Cats don't answer to anyone. They are independent creatures who think for themselves and don't take "no" for an answer. If you try to tell a cat what to do, it will look at you like you are crazy and go about its business.
It's not that they aren't smart enough to obey on command, like a dog...oh no. It's quite the opposite. They are smarter because they are intelligent enough to consider their options first and make the choice to say, "Stick your orders up your ass." They practice individual thought and rationale and do things on their own terms and no one else's (which is more than I can say about most human beings).
Cats don't allow themselves to be controlled without a fight (or at least an attitude). They don't express an overt need to be liked and they are quite picky about whom they choose to warm up to.
This is why some people hate them, but little do those people know, cats find those people to be humorously delightful. Those people only make them more resilient and confident in their own rites. So go on cat haters, keep on hating. Cats enjoy people who hate them.