There’s no doubt about it. Cats love us. But do they think we’re their parents? Do they think we’re just “big cats?”
Part of the answer comes from perspective.
Do Cats Think We’re Their Biological Parents?
Well, no.
When you approach a stray or feral cat—it’s unlikely they’ll look you in the eye and see another friendly feline. For your presence to be endured, a cat needs to have prior attachments and believe human connections are safe and worthwhile. But even then, cats aren’t born with a human-face-approving gene in their DNA, like some sort of reverse uncanny valley.
If you’ve seen wild kitten rescues, you know they’re horrified at the first sight of a strange human.
Adult humans are massive comparatively, and a cat can conceptualize size and threats. If removed from its feral mother’s den, a kitten will hiss and spit or shrink down in fear at hand reaching for them. Picking them up can elicit more hisses or screams for their mom.
During a rescue, you may be trying to help, but a wild cat simply won’t know that you’re not attempting to hurt them.
These wild kittens aren’t hateful or ill-behaved or even trying to be pointlessly mean. They’re trying to survive!
Adult, feral cats are often harder to socialize. They live to a certain standard they feel used to, in control of, and safe in. Getting a stray cat that’s unsure of humans to accept you can take weeks to months, if not years.
It all depends on the trauma of outdoor living. The humans they meet along the way aren’t always the nicest.
So, clearly, no. Naturally and instinctually, a cat won’t look at a person and think, “That’s my very big, non-furred mother with which I share blood.”
That said… What if we raise them? Do they think we’re their parents, then?
Do Cats Treat Us Like Their Parents?
Yes!
Cats can bond with caretakers, from kitten to adulthood.
An often-cited study by Oregon State University’s Animal-Human Interaction Lab asserts that cats raised by caretakers consistently return to their “safe base”—their caretaker! They confirmed this with the same tests they gave dogs and babies.
What exactly does that mean? It means even in new areas, they’ll either return to their owner for assurance (insecure attachment) or go back and forth between the unfamiliar room and their owner (secure attachment).
While the stress levels differed between attachment styles, with the insecure attachments displaying more discomfort, the “safe base” was the same. Their person! Yay.
It’s clear cats are absolutely able to attach to their pet parents.
A cat might not think you’re the one who produced them right out of the womb (we probably smell way different anyway), but they’ll treat you similarly to how they would treat a well-bonded parent. If that parent wasn’t present and you take up the role for them, you’re all they know.
It’s still unlikely they view you as a cat—you are very much not one, for more reasons than size (What do you mean you don’t pee in the sand? Why are you showering like that?)—but you’ll do.
Grooming, scent-marking by rubbing on your legs, and even hunting for you are all things they would do for their cat compatriots. You could also fill the role of mother by teaching them manners when they’re younger.
It’s theorized this ability to bond and grow affection for humans is biologically beneficial. We provide a secure source of food and protection. No more hiding out from the rain! No more wasting away trying to find your next meal.
And they get pets. What’s not to love?
Obviously, wild habits stick regardless of human affiliations. Domesticated and human-raised cats enjoy climbing to higher elevations, watching windows for birds, and hunting that feathery wand you keep waving around. It’s a part of instinct! Even if they don’t need to hunt, they want to. You provide skills-honing play time too.
In everything but looks, you are their parent! And your cat may love you like one. Aren’t we lucky?
Pet Parent Pointers 
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