[Cadaverous Pallor]

Some cats are wonderfully affectionate. I babysat for a family that owned the sweetest cat. On my first time there the cat came over to me and curled up in my lap automatically.

It seems though that most cats save this affectionate nature solely for their owners. If I go to a friend's house and they have a dog, I'll most probably get some attention from it. But if I go to a friend's house and they have a cat, I'll probably attempt to get the cat to come over, make noises, beg and plead, throw a cat toy, make silly faces.....and still the cat will stay a good 5 feet away, amused at how he's making me look stupid.

Eventually I'll go over and pick up the cat like an overzealous 5 year old and try force it to love me. It will then get pissed off and attempt scratch me as it drops to the floor and runs away.

I think this is why people that don't have cats say "Oh, you have a cat? I hate cats."

Oh, and that's the benign version - sometimes you visit a friend's house and the cat decides you're the enemy, instead of a goofy being come to amuse it.