I've noticed over the past few months that my stress level correlates with how much of an asshole my cat is.
If I'm stressed out, and grumpy, my cat claws at the furniture more. If I'm sad and depressed, my cat eats less. If I'm upbeat and happy, my cat can't be out of my sight and is kneading my legs with a loud boisterous purr motor.
There are a whole lot of beliefs about felines throughout history. They were everything from unlucky minions of the devil, to revered gods or hosts to souls awaiting their trip to paradise. But I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about modern cat ways.
I know a lot of people who feel cats are attuned to things just outside our knowledge. They will stare at nothing for long stretches of time. They get agitated for no real reason. And let's not talk about the "kill" button that exists right next to the "happy purr" one. I know I'm not the only one who has gotten a decent bunny kick to remind me to trim my cat's nails.
Cats are intensely expressive. I'd argue more than dogs, but man's best friend can work some puppy eyes. However, I'm talking about more than emoting. I find cat behaviors are influenced by what energy we put out there.
Since I've been working every morning on my morning pages, I've got a damn good record of my mental state each day. And the funny thing is, I've started to see some very interesting correlation between my mood and my cat's behavior.

Some cats hide often, but this guy usually owns a room. Plopping down in the middle of a doorway, or the floor where multiple people have to step over him. I realized I was stressed and he reacted to my energy by holing up in a tight space where the scents of everyone in the family were. Interesting.

When I'm in the thick of my To Do list for the day, my mental state rarely crosses my mind. But when my cat leaps out from behind the couch and starts scaling the arm of it as if it's the only way out of a pit of lava, I pause. Nine times out of ten, I'm in the middle of a mental spiral of negativity and need to take a break.
So I'm convinced. Cats can read our emotions. At least mine can. And better than I'm able to most days.
What about your pets? Do you notice a difference in how they act around you during emotionally charged moments? I'd love to hear about it.
~Roxy