if you've ever lived with cats in a household of multiple people you may have noticed that cats often tend to prefer a particular person over others cats are known to play favorites some cats even seem indifferent to owners who feed or play with them but seem to adore strangers believe it or not there are several behaviors and characteristics that make people appealing to cats anyone who meets these certain criteria is likelier to receive a cat's affection in this video we will talk about how cats choose their favorite human and how you can become your cat's
favorite person handling handling is key to earning a feline's admiration and respect unlike dogs it's a lack of handling that most felines look for in their human companions cats want to remain in control of their environment this means that being cornered and scooped up without request can agitate a cat that's why many cats will gravitate more toward people who don't like cats or who are allergic to cats a study conducted in switzerland has shown that when humans sit back and wait and focus on something else like reading a book cats are more likely to approach
and less likely to withdraw when humans respond the best way of winning a cat's affections is to not insist they interact with you instead encourage your pet to want the contact don't hug pick up or corner your feline friend against their will it's best to let the cat make the first move communication although cats cannot talk using words they communicate through body language and sounds studies have shown that any person who can understand and respond to a cat's cues whether purrs meows or physical touch is likelier to receive feline affection this means understanding when a
cat wants attention and when they want to be left alone comforting them when they feel nervous or anxious it also means feeding them quickly when they want to be fed cats want to be understood and have their body and verbal language cues respected 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 then you might be their favorite use your voice by default cats are nervous and afraid of humans they're
not born embracing humans they're born in self-preservation mode doing whatever they need to do to protect themselves in the mind of a feline you are just an enormous loud and clumsy creature people are a threat until proven otherwise there are particular behaviors and characteristics that can make people less appealing to cats for example cats find loud noises or sudden movements to be stressful cats may even try to avoid people who behave in ways that are impulsive frightening or distressing to them this explains why many cats avoid unpredictable children and why they enjoy the company of
elderly people kids are distressing to cats because they make loud noises and sudden moves if your cat views you as a source of safety rather than disruption they will be more likely to be drawn to you additionally a study conducted by animal cognition has found that cats know your voice compared to the other voices in your home sometimes your natural speaking voice could win you the honor of being your cat's favorite human in a household of multiple people if you speak in calm softer tones your feline friend will enjoy your vocalization a little more because
cats are naturally drawn to the calm of it all rather than a noisy loud and overall scary voice this is why the verbalization you use could spell the difference between which human becomes a favorite and which does not this is another reason why we should never shout at our kitties because it only causes stress and anxiety food survival instincts govern animals for a large part of their day and few things are more important than food so it should come as no surprise that cats show affection to people who offer food to them in fact cats
are keenly aware of who feeds them and at exactly what time cats are creatures of habit and they live for routine they prefer to be fed the same type of food at the same time each day this means the person providing nourishment to a cat will be highly valuable to them and is likely to win their favor although other factors can foil this some outdoor cats show up at people's door demonstrating affection for the occupants of the household if the human occupants feed the cats and they give the cat no reason to fear them the
cat will keep returning for more food scent and appearance cats can show fear and aversion to certain people sometimes this may be due to circumstances beyond our control it comes down to feline's previous experiences cats have long-term memory and they remember what happened to them when they were much younger it's not uncommon for a cat to show a preference for or a loathing of certain people based on past events for example a cat may show dislike toward an individual who reminds the cat of somebody that mistreated them in the past this could be due to
appearances such as hats or facial hair or scents such as perfume or cologne it could even be because of certain noises the person makes or even the tone of their voice the reverse is also true a cat can take comfort from being reminded of a trusted person like a previous favorite owner this can elevate you to the top of their favorite person list quality time in addition to being a good communicator a cat's favorite human is often the person who puts effort into spending quality time with them don't get this mixed up with the person
who spends the most time with the cat there's a difference between quantity and quality and your feline friend knows it well quality time is all about strengthening your bond it's fostering a deeper connection than just two living beings who happen to be in the same house that favorite person could be the person who brushes the cat invites them to nap in their lap or simply talks to the cat while keeping them engaged in their everyday life interestingly enough a recent study from oregon state university discovered that out of human interaction food toys and a scented
cloth cats preferred human interaction the most so taking 15 minutes every day to twirl the feather wand or toss a catnip mouse is a great way to curry favor with a feline it is important to remember that although almost all cats will have one favorite person this does not mean that cats only care about one person a cat's signs of affection indicate that they love all members of a household the cat will just gravitate toward one particular person more than others some cats innately distrust all humans oftentimes such a circumstance applies to feral cats who
have never been properly socialized with humans these cats may accept food from people but will avoid any further interaction 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 only this way you can know if the affection is exclusively for you or if they will grant their love to all people equally when a cat chooses you as a favorite they will begin to foster a much closer bond you shouldn't be surprised if they sleep on top of you
follow you around rub against you or hang out near you these are the personal and close behaviors which undoubtedly indicate a cat feels close to you when they give them to you more than others it is pretty certain you are their favorite person if a cat chooses you as a favorite person it should be considered an honor this means that you behave in a way that your pet considers pleasing as a cat's trust is hard to gain so you must be doing something right you
