Cats have a way of understanding their owners.
They’re intuitive and affectionate and are easy to charm. Some owners might find it challenging to breach their bond with one.
An animal that’s prone to Aggression sometimes requires a series of interactions to make sure it doesn’t bite off more than it can chew. So, do cats imprint on one person?
When a cat imprints with someone, it doesn’t just mean it goes crazy when its owner is around. It means it thinks the person is a forever friend or family member and bonds with them for life.
It’s similar to how a human would bond with another human. The cat sees how its owner behaves and treats it, and forms similar associations in its head and follows similar cues and behaviors when the owner is around.
The cat might even sleep with or snuggle up to its owner when it’s home alone.
Do Cats Imprint On One Person?
Cultivating a close relationship with your kitten is important for many reasons, and it’s crucial that they’re socialized well.
Cats become more attached to their human parent the longer they stay with them, and pet owners who treat their cats well and care for them in a healthy environment have.
Previously abandoned cats are more likely to form a strong bond with a single person or only a specific family member.
What Does It Mean When a Cat Imprints on You?
Imprinting is a pre-programmed urge that cats, dogs, and other mammals have to develop relationships with their care givers.
It basically suggests that the first face a bird or kitten sees is the mother’s or father’s and if that caregiver is there when the kitten or bird grows up, the cat is certain to seek them out in any situation.
It’s also conceivable that an animal will imprint on a care giver and then develop the same trust toward any caregiver that it looks up to or likes.
Although there have been some intriguing research done on cats and their pet parents, not much is known about cats and their owners and the specific things that influence and change how cats become attached to their owners.
How Do You Know If Your Cat Imprinted On You?
If your cat has imprinted on you, it means that they are drawn to you and will probably be following you around.
When a cat lives in a home with several people, usually it will bond to a single person or certain family member.
Your cat may show affection toward multiple people in the household, but it’s normal for your cat to want to spend more time with you than other members of the family.
It’s conceivable that you aren’t the care giver for all your family or friends and maybe your cat has linked you up with someone else.
Perhaps you let it to sit with or on your lap and at a certain point it developed an affinity to that spot and is attaching to you simply because you sit on.
It’s tough to identify a single reason why a cat will attach to a person.
If you can listen to your pet’s behavior and recognize what it likes and doesn’t like, you can probably determine what their preferences are for bonding with people.
The most frequent time that a cat will bond with a person or owner is when they are kittens.
Signs that Your Cat Has Imprinted On You
Verbal Communication
Cats begin purring as early as a few weeks of age when they are with their litter mates.
Purring promotes connection between kittens and their littermates and fosters bonding with their caregiver.
Following You Everywhere
One of the most typical signs that a pet cat has imprinted on someone is when they’re following their pet owner everywhere they go in the house.
Cats sometimes start following their owners around the house when they’re a few-weeks-old and around the age of eight weeks they’re already attached to one special person in the house.
It’s very common for cats to devour their food after their owners eat or sleep with it or curl up with them at night and it’s safe to say that many cats don’t stray too far from their owners at all times of the day.
Eye To Eye
If your cat greets you with full body rubs and snuggles right after you arrive home, it’s most likely that they have some strong attachment with you and see you as.
When a cat shuts its eyes in your presence, it’s a sign that they feel that there’s a connection between the two of you, and beyond that, they feel that you can be counted on to be vigilant and protective of them at all times.
Some people mistakenly assume that cats that don’t shut their eyes are feeling objects and their senses.
Grooming Session
A cat’s tongue functions to help remove loose fur, dead skin and bacteria from its coat which is why a cat will usually groom itself for hours by licking its body.
However, this is only a one-day event and by the next day the cat would be back to being perfectly clean.
Your cat may lick you on occasion and when they do it’s a sign that they have something in mind and would want to groom you to death.
Grooming is a signal to cat owners that they are regarded by animals as a source of comfort, warmth and protection.
They participate in grooming sessions in order to bond and feel closer to their human companions.
Your cat licks you less frequently than on the previous days so it’s likely that they feel that you have abandoned them and have distanced yourself from them, thereby inflicting.
Do Cats Pick a Favorite Person?
Cats often choose a favorite person and he or she becomes their “chosen” person or pet.
It’s simply that they do and it’s nothing to be alarmed about though people usually feel hurt and rejected when they know that their favorite cat has chosen somebody else over them.
Cats often choose a favorite person depending primarily on whether they found them to be kind, caring and warm to them.
So if you’re the one who constantly feeds your cat, pats it and cuddles it, then your cat will pick you as their favorite person.
At What Age Do Cats Imprint on Their Humans?
2 to 9 weeks old, kittens will bond with their mothers and litter mates and mother pets usually play with their kittens by pulling them around by the scruff of their necks and shaking them till they’re used to being petted and handled.
Cats that get to interact with humans frequently and are exposed to new people or pets at an early age are likely to imprint on one person or human and form a permanent bond with them.
It’s common for kittens to choose one human rather than another as their favorite one and this varies from kitten to kitten.
Can Cats Imprint On More Than One Person?
It can be easy to overlook how unique and special cats are – and it’s a fact that cats are very independent creatures with every animal having its own unique personality and distinctive set of behaviors.
Most cats use smell and sound to navigate and notice changes in energy levels of other animals.
Also Read: Do Cats Puke For Attention?
Is It Possible for A Cat to Bond with More Than One Person?
Yes, cats can form bonds with multiple people and prefer one person over another.
However, they tend to bond faster with one person rather than another and if a person is consistently inconsistent in handling or petting the feline, the cat may revert to looking for attention elsewhere.
That is to say, although your cat will bond to you eventually, it always takes time and your cat needs time and consistency from you in order to form a bond or attachment to a new person.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cats imprint on one person. A cat will form a strong bond with one person and prefer to be with them most of the time.
Cats have a way of understanding their owners and forming strong emotional bonds with them.
They form these bonds through how they behave around the owner and how they treat the cat.
Dependent on the individual cat and their personality, a cat can form a bond with more than one person but finding that one person the cat prefers is not easy.
If a cat follows you around, is excited when you walk through the door and always interacts with you over the people in your house, they are probably bonding to you and prefer you over the other people in the house.