Is your cat empathetic?

[dinahsmum]

If I raise my voice, or cry, or (heaven help us) sing, Mini will sit on my lap, look me fiercely in the eye, sometimes yowl and will put her paw calmly and deliberately on my mouth.
So, is she saying 'hush, I feel your pain', or is she saying 'for goodness sake be quiet'?

Do your cats do this? if so, how do you interpret it?

[CathyW]

mine knew when i was ill,to the point where they wouldnt leave me alone,ronnie would sit by my side and just look at me.

[Luke]

Yes our cats allways have done.
If i'm upset, or mircaulouslly don't speak for a certain period of time, Clementine will come and lick my hair and pad my head softly.
If im on the telephone Elsa has a habbit of jumping up and yowling, shes a very vocal cat, and unless i take a moment to say "Yes Elsa i know" she won't shut up. So our callers are now used to at some point in the conversation me saying "Yes Elsa i know"

One of our old cats, Sherman a big cream and white tabby X BSH tom, would fluff his tail in your face if you were ever drinking from the 'nice' cups, odd i know

[Kazz]

Cleo hates me getting upset, or ill she has to be within reach of me at all times then a paw on my arm/skin some part of me.

Now she is like that when she sleeps herself contact has become very very important to her in her older years,

Oscar couldn't care less unless I decide to sing in the house then the dogs the cats even the damned fish stare at me. Although the dogs let me sing on walks, then I suspect they are to busy with other things, but I have noticed Sal sort of disowns me if we met someone we don;t know and I am caught off guard singing.

[Tom]

no my cats don't but my dogs do he he

[Donna]

My kitties only notice if I am in the kitchen, then they start rubbing themselves on my legs and looking like they not been fed for a week!!

[Naomi]

When I was living with my parents the stray that visited our garden used to tap me in the head if I was laying down in the garden reading or sunbathing. It was funny, almost as if he was making sure I was alive

[Kay]

Mine like to help me when I am struggling with my Sudoku puzzles. Angel sits on the book, Jilly thoughtfully chews the end of the pen, Kisses cries her answers in my ear, and Leila paws my face and kisses me in encouragement. After all this things are so much easier because I just have to put the book down!!!