
    Human body - SnowDoom6 - 10 hr. ago My cat comforts me when he can tell I'm upset. Cats are very intelligent animals.
    via u/SnowDoom6
  • 09
    Font - Princess FuckFace2You +1.8 hr. ago I agree. My big orange cat is just an exceptional friend. He is so intuitive. I have a skinny little girl that couldn't care less if I don't have treats to show lol! I also see him try to groom the little cat and it's so cute when she lets him! They are both medium hair but the little one has the softest fur I've ever felt in 36 years!
    via u/PrincessFuckFace2You
  • 10
    Font - fire-lane-keep-clear . 8 hr. ago During a very hard time in my life I was pulling at my hair and face, uncontrolled sobbing and the whole bit, and my cat jumped on my bed and lay right down on that arm, and she stayed there ther whole night
    via u/fire-lane-keep-clear
  • 11
    Font - Princess FuckFace2You +18 hr. ago I've raised two babies now and my orange cat will hang back and if the toddler was crying or upset he would charge at whoever was with them, lol! It was a trip for potty training lol I never got attacked but Dad got the claws in the back a few times! But yeah he just kind of pops out! So I tell people to keep an eye out 0. He means well.
    via u/PrincessFuckFace2You
  • 12
    Organism - heathcliffxo +1.5 hr. ago During a hard time in my life, I also had uncontrolled sobbing and my cat slapped me right across the face
    via u/heathcliffxo
  • 13
    Font - Most_Ad_5597 +1 27 min. ago Your cat said "everything's going to be alright, but you must pull your shit together" and slapped ya.
    via u/Most_Ad_5597
  • 14
    Font - +1.6 hr. ago Yes! I had one cat who would comfort me and others at the exact site of pain or injury. She'd crawl up on my chest if I cried. No-Consideration-858 My current cat has a different therapeutic approach. If I cry too long she admonishes me. It's hilarious and makes me go from laughing to crying. She slapped my husband repeatedly to alert him that his dog was sick. She's so smart.
    via u/No-Consideration-858
  • 15
    Font - StarshipStupor 3 hr. ago One of our cats, a sweetheart, can absolutely identify a human crying. She's incredibly gentle and cuddly, almost always avoids conflict. She would purr from across the room if you looked at her (she had remote start, in my sister's words). When she identified that my sister was crying I watched her sprint up onto her bed, pounce on her face, and bite and scratch the shit out of her scalp, then she kicked off her and bolted. Sis was so bewildered she stopped cryin
    via u/StarshipStupor
  • 16
    Plant - pixelandminnie +32 hr. ago My cat leaves the room if I am crying.
    via u/pixelandminnie
  • 17
    Font - Princess FuckFace2You +1.8 hr. ago I adopted my cat from my local humane society. He picked me as much as I picked him and 5 years later he comes and sits with me any time I cry or even just have to make a stupid phonecall and get put on hold lol! He will just lay on my bed next to me and purr while I put my head on his side and give him little pets. He's my ride or die bff and I think you may have a quality buddy there!
    via u/PrincessFuckFace2You
  • 18
    Vertebrate - +2.10 hr. ago Cats know. They really do. Don't know if you can keep this kitty, no idea of your circumstances, and I am only a cat-crazy internet stranger, but, if you can, you've got a friend. Hope things get better for you, and that the kitty has a good home. Slow-Faithlessness11
    via u/Slow-Faithlessness11

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Tags

public comforting comfort cute cats feral empathy Cats stray crying bench
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