Do people who perpetuate this stereotype have cats? Because it seems like they don’t. My cat is psyched and affectionate as hell when I come home. All of my cats have been the same way.
Mine also. He waits in the windowsill looking for me, and when he sees me coming he gets super pumped up and races to the front door
Once I set up a motion detecting webcam inside once when I had to go away for a day (32 hours to be precise lol). Looking at the footage later, I saw him pacing back and forward between windows, clearly pining for me. I’m sorry buddy!
Both of mine stay outside waiting for me at the time I usually arrive. They greet me afectiously, follow me inside and ask for pets and belly rubs. Then they tell me to go fuck myself and leave.
When I come back at a random time I just yell their names at the door, a inter-dimensional portal opens on the far side of the street and they each come running to greet me, love me and, you guessed, tell me to go fuck myself.
I think a lot of people just don't know how to read cats as well as dogs. Cats can be very aloof but still very loving and most people just know how to read body language from dogs more than cats. Knowing that when a cat gives you that narrow eyed glare and slow blinking is actually a sign of affection is a good indicator that cats are just weird little things.
Especially if we've been away longer our cat will just go nuts for us for days. Even just coming home from work she'll come say hello and maybe give us a couple roll-arounds to greet us. I get that it's not quite as obvious as dogs though and previous cats I've had were not so affective.