If constant meowing, followed by a friendly—yet forceful—head butt have ever altered your plans, you might share your home with a devoted, needy pet.
Signs of a Clingy Kitty
According to Jacqui Neilson, DVM and DACVB, “A clingy cat will follow the owner around constantly”. Your attention-craving kitty may do the same action over and over again. “Repeated attempts to relocate the cat often fail as the cat just jumps back up”, says Dr Neilson. In some cases, cats may become demanding only “when they want a specific item, such as food or interactive play”.
Clingy cats are difficult to ignore, agrees Sherry Woodard, an animal behaviour consultant. “When you arrive home, it is at the door vocalising.” Your demanding cat may attempt to climb up your legs, then “follow you everywhere, in and out of every room”.
Too Close for Comfort
If you’re dealing with a cat that seems to crave your attention all the time, try thinking outside the box. A needy cat may decrease its demands if you offer some mental enrichment and physical activity, says to Dr Neilson. For example, try “creating a treasure hunt around the house with treats, or moving furniture around, so they have new things to investigate”, she says. You might also install a window perch, where your cat can become a “bird watcher”.
Investing in one or two DVDs designed just for cats, such as a film of birds flying or fish swimming, might also keep kitty busy when you need some quiet time. Test your cat’s interest level for free by showing it the clip. You should also make sure that your cat has plenty of other diversions, such as cat toys, yummy edible plants, other cats, a huge cat tree in the living room, cat tunnels, beds and catnip.
Midnight Meowers
If you have a “Midnight Meower”, your cat probably naps throughout the day. Typically the owners of such cats will make excuses to their houseguests that “kitty can’t help it — all cats are nocturnal creatures”.
That assumption is not true, according to Dr Neilson. Cats tend to exhibit “heightened activity at dawn and dusk”, she says. Although some house cats may regularly display a burst of night-time activity that awakens the soundest of sleepers, cats are not nocturnal by nature. However, Neilson adds that the average house cat does not enjoy “a great deal of exercise and activity during the day”.
To manage the problem, you need to channel that energy into activities when your cat is awake, says Dr Neilson. She recommends keeping your cat lively throughout the evening by playing games, such as an interactive toy chase. If the behaviour continues, consistent disregard on the part of the owner should eventually extinguish it.
Laptop Loungers
Does your cat love to lurk atop your computer keyboard or spread out in the midst of the newspaper that you’re trying to read? If so, your cat is making a very clear plea for attention, says Dr Neilson. Consider whether your cat receives sufficient mental stimulation and physical exercise. If you are overworked, overbooked and burning the candle at both ends, your cat may be telling you to slow down and pay attention to it.
If you are providing sufficient attention, you need to become creative and consistent. The creative part is discovering ways to engage your cat in activities that don’t require your constant engagement. A treasure hunt for treats or a battery-powered toy can help, suggests Dr Neilson. As for consistency, make sure you don’t give in to your cat’s attention-seeking behaviours.
Garfield Gobblers
Does your cat calmly leap onto the kitchen table and slurp up the milk in your cereal bowl?
“To minimise this feline-feeding frenzy, you may want to satiate your cat before you sit down to eat by making sure your cat has had its meal first”, says Dr Neilson. If problems continue, try keeping your cat in a different room while you eat.
Remember Who’s in Charge
Additional signs that your cat is overly indulged are:
- You let your cat take food away from you
- You repeatedly permit your cat to keep you awake, or it awakens you throughout the night
- You respond to your cat’s yowls by dashing to look for the perfect treat
If you realise that you are giving in to your cat’s ultra-demanding behaviours, take action by:
- Moving the cat into another room before you begin your meal
- Using a child’s water gun to squirt water at your cat at night when you’re awakened or keeping your bedroom closed when you’re sleeping
- Refusing to reward undesirable behaviour with a treat
