Why Do Cats Stretch Before Greeting You?

November 17, 2025 On November 16, 2025

How do you instantly revive the soul of a tired office worker?
Simple — by coming home, opening the door,and seeing your cat stretch adorably just to welcome you back!

Some cats will wait right at the door and stretch the moment you walk in—

Why Do Cats Stretch Before Greeting You?

Image from: internet

Others strut toward you and stretch mid-walk——

Image from: tenor

And some won’t even walk over; the moment they see you, they stretch right on the spot——

Image from: tenor

So… why do cats stretch right before they greet you?

First, let’s identify:
What kinds of stretches do cats do?

If you feel like your cat “never stretches,” maybe you just haven’t recognized their style yet.

Cats stretch in all kinds of weird, unique ways.Here are some of the most common “stretching genres”:

1. Head-Hug Stretch

Image from: tenor

The cat bends its elbows, covers its face, shakes a bit—stretch complete.

Common when they’re relaxed… or when someone is bothering them.

2. Lazy Lay-Down Stretch

Image from: YouTube

The cat lies halfway down, stretches both front legs forward, extending the paws.

Often seen during quick naps.

3. Standing Full-Body Stretch

Image from: gifer

The cat stands upright and fully expands its body.

Some behaviorists believe cats do this to “tempt” their humans into picking them up…

Some even evolve into this upside-down stretch:

Image from: okcats

4. Facial-Only Stretch

Image from: internet

The cat tenses its body but mainly moves its face—especially the ears.

Often paired with a full-body stretch as a “bonus stretch.”

5. Standard Classic Stretch

Image from: YouTube

When a cat arches its backside up to stretch its front legs, then lowers its hips to extend the back legs—this sequence is the most classic stretch pose.

Why do cats need to stretch so often? What’s the real reason behind it?

Find out:
Why do cats always stretch?

Here are the main reasons behaviorists have identified:

▌A required routine after waking up

Image from: YouTube

This is the most common reason.

Cats sleep 12-16 hours a day. During this time, their brain suppresses muscle activity to prevent sleepwalking, and their blood pressure is lower.

That’s why they need a big stretch after waking up—to kickstart their bodies back into action.

Image from: animalhearted

A cat’s stretch raises its blood pressure, kickstarting blood and lymphatic circulation. This helps flush out built-up carbon dioxide and lactic acid,

while improving muscle flexibility and priming the body for action.

If your cat has just woken up when you get home, this is likely the reason.

▌A Form of Communication

Image from: YouTube

A stretch can be a sign of a cat’s most relaxed state, as completing the entire routine takes some time.

If your cat stretches in front of you, it could be expressing trust, showing that they feel comfortable and at ease with you.

Image from: google

After a long day apart, your homecoming brings them a deep sense of reassurance, and that stretch is their way of telling you they are happy and secure.

▌Marking Territory

Image from: tenor

When some cats stretch with their rear raised, they’re releasing scent from anal glands to mark their territory.

You’ll see the same pose during scratching for the same reason.

Image from: google

So, if your cat stretches while patrolling and sees you, they might be claiming you as their property.

Image from: weibo

▌Relieving Stress/Awkwardness

Sometimes a stretch is just a cat’s way of forcing themselves to “shake off” awkwardness or stress.

In other words, certain stretches can actually signal that a cat is feeling pressured or uneasy.

For example, in multi-cat households, when food bowls are too close together or too few, lower-ranking cats will often stretch first, then wait for the others to eat before approaching the bowl.

These two cats are a mother and her son. During feeding time, the mom always comes over to eat first,
while the son stretches to ease his feelings and wait his turn…
Image from: YouTube

Similarly, if you have multiple cats and they all wait by the door when you return home, the more dominant cat will come and seek affection right away. Meanwhile, a cat with a relatively lower status might stretch to ease the tension while waiting for you to shower it with affection.

The little orange-and-white cat is a classic example of using stretching
to ease the tension of waiting in line.
Image from: google

▌Post-“hunting victory” stretch

This explanation is a bit controversial, since there’s no solid video evidence and it’s mostly based on behaviorists’ speculation.

Some believe that after a successful hunt, cats stretch to relax their tense muscles, while others think it might be a sort of “victory ritual.”（？）…