Conditioning for affection!

What's the best way to go about conditioning the cat so he is always wanting to be near me, on me, with me, held by me, ect? I'm looking to make my cat as affectionate as possible.

Just be wonderful to him, always -- and don't try to force anything. Let him come to you if and when he chooses to.

If being clingy is in his nature, your gentle patience will allow him to develop that quality... but if it isn't, the kitty can only be who he is. Please don't resent it or blame him if he remains an independent sort of cat.

Snuggling is wonderful -- but there are many other kinds of affection to share with your kitty.

Currently, he's very affectionate. I'm just looking for ways to reinforce that behavior.

Have you considered how he'll feel when you need to be away for any length of time and he's alone? Making anyone that dependant on you is not doing them a favor.

Just let him be himself. Give him affection when he comes to you but don't force the issue otherwise it will have the opposite effect and make him avoid you. Some cats are more overtly affectionate than others and we can't turn them into something they're not. Play with him as much as you can and he'll learn to enjoy being with you.

Originally Posted by Larke

Have you considered how he'll feel when you need to be away for any length of time and he's alone? Making anyone that dependant on you is not doing them a favor.

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I agree. It's nice to have a cat that enjoys attention and affection but you don't want to encourage him to be overly dependent on you as he might then feel stressed and anxious when you're apart.

You're right. At this point, he's very dependent. He crys when I leave the room, and then follows me. Last night he wouldn't let up until I let him sleep in the bed with me, also.

I don't think there's any way to make cats do that sort of thing; they're just either like that or not, naturally. But it's really a nature vs. nurture issue. He sounds just affectionate enough as it is; I don't think you should try to make him overly dependent on you. If you need that much love and attention, maybe you should consider getting another cat (so that when this cat isn't paying enough attention to you, the other one will be).

Well, I made that post prior to ever owning a cat. I've had Gatsby since Monday, and "be careful what you wish for" somewhat comes into play. I love my kitty, but it would be nice if he would actually let me sleep

Ah, good... I was worried you might be expecting too much of the little fella. How old is he? Even if he's an adult kitty, I imagine he'll be less demanding once he feels more settled into his new home... and if he's a kitten, time will calm him down.

And eventually, you'll learn to sleep with tunabreath in your face and tailfluff all over your mouth...

He's about 2 months

get urself a devon rex j/k))))) i agree that its all depends on personality, and you cant really make your cat to be more or less affectionate plus i think he is tooooo young to stay/sleep alone

Like us humans, they will have good days and bad days so to speak. Bijou has always been affectionate with me. He sleeps with me and before settling in to sleep he suckles my neck while he kneads my cheek and chest and purrs up a storm.

Now that the weather is warmer (and he doesn't need to be covered up with me under the covers ), he comes, licks my neck once or twice then goes down and sleeps on my feet. As the house cools off in the early morning hours (about 3:30 to 4 am) he comes back to cuddle up with me until my alarm goes off.

Sometimes he keeps rubbing up against me and purring - other times he is very independent. It's nice to have the balance.

Lots of petting, talk to your kitty in a sweet voice, be a good alternative to a napping spot - ie, have a comfortable lap or always make room for the kitten to snuggle next to you. Find the one thing your kitten or cat loves the most, some cats love belly scratches/rubs, back scratches, others love shoulder scratches or to be scratched about the tail.

Clingyness in a 2 month old is normal, he may grow out of some of that. Or maybe not.
I have an 8 month old that sleeps on my chest and a 4 year old that snuggles close whenever I sleep.