Do Cats Normally Bond With One Person?

When it comes to personalities, cats run the gamut, just like human beings. Some felines are strictly devoted to one person, while others are equally thrilled about their entire families -- and sometimes even their neighbors. Certain factors can sometimes contribute to whether a cat bonds to one or more individuals in their lives.

  1. Different Strokes for Different Cats

    • If your cat who is always sweetness and light toward you plays the ice queen card every time you have family or friends over, it could just be the way she is. She's not weird -- that's just her basic disposition. Some cats are aloof around strangers, while other cats are jovial to every person they encounter. If your cat attempts to headbutt your mailman, for instance, she's probably part of the latter category. Remember, too, that some cats are in the middle of these two extremes. Your cat might love everyone in your immediate family, but be wary of all new faces.

    Early Age Bonding

    • If your cat hasn't had much -- or any -- interaction with anyone else other than you since she was a tiny kitten, the connection she feels toward you might be virtually impossible for anyone else to replicate. Cats who encountered lots of different faces before they got to 2 months old often are much more open to others. The more people young kittens meet, the more companionable they often are as mature felines down the line.

    Feral Cats

    • If your pet is a feral cat who was born outdoors, she might bond exclusively to you. Fully socializing a feral cat to people can be a tricky situation. Though many of these cats with time become loving companions to the people who took them in, many of them always remain extremely fearful and cautious of all others. Cats who used to be feral frequently thrive in low-key families without too many people. Big families are often too overwhelming for them. Feral cats spent the earliest days of their lives greatly fearing being around people, after all. It isn't at all rare for a feral cat to establish an amazing relationship with the one person who picked her up off the street, all the while perpetually staying afraid of everyone else.

    Breeds and Bonding

    • Cats of some breeds -- namely Siamese, Maine coon and Himalayan -- are often thought to favor bonding with just one person. Siamese cats are often even associated with clingy and possessive behaviors regarding their favorite individuals. The people these cats connect with are often the ones responsible for feeding duties. Exceptions are always possible, however. You might just meet a Siamese cat who simply adores every person who enters her life.

    Location Bonding

    • Cats bond with the people around them, but they also often bond with geographic locations, oddly enough. Nostalgic cats frequently make treks to their former residences from years ago -- even after moving to new abodes miles away.