Cations and anions primarily form ionic bonds. Cations are positively charged ions, while anions are negatively charged. When these oppositely charged ions come together, they attract each other due to electrostatic forces, leading to the formation of an ionic bond.
In contrast, covalent bonds are formed between two nonmetals that share electrons rather than transferring them. Since cations and anions are usually formed from metals and nonmetals, they do not typically participate in covalent bonding.
To summarize, cations and anions mainly interact through ionic bonding, which is essential in forming various compounds, such as sodium chloride (table salt).