Do cats actually love their owners?
The cat-owner relationship depends on several different factors. Some cats definitely love their owners. Others see their owners as a simple food source. Here are the main factors at play:
1. Is he an indoor or a outdoor cat?
Different people see and raise their cats differently. In turn, the relationship they have with their cat reflects these differences.
Outdoor cats (or rather, stray cats in Singapore context) are given the freedom to hunt on their own, and therefore, they develop a level of “hardness” to their personality. Their relationships, even the ones they have with their new owners, can become shallow - they go to the cat bowl because they’re tuckered and don’t feel like hunting at the moment. Nobody dares touch them anymore. Most of the time, if a dog starts to vomit, he goes straight to the vet. But because the cat was adopted and has lived outside for too long, he may feel hostility and fear for the owner. As a result, the cat usually could care less about the people who feed him and becomes flat-out volatile towards the humans who do not feed him. Of course though, there are always exceptions - not every outdoor cat is like this. Do keep in mind this is how cats are naturally. They haven’t evolved to live and work with us nearly as long as dogs have. A hunting, outdoor cat is a natural cat. They are not actively being domesticated, and therefore, rarely love humans, because this is a foreign concept to an undomesticated animal.
Indoor cats on the other hand, are being actively domesticated, so they are taken more seriously by their owners. They have litter boxes, and usually their owners will cart them to the vet just as fast as they would the dog. They get pet food, probably of higher quality since the cat doesn’t have rodent and lizard supplements. They also get scratching posts and many toys. They aren’t subjected to the dangers of the great outdoors, such as disease, worms, and cars. This cat has not developed a strong hunting instinct.
Over the course of their lifetime, the owner is genuinely domesticating this cat. Therefore, the cat will be around humans, children, dogs, and other domesticated cats. Other than their real cat mom and cat siblings, who are long gone when they are adopted, we are the only social interaction it knows. It relies on us for everything, and so its hunting instincts subside and adapt to the toys and scratching objects we give them. The owner is happy to pick them up, cuddle them, and rock them just like they might a small dog. Visitors will pet them. They relax. They eat. They chill. Of course, this isn’t natural. But at one point, we raised wolves to become dogs. That wasn’t natural, either.
2. Who is the owner?
Is the owner experienced or a novice? If the owner is a novice, are they well read? Is the owner affectionate, and how often are they home? Is the owner calm or hot headed, or possibly violent? Is the owner a child who might not respect the cat’s personal space? Having a cat is arguably like having a human friend. Most of the time, you can’t stomp all over a person and disrespect them and expect them to stay in your life. A cat is the same way. If they don’t receive any affection and respect, they’ll probably become cold, indifferent, and unloving. They might try and bolt at the next opportunity.
3. Who is the cat?
Some breeds gravitate to humans more than others, especially the owners. (In the case of outdoor cats, “feeders”.) However, every cat is an individual.
4. How was the cat raised?
Was he properly socialized early in life? If kittens are torn from mom and littermates too early, they can develop personality issues which last throughout all of adulthood. Also, their owners can make unintentional mistakes raising their cat. Many people try to use their hands or toes to play with cats, and dodge the bites. Uh oh, the cat got used to this play and now he has a biting problem. This simple mistake can cause a cat to see humans as toys instead of human companions.
5. What has the cat been through?
Was he previously undomesticated/stray? If so, then the cat-owner bond will probably not be nearly as high as it could be. Has he been through several rehomings? This could make a cat either more or less inclined to bond with humans. Is the cat old and sick? If so, he will probably be very affectionate.
6. Lastly, how and when was the cat acquired?
A cat who was raised by the same owner from kittenhood will probably have an intense bond with their owner, sometimes dog-like if there are no other pets in the house. This is because the kitten might transfer their feelings about their mom-cat to their new human owner after the adoption. An older cat will probably still be affectionate, but that mother-kitten bond won’t be there. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, though. Kittens can be very overwhelming and sometimes border on creepy with how baby-like they are. Nothing beats the creepiness of a squinting, purring kitten trying to knead and suckle on you.
Anyway, do keep in mind that if you do not own a cat, owning a cat is an entirely different ball game from interacting with someone else’s cat. This is a huge difference they have from dogs. Normally dogs are happy to see anyone. Cat relationships are similar to a child’s relationship with their parent compared to the child’s relationship with their babysitter.
In general, cats who are actively being domesticated do care for their owners. Depending on several factors, the amount of care they exhibit can range from content cohabitation to a full-fledged loving bond. Yes, they do love their owners if they are treated right with respect and gentleness. Though not as straightforward as it is with say, a dog. Their love, and here I am writing based on my own experience, is conditional, meaning the more you put into the relationship, the more they give back.
By their definition, they are not a pack animal, so there is no hierarchy like it is with dogs. Therefore, the relationship can become rather complex. When people try to “own” them, i.e. try to subject them to some form of hierarchy (because we are also a pack-forming animal) or when people don’t make an effort to understand them and their needs, things start to go bad and the cat will become aloof, aggressive or will simply run away.
So yes! Cats can be attached to their owners, as long as they get treated fairly, not subjugating them and will put time and effort into the relationship :) Try to understand their needs, commit long-term to their care and well-being and they will respond accordingly.
If you plan on getting a cat for the first time, read up a lot. Knowledge is power. Understand them before adoption day and you’ll be in good shape to create the strong bond you desire :)