I have had my 10 month old kitty for almost 2 months now and I still can't get him to sit on my lap or let me hold him for too long. He likes to ambush me when he sees me sitting on the couch or on my bed. What am I doing wrong? Will he never be a lap cat?
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Newish Cat need some help
- Thread starter hockeygrrl75
- Start Date
Some cats are, some cats aren't. The one thing is that you can't force any cat to be a lap cat if they don't want to. The best you can do is show him that it isn't so bad.
When you pick him up/put him on your lap, pet and praise, but if he wants down let him. Also, especially with holding, start out with very short amounts of time, like even just a few seconds, and then put him down before he even wants down. Then you can slowly build up the amount of time you are holding him as his tolerance for it increases.
Cats have different personalities just like people. Some cats love to cuddle and will get in your lap the instant you sit down whereas other cats rarely if ever sit in laps. Also, most cats will avoid people who talk loudly or make a lot of noise or who move around a lot. So, sit very quietly and speak with a soft voice. Most importantly, don't try to force your cat to sit in your lap. The more you force it, the less he will want to sit with you!
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The fastest way to get a cat to be a lap cat is to ignore them, seriously!
What works best is to sit down on the floor with a book and start reading out loud softly (this stirs a cat's curiousity. Have some treats set out in a circle around you, and have two on your legs as well. When the cat comes up, keep reading, don't make eye contact at all, just ignore him. Let him climb all over you, don't move a muscle, if he head bumps you, as hard as this is to ignore, ignore it. Do this for about a week, twice a day if you can. At the end of the week, you will have this cat craving for your attention, and wanting to sit on your lap. When he does finally sit on your lap, only pet him once of twice then quit. Some cats don't like to be over stimulated, and petting is stimulation for them. Remember, petting a cat is what we *need* some cats could care less about it, and others can't get enough of it- it depends on what is lurking in their past- life experience-wise.
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Thanks for the suggestion Hissy. I will try that. My next problem is that Leo (my kitty) attacks me whenever I give him some treats. The other day he thought that I had one in my hand he sliced my finger badly. I then took him to PetSmart to get his nails trimmed! lol. What can I do about his aggressive treat behavior?
The only way I can keep all my fingers intact is to not try to feed my guys out my hand. I'll show it to them then put in down fast. I've had a few cats who mistook my finger for a treat in my life.
Also, cats are not dogs -- don't hold the treat and expect them to do tricks or obedience to get it --this will only get your hand and your feelings hurt.
Jude
Also, cats are not dogs -- don't hold the treat and expect them to do tricks or obedience to get it --this will only get your hand and your feelings hurt.
Jude
