How Cats Choose Their Favorite Person

If you’re a cat parent or used to having cats in your household, you might have noticed that your cat tends to prefer a particular person over others. In some cases, cats even seem indifferent to owners who feed or play with them but seem to adore strangers.
There are several behaviors and characteristics that make people appealing to cats or not. Anyone who meets these certain criteria is more likely to receive a cat’s affection.

How Do Cat’s Choose Their Favorite Person

In this post, we will try to explain how cats choose their favorite person and how you can become this person.

1. Petting

Petting is key to earning a feline’s admiration. Unlike dogs, it’s the lack of handling that most cats look for. Cats want to have control of their environment, so if you corner or scoop up your cat without request can agitate him. That’s why many cats will gravitate more toward people who don’t like them or who are allergic to them.
According to studies, when humans sit back and focus on something else, like reading a book, cats are more likely to approach. The best way of winning cats’ affections is not to insist they interact with you and let them make the first move.

2. Communication

Cats communicate through body language and sounds. So, any person who can understand purrs and meows is more possible to receive feline affection.
Cats need to be understood and have their body and verbal language cues respected. So, it’s important to understand when a cat wants attention and when they want to be left alone, to comfort them when they feel nervous or anxious and of course, to feed them when they want to be fed.
Cats have a special appreciation for people who can understand their needs, so if you’re the one person in the family who knows the difference between your cat’s cries for food and their good morning meows you have more chances to be that person.

3. Noises

Cats find loud noises or sudden movements to be stressful. Also, they try to avoid people who behave in ways that are impulsive, frightening, or distressing to them. This is the reason why most cats avoid children, who are unpredictable, while they enjoy the company of elderly people. Children are distressing to cats because they make loud noises and sudden moves.
Sometimes your natural speaking voice could make you, your cat’s favorite in the household. If you speak in calm tones your feline friend will enjoy your vocalization a little more, because cats are naturally drawn to calm voices. This is why the verbalization you use could spell the difference between which human becomes the favorite.
So, you should never shout at our kitties because it only causes stress and anxiety. If your cat views you as a source of safety they will be more likely to be drawn to you.

4. Feeding

Survival instincts rule a cat’s behavior and few things are more important than food. As a result, cats show affection to people who offer food to them
Cats are creatures of habit and they live for routine and they prefer to be fed the same type of food at the same time each day. This means that the person who provides food to a cat will be highly valuable to them. Some outdoor cats show up at people’s door demonstrating affection and as long as the human gives the cat no reason to fear them the cat will keep returning for more food.
Physical Appearance Or Scent
Sometimes, cats can show fear of certain people, due to feline’s previous experiences. Cats have long-term memory and they remember what happened to them when they were much younger. For example, a cat may show dislike toward a person who reminds the cat of somebody that mistreated him in the past. This could be due to the person’s appearance (hats, clothes, hair…) or scents such as perfume. It could even be because of certain noises the person makes or even the tone of their voice.
The reverse is also possible. A cat may take comfort from being reminded of a trusted person.

5. Time Spent Together

According to a recent study from Oregon State University, a cat’s favorite human is often the person who spends quality time with them. Quality time is all about strengthening your bond. Out of human interaction, food, toys, and a scented cloth, cats prefer human interaction the most. So, taking 15 minutes every day to brush your cat, toss a catnip mouse, invite your cat to nap in your lap or just talk to your cat is a great way to curry favor with a feline.

Conclusion

You must remember that although cats have one favorite person this doesn’t mean that cats only care about one person. Cats love all members of a household, although they gravitate toward one particular person more than others.
To know if you are your cat’s favorite human you have to analyze your relationship together as well as how they interact with other people in your household. You shouldn’t be surprised if they sleep on top of you, follow you around, or rub against you.
Cat’s trust is hard to gain, so if you achieve that, it should be considered an honor, as it means that you behave in a way that your pet considers pleasing.

Photo by Paige_Cody