The cat’s reaction is priceless (Video)

You’ve likely seen the heartwarming videos of the excited dogs welcoming back their human soldiers from deployment, but kitties show their love for their returning parents, too. A rag doll cat named Finn was very excited to see his dad, Nick, after he’d come home from his recent tour. Finn paces by the door, wags his tail and meows in anticipation in the video, which has gathered over 12 million hits. Nick deserves a hero’s welcome home more so than anyone! His girlfriend taped their cat Finn’s excited reaction when he returned from his deployment.

 Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, science advisor with the ASPCA says such homecomings with cats are most likely more common than we think. “Cats do form stable social groups. They recognize other cats and tend to form friendships with long time companions,” Zawistowksi explains. “One expression of their social bonding is scent marking one another. This is when they rub one another with their chins and the side of their face. This behavior is called bunting. They engage in this same behavior with us when they rub against us, showing that they recognize us as part of their social environment.  When we are gone for a while and then return they can become quite insistent in once again marking us as part of their group.”

A lovely welcome!

Nothing is more heartwarming than man being reunited with his best friend – and it’s so cool to see a cat in this situation, who reacts a bit differently than a dog would – but shows emotion in his own feline way. Finally, Nick comes in and after Finn rubs on Nick’s belongings, he jumps into Nick’s arms for a hug and a quick kiss. When Boo, the other cat in the household hears the commotion, she joins the party as well. If you’ve ever needed proof that cats can remember their owners after time spent away… this is it! Finn so anxiously awaits her dad’s return after her papa was away that he jumps into his arms and meows like crazy. Watch the video, this absolutely melted my heart!