# Attention seeking cat...?



## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

Hey guys!

I know lots of you have cats, and I'm at my wits' end with mine. He's 6 years old and neutered, but progressively over the last few months he just will not leave me alone, literally even for a few seconds. It's hard to describe (I'm not just trying to neglect him or anything) but he is driving me absolutely crazy! He jumps up on my lap constantly. If I put him down he will jump back up the second his paws touch the floor. If I block him from jumping up he will sit by my chair and meow *constantly*, for hours and hours unless I give in. When I go out to work he will sit and meow literally all day from the moment I leave til the moment I get home. It's not that he wants to go out, he's allowed out as and when he wants to go, it's waiting for me. When he does manage to get up on my lap you'd think he was on ecstasy or something, he writhes and purrs and dribbles like I'm his own giant catnip toy and refuses to sit/lay still, and I can't get a moment's peace. Even during the times when he is on my lap he's not happy unless I'm actively fussing him with BOTH hands, and he will stick his claws right into my leg quite painfully if I stop 

And I'd just like to point out that I'm not a neglectful owner. I try to give him as much attention as I can, but this has reached a stage where I'm starting to sometimes really lose my temper with him. These qualities are precisely why I HAVE a cat and not a dog. The whole idea was that he was supposed to sort of drift off and come back for attention - the way cats usually do. I appreciate that this might SOUND like it's adorable but it is absolutely non-stop from the second I get home from work until the second I leave again the next day.

Could this behaviour be symptomatic of something? I might sound horrible but if I can't put a stop to it I might have to put him up for adoption because I just can't seem to give him all the attention he needs :-/


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Well, cats are sort of mis-stereotyped. They are social and form very tight families and of course seek attention and affection from their loved ones.

You should work on redirecting his energy. Get crinkle balls, a wand, some toys. Focus on tiring him out at least an hour a day. Use the crinkle balls to get him to go play while you are working. Try to incorporate him into your life: window seats, cat trees, places he can be while being near you.


----------



## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

I was going to suggest the same exact things as nanashi. I have 2 cats and they have SO MUCH energy. Treble is a lap cat and wants to constantly be on us or as close as possible. Pistol will do as she pleases, shes quite the queen and demands attention when she wants it and on her terms only. I make it very clear to Treble that hes allowed on my lap when I want to, not the other way around. My girlfriend is a bit of a pushover and he often worms his way onto her lap if she wants him there or not. 

We discovered that a routine helps them too. They get fed at approx the same times every day and we often play with them the same times every day. Basically we wake up, they get fed, we play for probably 20-30 minutes, then my girlfriend and I go to work. Or do errands or homework or whatever needs to be done for the day, in or out of the house. The cats are often sleeping between 11 and 4. When we come home, they get dinner when we get dinner, anywhere between 5 and 7. Then we play for another 30-45 mins depending on the day. 

Treble we HAVE to tire out or he gets destructive. He'll purposely go to shelves and start knocking things over. He'll stick his paws in the rat cage. He'll rip open the trash, jump on the table, etc etc. Treble actually has a favorite toy and plays fetch. Its the top of a feather toy that he's been playing too rough with since he was 8 weeks old. If we touch it from anywhere in the apartment he comes running and when he wants to play, he'll bring it to us for us to throw. We also have a laser collar. Its amusing and almost torture, lol but it keeps him busy when I dont feel like playing with the handheld laser. I keep a basket of crinkle balls, mice, and other toys on my desk and if they start harassing me while I'm working, I toss one or two and they usually leave me alone and start playing that.

Try different stuff and see what your kitty likes! They make automatic lasers, feather balls that attach to the under side of tables and doors, mechanical toys that spin on their own, etc. Might cost a few bucks but its worth your sanity. As I'm typing this, its 5 oclock and everyone ate, and I hear Treble in the kitchen splashing around in his water dish. I guess its toy time, lol.


----------



## Sylver (Sep 5, 2013)

My cat was like this when I lived alone and worked full time. She's a very needy kitty! It was very sad, she knew when I was leaving, and she'd try to leap into my arms. No claws, just leap at me and wrap her arms around my torso and hold on. Absolutely freaking heart breaking! She was also well little trained, but when I left, she would pee in front of the front door. She was never in trouble for it, it was a pretty obvious signal of her opinions, and it's not like I could blame her. 

I had gotten her from a pretty bad situation in which she had been left alone far too much. She was locked in an upstairs bedroom with no food and water for awhile, seldom cared for as the girl who had her was off doing school stuff most of the time. When I got her, her whole back was a solid mat of hair that had to be shaved off. So I very well understood her separation anxiety, which occurs even if you're just in the other room. Better open that door, because if destroying the carpet doesn't work, she will start to literally try to eat through the wall/door. 

What worked for her (which I know isn't something everyone can just do) was me not living alone anymore. We've got my husband and son there now. She NEEEEDS to be held, and talked to, and LOOKED AT while you're doing it (otherwise you get paws on your cheeks and her pulling your face back to stare into her eyes - she's pretty weird like that). We work and go to school and all that now, but she doesn't freak out about it. We still don't go on any long vacations or anything beyond a couple of days, because she needs us to be there, and I'll put her needs above my wants as long as she lives. She gets very depressed if she doesn't have company, and very clingy once she finally does. She's our baby though, and sometimes you just gotta hold the baby, so we've managed to figure out getting things done with a cat in one arm. If one of us can't hold her, she goes to the other. 

I think she likes having the rats around now, too. She doesn't immediately start bawling at us when we come in from work any more. She's watching the rats, and they're watching her, she's got company! 

One thing that keeps her busy once in awhile though, some cats like it more than others...
Do you have an iPad, or other kind of tablet? Get Game for Cats. My cat loves it. She will also sit for a very long time and watch certain videos of birds on YouTube (we put these on sometimes when we're trying to leave without a huge guilt trip).


----------



## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

I've tried many different types of toy, but no dice. He will only play with a toy which requires me to be paying full attention to the game as well, the second I stop looking at him he loses interest in what he was doing. He never used to be like this, it's only the last few months it's happened and it's driving me up the wall! He's my baby and I adore him but my sanity is wearing thin! I can't even type properly right now because he's batting at my hands on the keyboard (which he will sit on if I don't stop). The only time I ever have any peace is the brief periods he wants to go outside (he will only stay out for about 15 minutes then he's bawling at the door to be let in) and when he's asleep!


----------



## Sylver (Sep 5, 2013)

Have there been any changes in routine? New people, people leaving, new situations, anything? Have you been having any new trouble for the last few months he might be picking up on?


----------



## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

I was sick for a while which meant I was home more than usual, I think that's likely the turning point. He spent a great deal of time cuddled up to me in bed while I was a sort of captive audience for him. Maybe he just got a taste for it?


----------



## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

*Shocking turnaround!*

So I got Ticket a new plaything the other day:









And it's been a total game changer! I think it has something to do with height. This is mounted on my desk, so when he sits on the middle level he's above my head height but the level below has a little swinging hammock which is just slightly lower than my head height, and he's totally crazy about it! He curls right up in the hammock, I think being near me and high up is just what he wants! The change in him is really stunning, he's interested in playing again, and he'll go mental all on his own with his crinkle ball again before he comes back up to sleep near me on his hammock.

It's left me stunned that such a tiny change can have such a huge impact!


----------



## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Thats awesome!!! Good to hear


----------



## agirl65 (Oct 7, 2013)

Awww!! Look at the happy kitty! He is very handsome, glad you found something he liked


----------



## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

Thanks! I also think it might even be a little to do with the rats, even though he can't play with them I think he likes having something alive and moving in the house when I go to work...


----------

