Are cats really 'independent' ?

[worriedhidinginplainsight]

I have often heard it said that cats are independent. And certainly more independent than dogs. Is this a myth?

My cat is not independent at all! When I am at home he follows me around and wants to be right next to me all the time. He meows at me for attention. I'm not allowed to close the bathroom door! If I'm busy doing things in the evening, he sits by the sofa and meows loudly, to tell me that it's time to sit down infront of the tv for a snuggle. If I'm working on my laptop he hates not having my attention and will sit in the middle of the room and wail in frustration!

I don't mind this at all. I love having such a cuddly cat! I think most cats are probably a bit like this. The idea of cats being independent and aloof must be a myth?

Our cats love attention but only on their terms. They will happily go off outside for hours or sleep alone under a bed for hours but when they decide they want something they won't leave you alone. One likes to be stroked while she eats and both meow loudly to get your attention. Both love sitting on you and one will cuddle up with the dog!

Mine were born in a garden and rescued then socialised by CPL
So they've had a period of time where they were independant , living on what their mum provided and the kind person who fed them and alerted CPL

They have taken to be Domestic House Panthers very well .
Food, treats, warm place to sleep, litter tray , microchip cat door , four cat slaves

Don't know about dogs but DD and I kept guinea-pigs who are the very definition of Dependant , need provided for and protected from everything.

Female lifts to "help" DH when he WFH , pawing him if he ignores her (in her opinion)
MaleCat whined at me because he didn't like the bowl he had .
Both appear like magic for the Dreamies at 1pm

I think people who likes dogs because they are loyal and trustworthy think cats are sneaky and aloof . And cat owners think dogs are needy .
I know some people like both cats and dogs

Mines not.

Mine was. He was an orphaned feral kitten and feeding himself at a few weeks old when I found him.

Our resident black panther wouldn't lower herself to such needy behaviour. We get the morning greetings as she does the rounds and gets everyone up. Has a chat with the resident teen when he gets home. Then protests if I am not in bed by a reasonable time.

Saying that I always had tom cats and they were much more cuddly. This resident queen gives the odd head bop if we, the staff, perform above and beyond.

She can open doors, drawers packets and is quite capable of removing items from school bags 🤣

I reckon she is very independent and important.

We’ve got five cats, including two siblings and a ‘bonded pair’. Two of them (half of each pair) basically use the house as a hotel. They occasionally demand stroking. Both quite friendly if approached but will go weeks without interacting with us of their own accord. Two others like to be around us but only one is even slightly a lap cat. The last is the eldest and she likes to sleep on the bed with us and demands attention, but is also quite happy by herself for chunks of time.

Previous cats have been a bit clingier (two with Siamese bits particularly) and even our lot are clearly pleased to see us if we’ve been away and they’ve had a cat feeder. But they all live their lives on their own terms.

Ours are pretty independent. I'm sure they prefer it when we are on holiday! 🤣
They come and go as they please, small female cat announces very loudly when she comes in but hates being touched or stroked, or looked at. If we leave bags of food out when we go on holiday for a friend or neighbour to put down for them they have been known to break into the packet themselves. They break into and eat packets of dreamies if left out. One of them is particular partial to sleeping on the spare bed and has occassionally been able to open the door himself to let himself into his the spare room

I have a cat and a dog. The cat is certainly much more independent than the dog, in that she doesn't follow me around the house and will take herself off for hours. However, if she feels like a cuddle she makes sure she gets one (if a cuddle is not forthcoming, she climbs me to get into my arms!) . We occasionally leave her home alone for a night and she is always VERY pleased to see us on our return.

If you have two or more cats, I think they're fairly independent as they have each other. Mine are quite cuddly but also happy to do their own thing as needed. All cats have different personalities though and some will be needier than others.

They're social animals.

Mine are independent in the sense that they love going out to explore alone and they don't need constant company during the day or while we go out (in the same sense as dogs).

But they do seek affection when they are home, and definitely all enjoy a cuddle and a fuss.

My 2 are still kittens at 6 months old. Boy Dcat is very needy, he follows me everywhere and wants to be ideally sitting on me at all times. He loves attention so much that he even tolerates it from 4 and 7 yo DC.
Meanwhile girl cat is very friendly and putty but does her own thing all day, loves to sleep under the sofa or tv stand and will only come out on her terms. She does love cuddles too but won't perster you for them. I think it depends on personality.

Purry not putty!

My girl isn't independent at all.

Is scared of the wind in the garden so will run back in from her daily 5 minutes (her choice) out. Prefers if I accompany her.

Wants at least a 20 minute cuddle in morning and in evening.

Taps my leg when I'm working just to remind me she exists. Wails during zooms as I am speaking and but not facing her. Am I telling someone else they are a pretty princess? She suspects so and is not happy.

Rams her way on to my lap in the evening whether I am open to the idea or not.

I love her dearly but she is very intense!

I have three.

Cats are more independent than dogs but they vary as to personality.

I have one that largely lives outside and only comes in to demand cuddles and food and two that spend their time laying around the house following me around.

I think you have to remember that as far as we can tell, dogs were first domesticated 40k years ago and cats about 10k years ago. Humans domesticated dogs to use for hunting in the hunter/gatherer societies. Cats finally moved in because humans moved on to farming & staying in one place, storing food which meant an abundance of rodents all conveniently in one place.

Humans started to control breeding of dogs to fix in certain traits so they would be more useful for different functions e.g. as sight hounds, as ones who could go underground, ones who would turn the spits who would then become muff warmers (!), scent hounds... This also lead to personality traits being bred in as desirable including like for humans, more open to obeying orders, general trainability.

As far as humans were concerned cats only had one use, pest control which they seemed to do fine without our interference, so they were left to do their own thing when it came to breeding which meant it was usually the most dominant male who fathered the most kittens. So it wasn't until within the last couple of thousand years, and almost definitely only the last couple of hundred in the western world, that cats were bred intentionally to fix physical characteristics.

Mine isn't at all
When I come home, he's waiting behind the door for me and has usually pulled a coat down that smells of me to sleep on
If I shout him, he comes running to me and when I WFH he sleeps inches away from me all day
At night he sleeps under the covers, wedged right against me

Ours insists on being spooned under the duvet. If I turn the other way for some space, he gets up and repositions himself so he’s once more being spooned under the duvet.

My cat is proper needy - does my hrad in but l love him really