“A cat is an animal that walks on its own”, “cats love everyone who feeds them” - these phrases are very often heard in conversations about representatives of the cat family, because many people are still sure that cats, unlike dogs, do not capable of feeling love for their owners. But those who have these fluffy, purring animals living in their homes clearly refute the claims that cats lack affection for people, since they have seen from their own experience that their pets are quite capable of love, but they don’t experience it for everyone.
Dogs, being pack animals, very quickly become attached to people and happily get to know and play with all the guests and friends of their owner, but cats are more picky. When meeting a new person, an adult cat may hiss, refuse to be stroked, and even scratch an overly annoying animal lover, and the cat, as a rule, treats members of the owner’s family differently - some are constantly caressed, while others are he can barely bear it. Let's try to figure out what kind of people cats love and how an owner can earn the sympathy of a purring pet if he initially dislikes it.
How cats show their love for their owner
The cat is one of the most unusual and mysterious animals that many people adore. Some people believe that in order for a cat to fall in love, it is enough to feed the animal well. It turns out that this is not true at all.
Despite its independent nature, the pet loves attention, affection, comfort, care, and warmth. If you treat them like a member of the family, they will definitely reciprocate.
To find out who cats love most, just look at her behavior. The animal is often near the same person, trying to attract attention with its behavior. Gentle nipping indicates that the pet is in love. The animal almost always meets the owner at the door and takes part in home games.
A long, peaceful look indicates that the cat has some feelings for the person. She often brings some trophies, makes bright sounds, purrs, constantly rubs against them, wants to be picked up and stroked. He tries not to move away from the object of his adoration.
How to form an attachment correctly?
The choice of an owner by a cat occurs at the very beginning of acquaintance with the territory. If one person lives in the apartment, then the pet will not have much choice and the connection will be established by itself after a while.
If a family lives within the house, the situation becomes somewhat more complicated. The cat begins to absorb and instinctively analyze the attitude towards itself from the first moment of its appearance. She is initially looking for a person who will perceive her as an independent being worthy of respect.
Very rarely does a cat focus on the physical aspects of everyday life, for example, feeding, petting or changing the contents of the tray. A much more important aspect is being attentive to her needs, helping to satisfy her instincts and recognizing her right to a certain territory.
As a result, there are several rules that should be followed:
- You should not force your love and adoration on your cat. Give her time to get to know and explore her new environment;
- Be attentive to her demands and requests. Since the cat is trying to find its place in the house, it can demand access to any room, often mark corners and doors, play mischief, defining the boundaries of what is permitted. Patience and commanding concern will help at this stage;
- Communicate with your cat and spend as much time as possible with her. Try to play while supporting the hunting instinct. Affections, conversations and cozy gatherings also play a vital role;
- Learn your cat's habits and favorite treats. They will help you establish contact.
Quite often, despite all efforts, cats for some reason choose the wrong people as owners who want to be them. There’s nothing you can do about it, you can only continue to establish contact. After some time, the cat may decide to recognize another person.
A closer look can tell that a cat adores its owner.
The behavior of the animal speaks of love for the owner and affection. The cat often purrs, jumps onto her lap, tries to sleep with a person in the same bed, constantly rubs against parts of her body, exposes her muzzle for stroking, and allows her to touch her tail.
If you look closely, cats that are in love and attached to their owner begin to actively twitch their tail, this indicates that the animal is attached and in love. One of the most striking signs of love and tenderness towards a person is the gaze of a pet.
Cats do not like to look at a person for a long time; they often hide their gaze, as they perceive it as a threat. Therefore, if they look at their owner for a long time, they simply adore him. If the animal begins to blink during eye contact, it means the owner is not trustworthy.
What kind of people do cats like?
The answer to the question of what kind of people cats love lies in the psychology of these animals, namely, in the peculiarities of their lifestyle and preferences. Cats love comfort and warmth, they can bask in the sun for hours and sleep up to 20 hours a day, and also spend a lot of time taking care of themselves - licking their fur and paws, “washing themselves,” etc. Most of the time cats behave independently , leisurely and measured, and only sometimes they want to run, jump, sharpen their claws and chase each other or live or toy mice. Therefore, representatives of the cat family love people whose habits resemble them. And vice versa, cats treat with distrust and wariness those people who are very different in behavior from purrs - they fuss, make a lot of sudden movements, are in constant tension, etc.
Animal psychologists, observing cats and their owners, have found that cats show love and affection for people who seem understandable to them and at the same time do not pose a danger to them.
And cats determine this very degree of similarity and human safety by the following criteria:
- Voice. Cats are attracted to people with a pleasant timbre of voice, who speak calmly, slowly and with soft intonations. And since nature has endowed women with a more gentle and pleasant-to-hear voice, it is not surprising that cats often love the fair sex more than men. However, a cat may well get used to a man’s voice and fall in love with its owner if he does not scream, hiss and make other sounds that are frightening and unpleasant for the animal in her presence.
- Movements. Cats like people who move slowly and leisurely much more than fussy and impetuous individuals, since these animals can perceive sharp swings of their arms, a swift gait and any impetuous movements as a potential threat to themselves.
