Had to answer “other,” as we have a multi-cat household.
“My” cat, Rodeo, is wary of strangers. He’ll stay out of reach and watch them until they leave. Once he gets to know you, he’s fine.
“My wife’s” cat, Natalie, is terrified of strangers. Heck, Natalie’s scared of me, and we’ve had her 12 years. She hasn’t left our bedroom in three years – even if the door is open and we forget to feed her.
The other cat, Arthur, loves everybody. If you visit my home, he will run up to you, climb in your lap, lick your hands, roll over to have his belly rubbed, and purr so loudly the neighbors will hear – and the neighbors are 150 yards away!
My bookstore cat is a wonderful greeter. When someone walks into the store, Benjamin will run up to them and meow. Once he’s been stroked or talked to, he’ll wander off and go back to sleep until the next person comes in.
Got Milk? will run from another room to jump into a stranger’s lap, the minute he hears that someone other than me has walked into the house. If the visitor is allergic to cats, all the better. He does not care. However, if the allergic person refuses to scritch him, he gets the message right away and investigates their shoes instead. Anyone wearing leather, vinyl, or rubber shoes, especially stinky flip flops, will find a cat wrapped around their feet as soon as they sit down. If you take your shoes off, he will lay on them and jam his head as far into the toes as he can get it. He also likes stinky underwear and socks, but there’s more shoes laying around my house than undies and socks.
Because of this strong leather/vinyl/rubber preference, we call him Fetish Kitty. He’s a freak. Likes to be spanked (gently) and everything. I’m looking for a tiny ball gag for him…
No, but they are very different. My female cat dislikes everyone (human or otherwise) but me (sometimes). My male cat is extremely ‘fraidy’ with new people/situations, and especially seems scared of men, but is otherwise the friendliest attention whore ever. It usually takes him no more than 15 minutes of someone new being in my apartment for him to stop hiding and start rubbing his body all over them.
Diego is hugely affectionate and adores strangers. Serafinais timid and doesn’t like anyone but me. After FOUR YEARS, she will finally sit next to my husband on the couch and has TWICE (2 times in four years) climbed into his lap.
Had to vote other.
It’s always amazing to me that 2 cats, raised together with the same life experiences have such a different reaction to strangers!
The girl cat enjoys visitors in our home, and demands attention. She has a strong desire to make love to my male guests. She’s been known to make them feel like they’ve been molested. She will rub on their legs ceaselessly. Once they make the mistake of sitting down, she will select an exposed body part (hand, arm, top of head), hold it in her arms, and lick and nuzzle it for hours. I’ve had many male guests who were unnerved and embarrassed by her obviously ardent attentions.
The boy cat is very skittish of all people who aren’t me. He runs and hides. He will eventually come out and has been known to interact with a few guests (rub on legs, get petted) who seem not too likely to grab him or make loud noises. He sat in my mother’s lap once, and that was like a miracle.
My cat likes other adults. She will happily sit on their laps and purr. Little kids, however, freak her out. I guess she just doesn’t know what to make of them. She will hiss at my friends kids when they come over.
Other. Two cats.
One is wary but is friendly once he gets to know someone.
The other started out as a feral kitten and will probably never be people-oriented. Even I can’t handle or pet him much, unless I’m feeding him. I tried picking him up a few months ago and wound up with a scratched, bleeding arm. He did. not. appreciate.
Another “other” here.
We have three.
One thinks he needs to be petted by any hand that comes into the house.
One will sit in the same room with a visitor, but not go near them.
The last one is a ghost, if we have company. Heck, she is barely visible when it’s just us.
Charlie was not exactly a “rescued” cat, but his mother was feral and he spent his babyhood in the absence of humans. He loves me and my husband beyond reason, but does not enjoy the company of strangers. He’s too cool to be scared, and too sweet to ever be nasty, but he always chills in the bedroom when random people are in the house.
Wait a minute. <does the math> This means you have, like, one million cats!
Oh.
No cats here, but my ex bf had a cat, and the cat hated everyone. Also, a newish friend of mine whose apt I visit has a cat that is intensely curious about me. Not sure if he likes me or not, but he’s attracted to my purse, and won’t quit sniffing my shoes. He’s rubbed against my leg, which I think is a good sign, but he also bit me. Why, Jebus, why are cats so effing crazy?
Had a cat, once, that didn’t mind “stranger danger”. Also didn’t mind the vacuum cleaner. He’s gone, now. Rats.
Current cats (3) dissolve into the drywall when there’s a knock on the door.
Both of my cats hate strangers. We were amazed when someone was over last week and one cat peeked her head around the corner to glare. She usually just hides the whole time. A few months ago, the other cat decided a 6-foot drop into the tiny space behind a corner bookcase with no escape (well, nothing she could do on her own) was better than the possibility of the cable guy getting her. She really fought me when we tipped the bookcase forward to get her out, too. She’s also the one that hissed at LOUNE when he reached to pull her out from under the bed when we had people over once.
Neither of my cats is exactly guest-happy, but Mystery will put up with you if you’re quiet and respect her space. She’s even seemed to enjoy being petted by a few of them.
Tikva is still terrified of most of the people in my house, let alone guests.
Two are very friendly and “normal.” One is OK, very curious and sniffs around and loves to play under long skirts, but brain damaged and so doesn’t take to petting much, but will sniff intensely and climb up onto laps, just don’t pet her. The fourth is stand-offish and stays in another room until the visitor sits down for a while, then he will investigate. He will not make friends unless the person has a treat to offer, and even then just a light pet.
1 of the 9 will mug a stranger for attention, two or three of the others will hang around and watch, perhaps allowing a skritch or two if they’re too comfortable to bother getting up. The rest either hide as far away as possible, or will hide in a place they can peek from.
