Research overview: the bold-shy continuum in domestic cats

One of the most robust axes of feline personality is a bold-to-shy or confident-to-fearful continuum that shapes how cats respond to novelty, strangers, and handling. This overview surveys research on the genetic and developmental origins of boldness, including paternal influences and early socialisation, the stability of the trait across contexts and time, and its consequences for welfare and the human-cat relationship. It discusses how friendliness toward people appears partly heritable and partly shaped by experience. The topic explains why some cats greet visitors while others hide for hours, and how understanding this dimension improves matching, handling, and stress reduction.