You may have heard that it is the cats who choose us and not us. You may think that it is not true, since it was surely you who chose to welcome your feline into your home. Now, we must tell you that this popular saying is not entirely wrong. Cats are intelligent and independent animals, for this reason, do not think that they will feel forced to live with you if they are not comfortable.
If you are still wondering if cats choose their owners, we recommend you read this article on our site where we tell you how these animals choose where and how they want to live.
What is the relationship between a cat and a person like?
It is very important to understand this point, since cats have no owner That is, the meaning of owner implies owning something and cats, obviously, are living beings with whom we live, which do not perceive themselves as "someone's". Therefore, they are under absolutely no obligation to stay with us. Rather, these are social animals that need to feel accompanied to feel comfortable and safe. For this reason, these animals choose companions to live with, cats choose a guide, a person, or several, of reference to follow, not a love. From our perspective, it is possible that we call ourselves owners because taking in a cat implies a legal responsibility, but logically it is contradictory to call an animal an object, since it is a subject with its own character and motivations.
Having clarified this, we must understand that a feline that is not comfortable in its home or with the members of its family, will leave to find a more favorable environment for it. It is understandable, since, do not we also choose with whom to relate? If we are not in a rewarding relationship with someone, we will simply avoid contact with this person (as much as possible).
How do cats choose their mates?
At this point, you're probably wondering what you're doing right with your feline companion that makes you so lucky that he wants to be with you. The explanation is that this is because the bases of his well-being are covered thanks to you and, therefore, he has no need to leave, since he is comfortable
First of all, you are the one who supplies their physiological needs, such as a proper diet. Otherwise, it would not be strange if he went to live in the neighbor's house if he gave him food and at home he did not have enough. It is therefore dependent on you when it comes to feeding, even more so if it does not know how to hunt, which is quite common in domestic cats that have not had difficulties and therefore have not needed to "find their lives".
Next, thanks to you, has a suitable environment, which he considers his territory. He feels in a safe space isolated from external threats, he also has a clean place to relieve himself (normally, his litter box), a place to rest comfortably, etc.
Also, normally their social needs are also covered, because although they tend to be independent, cats like to spend time in company, either with other cats or with us. For this reason, the different members of the family are part of his group, and that creates a feeling of belonging and security, since he feels protected. It should be noted that in the event of welcoming a new member of the family (another cat, a dog, a child…), it is common for this change to generate stress in the cat, since it is someone external to its family and therefore in a principle could perceive it as hostile, as long as we do not introduce it progressively and appropriately. If you want information on how to introduce a new feline companion to our cat, you may be interested in: "How to make one cat accept another?"
The above factors are usually the most determining when it comes to knowing how cats choose their "owners", "owners" in quotes because, remember, the correct thing to say is companions. Now, you may have noticed that your cat prefers to spend more time with some people This fact is because cats prefer people they know how to interact with them. Let's see how they are characterized:
- They know how to relate to him, respecting his limits Cats tend to approach people who don't “overwhelm them too much”. Generally, these people know when the cat is asking them to stop (petting it, for example), which is vital to being able to respect it and for it to trust you.
- They associate his presence with something positive. The cat notices which members of his family bring him more positive things. For example, if they usually spend time playing with him (when the cat wants to play) or if he is the person who feeds him.
- They avoid punishment People can often lose patience when trying to live in harmony with a pet. Now then, we should never scold an animal, since for this animal, physical aggression or a scream will be completely unjustified and will generate fear. Cats are particularly sensitive to these situations and will become elusive in the event of this kind of bad experience (apart from generating stress and discomfort). For this reason, we always recommend more beneficial techniques for the relationship, such as positive reinforcement or redirecting behaviors that we consider inappropriate, such as scratching household objects.
How many owners does a cat have?
None As we said before, cats do not have owners or masters, they have companions with whom they share their lives. That said, we reformulate the question to: how many guides or how many "favorite" people does a cat have?, understanding "favorite" as part of its closest social nucleus. In this case, cats can have more than one favorite or reference person, so they do not have to follow or show their affection to a single person. As we say, the important thing is the bond established with the cat, the way in which we relate to it and live together. If the cat feels safe, secure and at ease, it can have more than one companion.
However, if you've noticed that your feline loves one person more than another, don't hesitate to consult this other article: "Why do cats love one person more?"
What to do to make your cat like you?
If you live with a cat and you notice that it rather avoids you, it is possible that it prefers to live in your home because its physiological needs are met (food, water…), but it does not feel comfortable when you interact with it. First of all, don't be self-conscious, since we all have to learn! And think that each feline has its own peculiarities and ways of interacting with humans. For this reason, wanting to understand your cat is already a good start to begin to like him.
Many times, felines tend to be angry with us because we are excessively affectionate; we want to caress them at times when they prefer to be alone, we want to play with them when they are calm… It is very important to understand the cat's body language to know when they are setting limits, in order to respect them. Otherwise, they might distrust us and even get angry and hurt us if we overwhelm them too much.
We must also keep in mind that each individual is unique and therefore you may meet a very calm and affectionate cat and It turns out that yours is rather active and independent, so he doesn't need as many displays of affection. Finding the most appropriate way to interact with your cat will help him to take affection for you easily. Perhaps he is a rather playful feline and loves to play with you or, on the contrary, he may be a rather calm cat who does not even want to see the toys you present to him.
Also, try not to always be the one to initiate the interaction. Pay attention to the moments in which your cat approaches you, since in these moments he does he wants to spend time with you You can also reward him with a gift, such as treats or m alt, this way he will see you as someone really rewarding.
Finally, if you live with more people in the house and you see that your cat is more comfortable with another person, try to observe how he relates to him and ask him for advice. I'm sure you can learn even more about your cat this way!
In short, then knowing what your partner likes and when to get closer will be key to creating an emotional bond with him. If you want to learn more about how to improve your relationship with your cat, we invite you to read 5 tips to gain a cat's trust.
