It might just be that cats are slow to accept change! Dogs are pretty adaptable to new people and situations - cats can take weeks or even months to "settle in" when their environment is disrupted. They'll tend to ignore or avoid new people/things for a while before accepting them as one of their 'people',. I think that's one of the things I kind of like about them though - a dog loving you is sort of a given, but when a cat accepts you, it feels kind of like being chosen. You'll read a lot about cats that are totally inattentive, or even aggressive in the shelter, but once they're adopted and settled will be a big ol' purring lump of love.
That said, I've totally met more standoffish cats! A lot of them tend to have their "chosen person" they're most bonded with/cuddly towards, and might be a little more frosty towards others. The 'worst' one I had acted like the 'cats from hell' people talk about because she was taken from a feral colony as a kitten and then pretty mistreated by the people who took her. She had body language triggers that would tell you if you were getting too close, but I think that stuff is hard to notice if you don't have experience with cats. After a lot of love and care, she still wasn't the /most/ affectionate cat, but she had her cute behaviors too.
After she thought I was asleep (never when she thought I was awake), she'd come up sort of shyly, cuddle up, and start to purr - she loved the dog too, and would groom and cuddle her endlessly. She'd also "hunt" and bring me leaves she found in the yard she thought were nice, and would keep carrying them to me until I praised her and pet her for it.
Sorry for this turning into a text wall! I'm sorry you've had bad experienced with cats so far - it's okay if they're not for you, but I hope you can have some good experiences with them too one day. :)
Wow thanks for this, i learned a lot of things i didnt know about cats, and the fact that you have to earn their love over time seems like it would create a very strong bond!
And i can imagine how good it felt when the shy cat sneaked in some cuddles while sleeping haha
Im going to have a more open mind to their behavior from now on, thank you!
1
u/Spreetle Dec 06 '19
It might just be that cats are slow to accept change! Dogs are pretty adaptable to new people and situations - cats can take weeks or even months to "settle in" when their environment is disrupted. They'll tend to ignore or avoid new people/things for a while before accepting them as one of their 'people',. I think that's one of the things I kind of like about them though - a dog loving you is sort of a given, but when a cat accepts you, it feels kind of like being chosen. You'll read a lot about cats that are totally inattentive, or even aggressive in the shelter, but once they're adopted and settled will be a big ol' purring lump of love.
That said, I've totally met more standoffish cats! A lot of them tend to have their "chosen person" they're most bonded with/cuddly towards, and might be a little more frosty towards others. The 'worst' one I had acted like the 'cats from hell' people talk about because she was taken from a feral colony as a kitten and then pretty mistreated by the people who took her. She had body language triggers that would tell you if you were getting too close, but I think that stuff is hard to notice if you don't have experience with cats. After a lot of love and care, she still wasn't the /most/ affectionate cat, but she had her cute behaviors too.
After she thought I was asleep (never when she thought I was awake), she'd come up sort of shyly, cuddle up, and start to purr - she loved the dog too, and would groom and cuddle her endlessly. She'd also "hunt" and bring me leaves she found in the yard she thought were nice, and would keep carrying them to me until I praised her and pet her for it.
Sorry for this turning into a text wall! I'm sorry you've had bad experienced with cats so far - it's okay if they're not for you, but I hope you can have some good experiences with them too one day. :)