Can cats feel guilty (5 photos)

We certainly know how to feel this way about cats, even if it's not our fault. A furry friend will spread his long tail right in the hallway, and you'll go and step on it blindly, and then run after him all over the apartment saying "sorry, it was an accident, I didn't mean to." And he'll turn his face away from you for half an hour.





Well, what about them, our beloved cats? Can they feel guilty about us? Sometimes it seems that they can. After a fight or conflict, cats are often the first to make peace. It looks like this: the furry one carefully looks into the room where the person is sitting, examines him for a couple of minutes, then comes closer and waits for a reaction.



But does he feel guilty at this time? No. He understands that there was a conflict, and that it needs to be smoothed over by re-establishing warm relations. It is important for a cat to maintain good relations with everyone who lives in the same territory with her. Especially with the person who feeds her.





If a cat has done something for which he was scolded, he of course gets upset. His mood drops. But this is not because he is aware of his guilt, but simply because he was raised in voice, or maybe even treated rudely - spat, chased away. In such cases, the cat does not realize that he is guilty of something. He gets upset and angry at the person, but not at himself.



But cats can regret what they did. For example, if they accidentally scratched someone while playing, they sympathize, feel sorry for the person and try to make amends for their mistake. Their look and behavior show that they did not want to do it, it happened by accident, and now they are trying in every way to calm the upset owner.



Such emotions arise in cats only if their actions are clearly tied to the situation (like right now they scratched and saw the reaction) and caused physical harm to the person. Cats do not know how to regret broken mugs. And of course they do not blame themselves for an overturned flower pot and wet shoes, so inopportunely left by the door by the guest. It is their own fault.