Do animals chose their owners?

[wealthy1]

I'm going to try to explain this as best as I can. When my sister was about 14/15 she went to the pet store to purchase a cat. She and I approached a playpen of kittens. She was on one end of the playpen and I was on the other. All the kittens except one ran to my end of the playpen. The one kitten that stayed with my sister was the one she purchased. I remember thinking the kitten (Tails (RIP))) and my sister were meant to be. They had a connection no one in the family could deny.

Fast forward to me, I acquired Tiger (RIP) although I took care of her and loved her deeply. I knew we didn't have that connection.

One day I was at Petsmart or Petco where they have cats available for the public to view. One kitten about a year old, locked eyes with me and approached her cage. I can't explained it, but I knew this kitten chose me. But Tiger, was not friendly with animals, so I left.

I heard other similiar stories where animals chose their owners.

Is this true?

 

[mingsmongols]

I felt that before too. We just looked at each other and it seemed like it was fate.

 

[sprin]

I think it is! Not with all cats, but sometimes you get that instant connection. With my cat Robin, she was an outside stray that my dad had been feeding for a while. He had been trying to get her to come closer to him, but she would just hide. The first time I went out to talk to her, she came out almost immediately. She was all purry and lovey, it was amazing. And she stayed super attached to me until she died, even when I went to college out of state she'd still be right at my side when I came home. I think you can build equally good relationships with cats who don't instantly bond to you like that, but yeah sometimes they do choose you.

 

[rampionrampage]

Oh, totally. My first cat was brought to me by an adoption volunteer and he just strutted into my living room like it was his. He also tried to steal chicken off my plate while I was eating it that night like it was his. I had to chase him down and take it back to make it clear that was not how things were going to be. We were super close until he passed.

My second cat was a kitten when I got her, but she was never really 'needing' people. The older she got the more she loved cuddles if you walked by and said things the right way, but never that connected.

My third pressed every button and pulled every last nerve I had. I don't know what I would have done if my boyfriend hadn't moved in. They are deeply connected. He is very ill now so we are always together physically (right now he's almost literally attached to my hip) but when my bf is home, he will still always choose him over me. And that is totally fine with me. I'm glad we're getting to bond, though.

Fourth cat was found at four days old. You'd think the connection was a shoo-in, but I actually did not like her much until she was one and a half, lol. Then she decided I was the best thing ever, like a teen who went to college and realized she still needed her mommy. And needing. and needing. She's my baby and when she is in her bed - which is level with my desk - and sleeping, I find the rise/fall of her breathing on my periphery so calming.

Youngest cat is totally my boyfriend's. This was kinda by design but I think it would have happened anyway. We did not want more cats but the day he saw tiny little gray kitten traipsing with her brother and mom in the yard he named her Sylvie and could not live without her. The brother went to his mom.

Unrelated to cats, we got a dog when I was twelve that was supposed to be mine. My dad was adamantly opposed to a dog but mom and I won out. That dog... omg. They shared a soul, I think.

So, yeah, I think some bonds are just automatic.

 

[lalagimp]

Tommy was unlike any of the other cats in the cages at Petco. He made eye contact with me once or twice, but didn't meow out or stick his paws through, grabbing at me. He wasn't sleeping it away sadly.

He was chasing his tail up on a shelf and falling off and getting right back up and do it again, and he had just been neutered 2 days before. He couldn't seem happier.

Then my bubba got sick within the first week I got him home. It was awful. Eyes swollen shut and big green snot bubbles and lots of sneezing. He got a kitty cold. If I hadn't picked him up that weekend, they would have euthanized him before the next. He came from county.

He's the best cat we've ever had and he knows I'm his momma and he loves his daddy and he's extremely affectionate and very strong and moderately vocal. I have his paw prints tattooed behind my ear. He has big feet so they hurt. 

We just spent $10000 in the last 6 months due to urethral obstructions. Boyfriend wouldn't let me put him down because he didn't want to lose him and didn't want me to have to lose him.

He was 2-3 months when we met and I have lots of stories, but he's turning 8 in a few months.