bonding with a cat (m)

Cat-sat for three days for my niece's cat.  B is 9 years old.  My niece says he loves me but I think otherwise.  How else to explain getting batted by a cat when sitting watching The Today Show?  He took a swipe at my arm with his paw.  It hurt.  It was like a human did it.  Then he hissed.

Over the three days, he came to accept me as a port in a storm.  He let me feed him, pet him and take pictures of him. 

My niece came home and said his bowl was completely empty even though I put more in it than she directed (in case I couldn't make it over there the next day).

I confessed that I put more in than she said and couldn't imagine how a cat could eat that much.

She said he always overeats when he's depressed.

I didn't realize the cat and I had so much in common.