I’ve noticed that my cat has an incredibly systematic approach to determining where he wants to be in the house. If there are more people on the first floor than the second, he will position himself on that floor as close to where the majority of the people are as possible (and vice versa.) Furthermore, if the majority of the people are on the same floor but in different rooms, he will go to the room with the most people and, if they are evenly split, he will sit at the midpoint (or center) between the rooms. Has there ever been any documentation on this? Anyone else seen this?
I just want to say, that in my opinion, cats are evil. There are three of them in my house and they constantly try to scratch me (due to nothing I’m doing).
As to your question, I think the cat is trying to get attention. I had one cat that on one occasion, was madly trying to get someone’s attention in the room-anyones. The cat ended up taking a piss on the rug under a chair (the kitty litter box was clean and well within range).
I swear that cat stomped off and wagged it’s ass at me…
Also, my cat (in attempts obviously desired, as Meatros mentioned, to get attention) sometimes bites people on an exposed part of the body (usually the foot). However, before biting the said part, he takes care to lick it several times (this, to me, is reminiscent of a doctor cleansing an area with alcohol before inserting the syringe.)
I’ve always taken this to mean that the cat is playing, as opposed to seriously trying to hurt you.
My parents have two cats. The older one will take all the attention he can get, and when company comes over he’ll hang out with the humans. The younger cat is much more stand-offish, and when company comes over, she’ll go upstairs and find a quiet room to hide in.
My cat does the exact same thing. I don’t know how common it is, but I think it’s a result of how they were raised, i.e. how close-knit they feel with the family. Was your cat raised in your family from a kitten and treated with love and respect throughout its life?
It seems to be like a mother cat and her kittens. Your cat thinks you and your family are its kittens.
My cat prefers to be in a room where there are people she is being sociable we think. She will also go and sleep in rooms where a radio is playing, she like BonJovi for some reason but hates Whitney Huston… odd
Cats are social animals with each other. A cat socialized from kittenhood towards humans will tend to seek out human company. Ever have a stray cat follow you home, or want into your house?
I have heard that dogs adopt families, while cats hire staff. I think your cat is revelling in the number of staff he has on any given occasion and trying to decide who next to grace with his demands.
We have two cats and a dog. On most occasions they are all vying for attention from us. But while our dog is in his glory when company comes over, the cats run upstairs and hide under the bathroom vanity.
And I hear you, Meatros, that some cats are evil (not ours). We have a close friend who also has two cats, one of whom is the devil incarnate, I swear. Her name is Keisha, but our friend calls her “Something Evil This Way Comes.” She will seek your affection, but if you aren’t petting her the way she wants, she will bite you. She is not playing… she draws blood. She is tasting!
Well, we had our cat since he was 3 months old so I guess he was raised from a kitten but I’m not sure if he was treated with what he would perceive to be love and respect (when she was younger, my sister enjoyed hugging him but she did so very tightly) 
I’ve got two cats and have had them since they were kitts.
They are both very sweet and love cuddles and contraband goodies like bits of tuna from my tuna salad.
They don’t particularly care if there are people around. But they do enjoy coming for purring sessions. When they’re not sleeping. They have their own little snooze spots that they claim as their own for a couple of weeks and then move on to another.
One of them is very good at sneaking in and leaving fur and grit (what’s the deal with the grit deposits?!) on top of the clothes waiting to be ironed. Very stealthy, that one.
The other one is a dope. Sorry Frodo, my dear but you are. You’re a drooling, purring, regularly-falling-off-the-fridge-in-your-sleep old man. He’s the kind of cat you look at and just know there’s nothing but cat-grit between those ears. Bless.
I love my cats. They’re small and friendly. Not like my aunt’s siameese (sp?) cats. Now THEY are evil through and through. One time, one of them decided they didn’t like a visitor and launch himself off the stairs, through the railing and on top of the head of this poor lady.
Evil, evil cat.
Our new whippet, Sprite, like’s all cats. She just can’t figure why they don’t like her as much as she loves them. But she’s not one to hold a grudge. She still loves them and loves to show that love by chasing them. Cat vs Whippet. Hmm, tough call.
I seem to remember, but can’t cite, a television show about (in part) how cats physically orient themselves to each other (and perhaps, by extension, to their human kittens) and that this has to do with dominance and territoriality. For example, in my house, the bottom cat ranges everywhere, and the top cat has an area slightly constrained by the middle cat. The middle cat won’t go into some rooms unless either a human or the bottom cat is also there. She tends to position herself in relation to both cats an humans–we can tell if the top cat is hiding in a room based on where the middle cat sits (including on what height object she sits).