喵星人说“我爱你”的8种方式

Unlike dogs, cats don't greet their owners with wagging tails and sloppy kisses, but that doesn't mean they don't have genuine affection for their human companions.
猫咪不会像狗狗一样向主人摇尾巴或用舌头舔主人，但这并不代表它们对人类伙伴没有感情。

Cats simply express their affection in more subtle ways, and all you need is a basic understanding of feline behavior and body language to see all the little ways your kitty says, “I love you.”
猫咪只会通过更隐晦的方式来表达它们的情感。你只要对它们的行为和肢体语言有基本了解，就会发现它们表达“我爱你”的种种方式。

1. Head bumps and leg rubs
贴脸蹭腿

Cats have scent glands concentrated on certain parts of their bodies, including their cheeks and heads. When your kitty rubs her head or face against you, she’s marking you with her scent and claiming you as part of her family group. This scent is a source of both comfort and familiarity for your kitty.
在猫咪的脑袋、脸颊等部位集中分布着一些气味腺。当猫咪用头和脸蹭你的时候，其实它是在用身体气味在你身上做标记，认定你是它的家庭成员。这种气味是让猫咪感到舒适和熟悉的来源。

2. Grooming sessions
梳理毛毛

Grooming is another way that cats spread their scent to mark territory. If you have multiple cats, you may have seen them grooming each other, a social practice cats use to establish a common scent among the family group. By sharing a scent, your feline friend is creating a sense of belonging.
梳理毛发是猫咪传播气味、标记领地的另一种方式。如果你养了好几只猫，你可能看见过它们互相梳理毛发，猫咪们通过这样的“社会实践”获得家族专属气味。通过分享气味，你的猫咪朋友可以获得归属感。

3. Slow blinks
缓慢眨眼

When your kitty looks at you and slowly closes his eyes, he’s showing that he’s content and comfortable around you. In fact, this slow-blinkingbehavior has even earned the nickname “kitty kisses.”
当你的猫咪看着你并慢慢闭上眼睛时，它在表示自己在你身边很满足，很舒适。事实上，这种缓慢眨眼的行为甚至有一个昵称——“猫咪之吻”。

“The concept of closing their eyes to you in a slow way is not something that they would do,” says cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy. “They’re letting you know that they are vulnerable to you.”
“猫咪通常情况下不会缓慢眨眼，”猫行为学家杰克森·盖勒克西说。“它们之所以在你面前这样做，是想让你知道：在主人面前它们是多么脆弱。”

4. Exposing the belly
露出肚皮

Another way cats can show that vulnerability is by rolling over and exposing their bellies. This is a sure sign of trust and shows that your cat is comfortable around you.
猫咪表现脆弱的另一个方式是：翻滚身子，露出肚皮。这绝对是信任你的信号，也表明猫咪觉得在你身边十分惬意。

5. Kneading
温柔轻抚

When kitties knead your lap or a surface near you, it means they’re relaxed and content. As kittens, the behavior is used to stimulate a mother’s milk flow, but continuing the action into adulthood can express comfort.
当猫咪轻抚你的大腿或者你身边某个物品的表面时，这意味着它很放松、满足。对于幼猫来说，这种行为是用来刺激母亲分泌乳汁的，但当猫咪长大，这种行为就变成表达舒适的方式了。

6. Kitty underfoot
喵影不离

If your feline friend follows you from room to room, jumps onto tables and counters to be near you and always seems to be right where your step, she clearly enjoys your company — especially if it’s not near feeding time.
如果你的猫咪朋友在家跟着你进进出出，跳上桌子靠近你，总是紧跟你的步伐，很明显，她享受有你的陪伴——特别是在非喂食时间。

7. Tail position
翘起尾巴

How your cat holds her tail can tell you a lot about how she’s feeling. A tail held straight in the air is often used as a greeting, so you know your kitty is happy to see you. In fact, Dr. John Bradshaw, author of the book, "Cat Sense," says this is "probably the clearest way cats show their affection for us."
猫咪尾巴的不同状态表明它的不同心情。直直地翘起来的尾巴通常表示欢迎，这时你就知道猫咪是乐于与你相见的。事实上，《猫的感觉》一书的作者约翰·布拉德肖表示，这“或许是猫咪向人类表达感情最直白的方式了。”

A tail held upright with a curve at the tip like a question mark also indicates familiarity, friendliness and affection.
尾巴翘起但尾巴稍儿略微弯曲（整个尾巴呈问号状）也能表现出猫咪对你的亲密、友好和喜爱。

8. Purring
咕噜咕噜

While a cat's purr isn't an always indication of love and happiness — cats also purr when they're scared or injured — a happy cat may express affection by purring when he's curled up in your lap or rubbing against your leg.
虽然猫咪的咕噜咕噜叫并不总代表爱慕和愉悦——猫咪也会在害怕和受伤的时候发出这样的声音——但通常情况下一只快乐的猫咪，会在蜷缩在你大腿上或者蹭你的腿时，发出咕噜咕噜的声音，以此来表达对你的喜爱之情。

Vocabulary
grooming：修饰，美容
kneading：揉捏，按摩，推拿
underfoot：在脚下的；挡路的；碍事的
purr：（猫的）呜呜声，咕噜咕噜

英文来源：mnn.com
译者：Lucia0617
审校&编辑：杜娟