When John and I were looking to adopt a kitten back in September 2023, the biggest item on our wishlist was for the kitten to be a snuggle bug. We also wanted a boy, because we figured it would be easier with Kap to have another boy around. But most importantly, SNUGGLES.
John did a lot of research and landed on the Ragdoll breed. He then did even more research to find Ragdoll kittens to adopt, and we were lucky enough to find Franklin only an hour's drive away. We knew he was ours because the moment I held him, he purred in my arms. The moment John held him, he purred in John's arms. His brother, who was also up for adoption and was very sweet, did not purr in our arms. And so Franklin became ours.
And to my surprise, Franklin didn't just like to snuggle on occasion- he wants to snuggle all the time! If John and/or I are home, Franklin wants to be near us. If he's not off somewhere napping, he's in our laps or on our shoulders or, if I'm laying down, draped across my neck like a scarf.
But Big Brother Kap does not like to snuggle. He tolerates me picking him up to love on him. But he doesn't want to nap in our laps or sit on our shoulders and he definitely does not want to fall asleep on my chest and neck. If he deigns to sleep with us on the bed, he lies in the farthest corner possible, not touching us.
So... why? Why do some cats like or even love to snuggle, and some don't?
According to an article entitled "Why Do Cats Snuggle?" from Basepaws, there are three main reasons why cats want to snuggle their humans: Warmth; Safety and Protection; Bonding with their Humans.
In Franklin's case, this all makes perfect sense. We snuggle a lot at night, when it's coldest outside. When he gets startled by something he runs to us for comfort and protection, crawling into our laps or arms. And his favorite place to cuddle is on our chests- heart to heart. There have been many times where Franklin has crawled into my arms and fallen asleep with his chest on mine, and I can feel his heartbeat slow as he drifts off to sleep. He is warm, protected, and bonding.
It is one of the sweetest things I never knew cats would enjoy.
Ragdolls are usually the number one breed listed on any "Top Cat Breeds Who Like To Snuggle" List, if not at least mentioned in the top three. And it's no surprise to me that in my research I found that Persian and Birman are also listed. In my blog Cat Breeds Franklin Gets Mistaken For, the Ragdoll breed, which was officially established in the 1960s, stems from the breeding of Persian and Birman cats.
Now back to Big Brother Kap- he has no interest in bonding with us by touching for long periods of time. He loves to get warm and cozy with anything on the floor (clothes, towels, grocery bags, the carpet, etc). And most importantly, when Kap wants to bond with us, he walks into the room. He feels no need to touch in order to bond. Being close is good enough for him... even if John and I wish Kap would want to be more of a snuggle bug like Franklin.
In the Basepaw article "Why Do Cats Snuggle?" they list the two main reasons for why some cats like to snuggle and some do not: Genetics & Early Socialization.
Remember the list of cat breeds I mentioned? Well, just like all domesticated animals, some cats have been bred to have specific personality traits, like enjoying snuggling. Just like there are some dog breeds who are more snuggly, playful, high-maintenance, or territorial, cats have been bred with specific traits and appearances in mind. Ragdolls were literally bred from two of the snuggliest cat breeds, creating the most snuggly cat breed of them all.
To be honest, I am a little unsure about Kap's upbringing. John adopted Kap at a few months old, but Kap was adopted at an older age than we adopted Franklin, who was 8 weeks old. So in that time, Kap most likely did not have the socialization needed to become a snuggle bug. If he wasn't held, petted a lot, etc, it makes perfect sense why his preference is to be in the same room with us without touching us. He wasn't raised to snuggle.
With Franklin, we forced our love and snuggles on him, and he gave them right back- to the point where he demands snuggles at sometimes the most inopportune moments. Like while we eat dinner, we're typing on the computer, or while we're going to the bathroom... you can fill in the blanks on that image, lol.
In the end, it doesn't matter to us that Franklin is over-snuggly and Kap is not. We love our boys just the way they are. But it is fascinating that cats can be bred to be more or less snuggly. I just always assumed they tolerated petting and wanted nothing much more to do with their humans.
I'm very glad I was wrong.
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