I thought cats were supposed to be independent!

This makes me laugh so hard I even posted it as my status update on FB...

Been cuddling all evening with Evie while I was on the comp. Suddenly, she starts getting in to a mood... Chewing on things, knocking things over, generally an unhappy kitty.

I could NOT figure out what she wanted... I mean, she didn't want love, she'd been in my arms for a few hours! She had food and water; she doesn't get outside; tried to play with her and she looked at me like I grew a second head...

Finally, I got up to go check her food, thought maybe I was confused and she had none... Nope, plenty of food in the bowl. But wait! I get there, and then she starts eating!

...seems all she wanted was for me to escort her to her food so she could eat with company! She's been happy ever since.

So much for the independent cat!

Nora does the same thing. We now know that if nothing else calms her down, she just needs a "dinner date". We stand right behind her and she sits on our feet while she eats. Most of the time we just need to be there when she starts eating and she will finish alone. It can be a pain at times, especially when we are busy doing something.

Ellie likes me to be there when she eats. She meows for her food and dances round while I prepare it, but if I leave her to it she will often not eat. I have to stand with her, and then she purrs as she munches.

Got one like this too. Poor little Lana is a rescue job and before we had her she was very poorly treated (cats are NOT dog chew toys). For a long time she would forage and only eat dried gunk the others didn't want (we think she was told off for eating dog food).

These days she is much calmer and more confident. But if you are in the kitchen with you she will only eat if you point at the food - then she will come up to you, headbump your hand as if in thanks and eat. Petting an animal as she eats is against everything that I normally understand to do with animals but she needs stroking and talking to as she noms

My Coda is like that. When she meows it's for one of two things: either her favourite toy, a little red ball, is under the couch and she can't reach it; or she's hungry and wants you to pet her and tell her she's a good girl. She will eat by herself if my fiancee and I aren't home but if we're here we have to be in the kitchen with her. A little annoying at times, especially if we're already in bed and she's hungry . Yup, my little girl is spoiled!

Glad to know mine isn't the only spoiled little princess.

She's actually done this before... You'd think I'd be better trained by now and would remember that, even when she has food, she may just be demanding I escort her to eat.

We left Sneaky alone for a week, the neighbors were coming over and feeding her, taking care of her box etc.

Sneaky's not normally a very affectionate cat. But I guess she REALLY missed us when we were gone.

All she did on Sunday night is follow us everywhere. Wanted to be picked up (and she HATES that). And she purred the whole time you were holding her. She had to sleep on the bed with dh and I, again something she doesn't do very often b/c she takes up too much bed and I kick her off

And she kept doing the head-bump thing to get petted. And sitting on laps.

I guess she's not very independant after all.

Cheryl

My cat never got the memo to be independent.

Haha- that kinda reminds me of Pirate and Taylor. They like to "announce" when they are going potty and try to come and get me so that I can watch them. Now most cats like privacy, but mine??? Nope. My weirdness must rub off on them I guess. Taylor also does this thing where she will sit in the middle of the hall and just yowl and howl like crazy until I look at her, and then she gives a little meow and shuts up. It's weird. But then again, she's a pretty old cat with CH, so I just blame it on her being special needs and senile . I always heard that cats like to have their privacy and be independent, but all four of my little ones are the exact opposite. They each have their own weird quirks. Just one that's popping in my head right now is Sidney- she spends her entire day gathering her straws around the flat and bringing them to me. She also brings me all her toys out of her basket at night and sets them either next to me on the bed or on the floor next to the bed so I step on them.

I wish Trout was more dependant! I could leave her here for weeks and she'd be fine. (But I wouldn't )

Even some of the big wild cats act this way. Mine pretty much want to be left alone when they eat, except for our cougar Carmelo, who likes to get hugs as he is being fed But, I have a friend who has a Bengal tiger named Rowdy. When Rowdy is fed, he will be given a few pieces by hand, then the rest is put into a large metal pan. But, when his owner walks away, Rowdy will stop eating and cry out with a loud ROOW ROOW. My friend has to come back and feed him by hand My domestics like to be left alone while they eat.

Kato like to eat when we eat. As soon as he smells food cooking he stops whatever he is doing and comes into the kitchen. He doesn't want what we are eating; but he wants his food put in his dish. DH doesn't understand he wants to have food along with us. I try to remember to put out some new food before I sit down to eat. His bowl is full all the time.

Originally Posted by Penstemon

Kato like to eat when we eat. As soon as he smells food cooking he stops whatever he is doing and comes into the kitchen. He doesn't want what we are eating; but he wants his food put in his dish. DH doesn't understand he wants to have food along with us. I try to remember to put out some new food before I sit down to eat. His bowl is full all the time.

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^ I have one that does this as well.