If you have a cat as a member of your family, then you will possibly be bemused by the fact that when you have friends round for dinner, your cat seems to make a bee line for the one person who is allergic to their fur or who distinctly dislikes them. This can often be disappointing for the cat lovers in your social gathering, who are doing all they can – making cooing noises, rubbing their fingers together, patting their laps – in order to gain the attention and affection of your feline companion.

Whilst the non-cat lover is sitting in your front room, desperately hoping that your cat will not sit on their lap or rub itself against their legs.

The fact that the non-cat lover is sitting quietly and avoiding eye-contact or any attention of any sort, is attractive to your cat and so it ventures towards the person sitting quietly in order to explore further. The exuberant actions and attentions of the cat lovers can seem threatening to your cat and so it avoids moving towards them, preferring the calm and the quietness of the non-cat lovers instead!