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what your cat does when you're not home
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and why it'll break your heart. When you
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close the door and your cat just stands
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there staring, it's not confusion, it's
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loss. Psychology says cats don't
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understand time like humans do. To them,
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you didn't leave for hours. You
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disappeared from their world. The moment
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your footsteps fade, her brain releases
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cortisol, the stress hormone. She walks
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around the house sniffing every corner,
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listening for the sound of your voice.
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Then she curls up where your scent is
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strongest. Your bed, your chair, your
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hoodie on the floor, because that's
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where you still feel alive to her. Every
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sound outside makes her ears twitch,
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hoping it's you. And when you finally
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come home, her pupils widen, her
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heartbeat races, and oxytocin floods her
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brain. The same chemical humans feel
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when they hug someone they love. So next
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time she rubs against your leg, don't
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just smile and walk away. She's not
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saying, "Feed me." She's saying, "I
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missed you every second you were gone.
