Cats are the same way. They imprint within the first 8 weeks.
I have one cat, because we rough-housed with it, loves being man-handled and can handle rough, for a cat.
We have another cat that we took in, but it was older than the 8 weeks. When we first got her, she didn’t like to be touched at all, instant slashing. Now, after two years, we can pet her for a couple of minutes before she let’s us know she’s had enough.
That describes my two cats to a tee. Although the skittish one is gradually becoming more socialized over a couple of years.