Research overview: genetics and development of cat sociability toward humans

Cats vary widely in how friendly and social they are with people, and research has sought the sources of this variation. This overview surveys evidence that feline sociability toward humans arises from an interaction of genetics, particularly paternal contribution to boldness, and early-life experience during the sensitive socialization period. It examines studies of friendliness as a heritable temperament dimension, the role of handling in the first weeks of life, and how bold or shy tendencies persist into adulthood. The survey connects these findings to practical concerns in breeding, shelter management and the placement of cats, emphasizing that a cat's affection toward people is shaped both by who its parents were and by the quality and timing of its earliest social experiences.