I am going to ignore my kitten today

My kitten is about 5 or 6 months old and is a real sweety. He loves to hang out with us and be petted. I just really, really wish he would sit on my lap more. I know it is silly and I sound like a big baby about it -- but the cat I grew up with was such a lap cat and I just get a lot of pleasure from having a cat curled up on my lap.

We shut our bedroom door at night, so in the morning, he always comes in and lays on me in the bed for about 1-3 minutes. Then he is done. He used to lay on my lap when I was at the computer but now he will curl up on the desk in front in me and sleep. I sometimes pull him onto my lap when he is sleeping and he will stay until he hears a noise and then he will climb back up onto the desk.

Everyone here keeps saying a cat will always want someone who ignores them. When my kitten wants to be petted he will rub my leg and plop down on the floor -- I then sit on the floor and pet him (about 20 times a day). So... my thinking is -- maybe if I make him sit on me to be petted he will actually enjoy it and do it more. (Plus once you are 35 years old, bending over is not that fun!). When he sits on the desk in front of me he is used to being petted. Again, if I ignore him maybe he will climb down onto my lap for it??


Anyhow, that is my new experiment. Don't worry, my children still give him lots of pets and if this doesn't work I'll I will not deny him attention anymore. I love him dearly but I just want him to sit on me!

Hello meow meow - How did your "kitten-ignoring" strategy work out for you ?
My wife would like our cat to spend more time in her lap, but so far CJ dictates who gets cuddles and when.

Well your sweetie is still just a kitten and too full of energy for much lap sitting. Neither of mine were lap kitties when they were kittens, but now I'm not allowed to sit down without my lap being filled (they are 2 and 1.5 years old now). Be patient, let your kitten be a kitten and before you know it he'll figure out the joy of sitting still for a few minutes and come find your lap!

I have a 4 1/2 month old kitten and boy is she a cuddler. If I'm in bed reading, she has to be right there with me. If I'm sitting at my computer, she's normally in my lap or on my shoulder. While most kittens have a lot of energy and don't like to be in one spot for long, it all depends on the kitten. Its the same with Miki. She chooses when she wants to be with you, while Tyran will be with you every chance she gets.

Originally Posted by Soka

I have a 4 1/2 month old kitten and boy is she a cuddler. If I'm in bed reading, she has to be right there with me. If I'm sitting at my computer, she's normally in my lap or on my shoulder. While most kittens have a lot of energy and don't like to be in one spot for long, it all depends on the kitten. Its the same with Miki. She chooses when she wants to be with you, while Tyran will be with you every chance she gets.

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Well, he is almost always near me, just not on me!

It has been four hours and boy is this hard! I just sat down at the computer and he jumped up on the desk -- he looked really tempted to climb down on my lap but then changed his mind at the last minute -- laid down the on the desk and went to sleep.

I'll keep you all posted this evening on how this goes.

Mine are all the most "affectionate" and cuddly when they are hungry. They make you think they love you, but in reality they just want to be the first to know when you get up, so you can go to the kitchen.

Let him get hungry- he'll be all over you.

you can borrow some of mine! 8 out of 10 are serial lap sitters I can't sit on the couch without being accosted, by 3 or 4 at a time bedtime is even worse! have you ever tried to sleep with cats that are in competition to be as close to you as possible? at least one always ends up on my head, or my personal favorite, stretched across my throat... Meowmy can't breathe!!!! I think as your kitten gets older, and especially after altering, will mellow out and want to be more cuddly, but sometimes kitties are just not snuggle-bunnies, I've had Sapphire for over 2 years and she has only sat on my lap once! and that was about 3 weeks ago

My childhood cat wasn't a lap cat at all until he was at least a year old. He also really liked to be petted on the floor, was always near us, and had lots of energy. When he hit adulthood without a single glance at a lap, I decided to train him to be a lap kitty. I put a blanket on my lap, called him, and used a treat to lure him onto my lap. Or I picked him up and put him there. Then I praised him and scratched him in all the right places but did not force him to stay. After a bit he decided that sitting on laps meant a really good petting session and he was a lap cat until he died at 14.

Right now I have one lap kitten and one lay-right-next-to-you kitten.

I am encouraged by your stories that as he grows out of kittenhood, he may become more of a lapcat. His sister kitten, whom my brother adopted, is a total lap kitten (but they do not have 4 and 6 year old children running around the house making noise).

All I did when he sat on the desk today was give him a couple kisses on the top of his head while he slept (couldn't help myself). I went upstairs to take a shower and he followed me up (likes to lick the shower floor - yuck!). Now he is under the bed sleeping again.

Hopefully, tonight when my kids go to bed he will feel he can relax and might try sitting on my lap.

I really don't want another cat (for a variety of reasons), so I hope I can make a lap cat out of this one!

Renny, I think you are absolutely right about kittens being too young to be lap cats yet. My other two cats were from the pound and already adults and immediately were lap cats. I sometimes wonder about my kitten who is only 4 months old. He is usually right by my side, but hardly ever right on my lap but I am confident this will change in time.

My Tyran is approaching 5 months, and she is a lap kitten. She loves being in your lap and occasionally enjoys a shoulder. She is a very trusting kitten. She'll lay in your arms like a baby, roll over and let you rub her tummy, and she doesn't mind getting wet too much. I think it all depends on the cat when it comes to laps. Miki will only get in your lap if she wants something, and prefers to be close to you rather than on you. She's been this way since I found her as a stray at 5 months. I've had Tyran since she was about 3 and a half months, and she's been a lap kitten the whole time.

Maui is 6 months and has only been here for a little less than a month- and he was from a rescue group. When I first brought him home he was all over me and slept with me at night- now he's just concerned about running all over the place and generally being crazy!

He didn't even like to be held at first but we continue to pick him up and give him some lovin's and we can do it for a little longer each time. I've also started holding him like a baby and just giving him massive doses of love for as long as he'll stay and it seems to be working too! Pretty soon here I'll start trying to get him to be a lap cat because I don't know if I can wait much longer!

Radar (3 1/2 months) rarely sits still during the day, but when he wants to snooze it is usually draped across me just under my throat, often with his paws on my chin kneading it and purring while he dozes off. He won't stay on my lap and has even tried to lie on my face to sleep, which is a little bit alarming, as I do need to breathe!

I think I am very lucky to have a young kitten that is as affectionate as he is, although it is odd that when he wants to play he will go to my husband and pester him mercilessly, and when he wants to cuddle and lick and nap it is me that he comes to!

Having said that, it is only when he is feeling drowsy, which isn't often or for long due to his age - when he is awake and active he will only sit on a lap if it's the best position to pester you from by batting your nose - try to cuddle him then and you'll end up with your arm being kitty's play-fight opponent - ouch! I am sure that when he is of an age where he wants to lounge around and sleep more, it will be on a comfy lap.