Stratos Tinellis is a lucky guy. No matter how badly his day is going, this cat dad knows there's one thing that will always cheer him up. And it happens every time he walks through the door.
Best hello ever
He gets the kind of greeting from his fur baby that every cat owner dreams of. The cute ginger kitten is head over heels in love with her human. And her way of showing that love will melt your heart.
Whenever Stratos walks through his apartment door, this furry little cuddle bug jumps onto his leg, climbs up the side of his body, and then nuzzles his face for some extra cute cat kisses. It's absolutely adorable.
Who said cats don't love their people like dogs do?
Stratos set up a camera to capture one of these sweet welcome-home cuddles. He posted the short clip on TikTok. It now has over 14 million views.
"This little kitty lives for you," posted one person. "Sooooo sweet! That's total trust and love right there!!!"
"Looks like you may have been missed," posted another. "I'm literally melting watching this. The beard rubs. OMG. Who's got the tissues?"
Nurture and nature
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. Many people say you can't bond with a cat like you can with a pup.
Kristyn Vitale, a PhD researcher studying cat behaviour, disagrees. She argues that humans aren't that good at picking up on a cat's non-verbal cues.
"It's harder for people to read cats' body language compared to dogs," says Kristyn Vitale. "For example, cats have fewer facial muscles, meaning they have fewer expressions. They physically can't give you puppy dog eyes, like a dog can."
Plus, while domestic dogs evolved with humans, cats did not. Therefore, the way each individual cat bonds with humans varies dramatically.
But the research is clear; kittens that spend lots of time with humans during their first six to eight weeks of kittenhood are far more likely to want to hang out with us when they grow up.
