This will sound like a bit of a strange bitch.
My daughter LOVES cats. Really loves cats. My ex loves animals. My son loves animals. At my ex's place, my daughter had a favourite cat. She obviously has not seen that favoured cat since she bailed and misses him.
We cannot have a cat here and whilst it suits me because I am not an animal person and am pretty indifferent to animals, she has longed for a cat of her own.
Enter the next door neighbour's cat. He is kind of ballsy around humans and loves hanging out. I have let my daughter allow him inside because she likes him around and at night he took to cuddling up to her. He is house trained and as yet the neighbours have not seemed to miss him. We let him wander in and out at will.
He seems to enjoy the peace as the neighbours have popped out another child that is noisy.
The cat was SUPPOSED to be here for my daughter's benefit. Guess who the cat has come to love and hang around most of all? Guess who's room he hangs on in? Yep, me. I don't care whether he is here or not and will absent-mindedly give him a pat or pull a prickle out of his fur but I am not really indulging him much, but he adores me.
I seem to get that with a lot of animals. My daughter on the other hand loves him being here an desperately wants to snuggle on the couch with him and pet him and whatever. I don't give a fuck about him and he follows me around and demands my attention. She says "He loves you and doesn't care about me" and I say '...he is a dumbarse". But it is true and I feel bad for her.