Serious Consideration! Is a cat's "stepping on you" an "expression of affection" or just "passing through"?

Whether you are lying in bed or sitting loosely in a floor chair, whenever there is “space to walk” on their owner, cats for some reason just have to pass over your body. While we might internally quip, “There are plenty of other paths you could take!” we, as feline servants, can't help but grin that our beloved cat chose to make a path out of us.

The act of “stepping on the owner” might at first glance seem like they are treating us carelessly. But when you think about it, you can't help but feel that there is a cat’s own unique form of affection hidden there.

Stepping on you is a sign of “I’m not on guard”

To step on something, a cat must know that the area is safe. Just as humans avoid a path they think might be dangerous, cats also avoid places they deem unsafe. Because cats are particularly cautious creatures, I’m sure they decide their paths with even more vigilance than humans do.

It is precisely because such a cautious animal thinks “it’s okay to get close” that the act of “stepping on you” is possible. That is why I believe stepping on their owner is a sign that says, “I’m not on guard against you,” and is the ultimate expression of affection.

I feel that even if a cat has a friendly personality, they have certain expressions or behaviors they only show to their owner. I’m sure that the act of stepping on you is one of those things. My cats are relatively friendly to guests (excluding older men) and are the type that are fine with being petted, but they would never, ever step on a guest.

Even when my sister, whom I see two or three times a year, is lying down, they only step on my body. People around me laugh and say, “You’re their owner but you get treated so roughly!” but I am always filled with the feeling of, “Thank you for stepping on me! I trust you, too!” (laughs).

Stepping on you for attention is also a classic cat trait

Cats are not cool, detached creatures at all. If anything, I think they are “attention seekers” who use their unique thought processes to come up with various ways to try to get their owner’s attention.

Stepping on their owner is one of those methods. In fact, my own cats only ever step on my body when I am lying down playing a game or watching a video.

Sometimes they will even wedge their bodies between me and my game console, leading to a situation where “all I can see is cat fur!” Seeing my beloved cat show their desire for attention through such clumsy actions... to put it mildly, I find it absolutely adorable.

Also, I find it interesting how the time it takes for a cat to start stepping on their owner varies from cat to cat. For example, I welcomed my cat Kotaro (tabby) when he was about a month and a half old, so he often rode on my body from a young age and considers me a walkway, stepping all over me with full force.

On the other hand, his younger brother Leon (ginger tabby) was four months old when we brought him home—a time when a cat's socialization is already finished—perhaps that’s why he didn’t get on my body at all for about seven years. He purrs when I pet him, but he wouldn’t step on me. That distance felt a little frustrating.

However, his behavior changed as we continued to live together. Whether he learned by watching Kotaro or simply stopped seeing me as a dangerous person, I don't know, but recently he steps on my neck when he wants food.

Purring, stepping on the perfect spot, and looking down at me as I cough—having that sight to myself is a true luxury for a cat owner.

Tears at the kindness of my cat who stepped on me out of concern

Just as there are thoughtful people, I think there are cats who are good at being considerate. My late cat, Gigi, was that type. Gigi (tortoiseshell) was a cat who would absolutely never step on my body, even when I was lying down. When she thought, “It’s a hassle to go around, I want to walk over the servant’s stomach,” she would jump and leap over me.

…Well, she was a bit of a klutz, so her jumps were always short, and the standard pattern was that Gigi would land directly on my body, then panic because she needed to get off quickly, resulting in more weight on me or getting kicked in the face… (laughs).

When focusing on the act of “stepping,” it was heartwarming to see the psychological state of my beloved cat.

The only time I was ever stepped on by Gigi was when I developed facial nerve paralysis. A disease that has symptoms in the most visible part of your body—your face—is heart-wrenching. The left side of my face was so stiff and immobile that I worried if blood was even flowing through it, which stirred up anxiety that it might never go back to normal.

When half of your face won’t move, the side that does move bears the burden. Days continued where I would just get tired from reading a little bit and could only sleep.

One day, Gigi came up to me and, for a rare occasion, stepped on my body. I wondered what was wrong, but she just sat on me and placed her paw over my eye. At first, I thought she wanted to play, but watching her behavior, I realized, “Oh, she’s trying to warm me up.”

That day, the first time Gigi ever stepped on me, I cried at the warmth of my beloved cat, who accepted me exactly as I was and continued to love me, no matter how I looked.

The “stepping” seen out of love for an owner like Gigi must surely be seen in other homes as well. Because there are surely all sorts of cat-specific emotions packed into your beloved cat’s “stepping,” we owners should continue to be grateful and think, “Oh Great Cat, thank you!” whenever we are stepped on.

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