Research overview: heritability of friendliness and fear in cats

A cat's friendliness toward people is shaped by both genes and early experience, and this overview surveys research disentangling these influences. It covers classic studies showing that bold, friendly fathers tend to produce bold, friendly kittens even when the father is absent from rearing, the interaction of paternal genetic effects with maternal influence and socialisation, and how early handling moderates innate fearfulness. It discusses implications for breeding sociable cats and for understanding individual differences in temperament. The topic addresses one of the most practically important questions in feline behaviour, why some cats are confident and affectionate while others remain timid, and how heredity and rearing combine.