Can people really have a way with animals?

Everybody says ''i have a way with animals'' Like every animal loves me. My dads gf brought over her new kitten, for me to watch it, and he was scared of everything. And by an hour, he would lay on my chest, if everybody else picked him up, he'd jump out of their arms. My aunties dog Mandy (golden retriever), completely bonded with me when i met her, she follows me alot too. When i went to my mom's friends house for the first time horse back riding, after getting off one of the horses, i remember feeling something on my shoulder, and i looked and the horse had his head over my shoulder, like he wanted me to give him attention. So i started rubbing his chin and when i was leaving the corral he was trying to follow me. Is it true people can have a way with animals? And how does that work? Why do animals love certain people so much when you barely even bonded with them? And when i was volunteering at a pet shelter, i had to clean the cat litter boxes, and we let the cats out of the kennels into the room they were in, and they were always by me, and my friend was there too, and only one out of the six was by her. Im sure they just want attention because they barely get any, but why wouldn't they go to her?