Many cat owners have noticed it at least once: their cats are attracted to people who don't like them at all and run away from those who are enthusiastic about them. This is one of the paradoxes of cat behaviour.
Researchers finally came up with a very simple explanation. Cats, not all of them, but most of them, seem to be more interested in people who are not interested in them or, more precisely, who are afraid of them.
Why are cats so attracted to people who don’t like them?
Cats are very observant animals and try to understand people who appear to be watching them or shying away from them. Also, people who are afraid of cats or allergic to them behave in a way that intrigues cats. They look at them out of the corner of their eye, avoid their gaze or even try to move away.
This attracts cats because they consider it a game. The animal's hunting instinct takes over: it wants to chase those who try to get away from it.
In felines, a stare announces aggression. If two cats look at each other for a few moments with round eyes, a fight is likely to break out at any moment. Moreover, discretion is a kind of politeness for them: when two cat friends meet, they look at each other briefly, then look away while getting closer. The cat is attracted to its fellow cat, who seems not to pay the slightest attention to it!
If you want to smile at a cat, you must blink slowly and not open your eyes completely.
How do you get a cat's attention?
Most of the time, when a cat meets a new person who is desperate to hold it, stroke it and keeps looking at it, the feline may feel uncomfortable and will try to leave. Cats don't like to feel invaded and are always wary at first contact. Therefore, if you want to befriend a cat, use the paradox method instead: pretend that you are not interested in them.
The cat will be attracted if you don't stare at it. Offer him the back of your hand so he can sniff you. Ignore it even if it sniffs your legs. If it stays close to you, it will likely be happy for you to stroke it.
Why not give it a try?