- Smell. Everyone knows about the ability of dogs to distinguish many odors, but few people know that cats also have a very sensitive sense of smell and, not least of all, evaluate new acquaintances by smell. As a rule, felines do not like people who smell like dogs, other cats, alcohol, vinegar, or too strong perfume.
- Attitude towards the cat. Surely many cat owners have noticed that their furry purrs show much more sympathy for those guests who are indifferent to them, but they avoid people who immediately try to pick up or stroke the animal. The explanation for this love of cats for those who do not pay special attention to them is simple: cats, being independent animals, value their personal space and really do not like annoying pesters. The animal will most likely hide from a person trying to stroke and cuddle an unfamiliar cat at the first opportunity. However, natural curiosity is also inherent in cats, so sooner or later they will want to get to know and study a person who is next to them, but who is not paying attention to them.
Of all the family members, the cat will most likely choose the calmest person as his owner and pet, who feeds and cares for the animal, but at the same time does not impose his love on him - does not try to constantly squeeze and stroke him, does not bother him during sleep and rest, etc. And vice versa, cats are often indifferent to children and do not like to play with children too much, since these independent animals do not like to be carried for a long time in their arms, squeezed, dragged by the tail, and even more so, dressed up like a doll.
Signs of a cat's attachment to its owner
Precious gifts from an animal
Cats are real hunters, with great pleasure they chase not only toys, but also small animals: mice, birds, moles. If a cat brings a caught victim to its feet, it wants to attract the attention of a person with this gesture.
Expresses his love, care, tenderness and affection. If a cat brings such a “gift”, experts advise praising the pet, as he may then be very offended. They show their adoration and devotion during games, menacing, gentle meowing, and sometimes they can gently bite. The animal's complete trust can be seen if the cat brings its toys and tries to improvise its hunt.
Cat purring, rumbling
This sign indicates that she feels love for her owner, especially if she sat in his arms and began to purr gently. This is how a pet expresses its pleasure and devotion.
Personality matters
Anyone who has multiple cats can tell you that each one is unique. And their preferences may depend on several different factors, from early socialization and breed to normal personality traits. The best human-cat relationships are those in which the person recognizes the uniqueness of the animal and cares for it accordingly.
In other words, you can't always tell why a cat loves one person more than another. The best thing you can do is to take good care of your pet, learn to communicate with him through attention and affection, and watch for signs that he is happy and comfortable. If your cat prefers to spend the most time with you, then you are most likely her favorite person.
A cat is not a dog
It just so happens that the love of animals is usually viewed through the prism of dog behavior. The behavior of cats is very different from that of dogs and there are a number of good reasons for this.
It's worth starting with the fact that dogs were domesticated much earlier than cats. From the moment of domestication, dogs began to go into human homes, and cats were often kept near the home or property. In the process of evolution, domestic cats acquired the “habit” of behaving with restraint and being useful, for the sake of their own benefit - safety, food, and satisfaction of social needs.
This is interesting! Modern cats can be divided into: native and artificially bred. The “closer” a cat is to its wild relatives, the more independent and detached it behaves in everyday life.
See also[edit]
- Help stray cats
- Character of a cat depending on color
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Scientific approach
The relationship between cats and people is full of unknowns. Scientists are still trying to unravel their secret, but they managed to figure out something. In 2018, specialists from Hungary conducted a study for which they interviewed 157 male and female cat owners. The questionnaire was supposed to reveal the features of the relationship between owners and pets. The survey results were published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.
The relationship between cats and owners is built on the emotional connection between them. Therefore, pets become more attached to those who understand them better. Here women's ability to pay attention not only to actions, but also to how they are performed plays into their hands. They are able to more openly demonstrate love and affection, they empathize better and understand their interlocutor by facial expressions, and not just by words.
Women are more responsible in caring for their pets - they know what they like to eat, where they like to sleep, and understand why the pet is in no mood. They take the problems of their four-legged friends seriously and can discuss them with other cat lovers, search for information on the Internet or consult with specialists. Housewives pet cats more often, look into their eyes and become more emotionally attached to them. So the pet reciprocates their feelings.
What does it mean if a strange cat comes into the house?
According to the sign, if a strange cat comes into the house, this can be considered a good sign and brings good news. But the whole truth is hidden in the little things, and it is possible to find out by looking after the arriving mustachioed guest. A stray cat is a harbinger of good luck.
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Cat games
Since they are young, cats love to play with their companions. They can affectionately bite them, insidiously attack them from around the corner, throw them on their backs and, of course, run around the apartment together, throwing away things they don’t like and creating a deafening stomp and confusion.
However, sometimes games with friends can unexpectedly turn into open conflict and fight.
During games, cats and cats do not hurt each other. A fight is accompanied by serious injuries and wounds, and in the process the cats will hiss loudly, snort and even make mournful meows. And, unlike touching games that have a positive effect on cats’ bodies, fights are not at all useful, but, on the contrary, harmful.
As an owner, it is your duty to look after your pets and make sure that their funny romp, chases and playful fights do not turn into real wars. If this happens, the best way to bring the animals to their senses is to spray them with water from a spray bottle. You can also distract the cats’ attention with a new toy or favorite treat. And then the conflict will fade away and, most likely, the relationship between the pets will not change.
