Do Cats Show Remorse After Attacking Their Owners?

Cat owners know that their cats are intelligent animals that can take care of themselves very well most of the time. But how far does a cat's intelligence go? Do cats ever show any remorse after attacking their owners?

Cats that are well taken care of and treated with affection by their cat owners do not usually have any reason to lash out and attack their owners unless they are taken to the vet for medical treatment or they are scolded for scratching the furniture. Even mild tempered cats can become disgruntled and turn on the hand that feeds them by unexpectedly scratching them.

Just as there is always a reason why a baby cries, so there is a reason why a cat scratches its owner. But, it is often a spur of the moment action on the cat's part that can leave a cat owner shocked that mild tempered Kitty would ever scratch her owner. But rather than spend the rest of the day planning her next move, Kitty may be feeling remorseful at what she has done, particularly if the scratch was deep enough to draw blood and the wound needed to be seen to.

One way that you can tell that your cat is feeling remorse for having scratched you is to observe your cat's actions after the event. While it is true to say that some cats do not show the slightest bit of remorse for having scratched you as they carry on with the rest of their day, many other cats will feel a tinge of regret at their cat owner's bleeding foot or hand and try to make it up to them by lavishing them with affection. Some guilt-ridden cats will rub up against their owners much more than usual, to the point that they want them to stop! Other cats will actually inspect the wound that they have inflicted, sniff it and then attempt to clean it cat-style by licking at it.

Even though cats cannot physically tell their cat owners that they are sorry for having scratched them, many of them clearly show through their subsequent actions that they did not mean to cause any harm, and will their owners please continue to feed and water them? Cats are very alert and intelligent animals and that even extends to feeling pangs of regret on the part of cats that have attacked their cat owners.