September 22, 2026, 4:12 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Anyone who lives with a cat is likely familiar with the soothing purr or the gentle head-butting. But are these signals enough to assess the animal’s well-being? In fact, there are many more indicators that a cat feels completely at home. PETBOOK presents 11 signs that show your feline friend is happy and content.
11 Signs a Cat Feels Comfortable
1. Purring and Trilling
When petted, cats often emit a deep, pleasurable hum. In most cases, this typical feline vocalization is a sign that the cat feels completely at ease. This sound should not be confused with the so-called healing purr. Cats also purr when they are stressed or ill to calm themselves and accelerate their body’s healing processes.1
Another distinctive sound is the so-called trilling, which sounds a bit like a pigeon. Cats usually trill when they want to express their well-being.
2. Head-Butting
Does your cat nudge you with its head or even jump to rub its head against your hand? Does it rub its nose or entire body against your legs? This behavior is also an indication that it is happy. By head-butting, the cat marks its owner and sends a silent message of connection: “This person belongs to me!”
3. Kneading
In the so-called milk tread, the cat kneads its owner, alternately pushing its paws into their thighs or stomach. This behavior is likely a remnant from the cat’s childhood when it massaged its mother’s teats to get more milk. Adult cats express contentment through kneading. A clear sign: The cat feels comfortable.
4. Playing
When cats feel safe in their home, they play and frolic exuberantly. They chase plush mice and balls or try to catch their owner’s play wand. Also typical are the “crazy five minutes,” when they suddenly dash through the apartment to burn off excess energy. All this is only possible if the cat feels comfortable.
5. Cleanliness
Healthy cats groom themselves meticulously. They have a silky, shiny coat without bald spots. A cat’s well-being can also be gauged by its fur. Moreover, animals that live stress-free at home usually have no problem using their litter box. If the cat is unclean, it indicates something is wrong–physically or emotionally.
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6. Relaxed Sleeping Position
Want to know if your cat feels comfortable? Then watch it while it sleeps. The sleeping position reveals a lot about the animal’s inner state. If the cat lies relaxed and can calmly meet its sleep needs of 14 to 16 hours a day, it feels comfortable.
When a cat feels comfortable, it doesn’t just sleep in one specific spot in the apartment or house but has several favorite places it claims for itself. This can even be the runner in the hallway, where it will neatly place itself in the middle, so you always have to walk around it.
If the cat lies relaxed on its back with all four paws stretched out, it usually means it feels comfortable and safe. After all, it can show its sensitive belly without fear of an attack. However, this can also be an invitation to play and should not be misunderstood as an invitation to pet the cat’s sensitive belly. If you have a cat that allows you to pet it there, it’s a clear sign that it feels comfortable and also has great trust in its owner.
7. Blessed Appetite
Unlike dogs, cats are more selective about their food–much to the chagrin of their owners. If a cat refuses a meal, it may mean it doesn’t like it or that it feels unwell. Conversely, it’s a good sign if a cat empties its bowl and licks it clean–it clearly feels comfortable.
8. Tail is Upright
Cats that feel comfortable also clearly show this through their body language. For example, their tail is raised when they are in a good mood or forms at most a small hook at the tip. When the cat walks through the apartment with its tail up, it’s always a good sign.
9. Cat Seeks Contact
Cats that are satisfied with their living conditions often seek contact with their owner or other cats. For example, you can tell by the way they want to touch you when it’s bedtime. This can be a paw on your arm or face, or the animal snuggles under the blanket and seeks full body contact with your stomach or legs. But even when they lie on their human’s feet or lap, they feel particularly comfortable. And hopefully, they get a petting session in return.
Cats also communicate a lot with their ears. If they are laid back or positioned sideways, it can be a sign of pain or aggression. However, if they are pointed upwards and only occasionally turn when the animal is trying to locate a sound, it feels good.
10. The Cat Shows Its Rear
At first glance, it may seem strange, yet it’s a sign of affection: Cats that feel comfortable present us with their rear. With this gesture, they show trust and affection. Cats that like each other also greet each other with a raised rear. If the cat shows this behavior with humans, especially when you come home after a long day, it shows that they like their owners and can express their communication.
11. Blinking and Closing Eyes
In nature, cats are smaller predators that can hardly afford to be inattentive. Larger animals could contest their prey or attack them. Therefore, if a cat shows slightly closed eyes or a half-open gaze at home, it means it feels so comfortable that it can let its guard down. Cats that feel comfortable also show another behavior with their eyes. A slow blink is essentially the cat’s hug. It shows that they like their humans and feel relaxed and safe.