How to fix demanding cat behaviour

A needy cat and demanding cat can cause concern and interfere with normal household routines. Here are some ways to help one down clingy cat behaviour:

1. Schedule daily play sessions with your cat, ideally 5-10 min in the morning and evening time. If your cat is following you around like a shadow use this technique. First locate your cat and walk past him and just as he/she is about to follow/jump on you - toss a toy in your cat's path to change his mind about this. However, it is important that you catch your cat when he is plotting!

2. Practice the art of compromise. Put a cat bed on your desk so that your cat would not rest on your computer or papers instead. Consider towering a cat tree in the kitchen so that your cat could watch what you are doing in a high and secure position.

3. Give attention and not food. When your cat is pestering or interrupting it is easy to give treats to quickly satisfy. Instead, give attention to your cat at scheduled times each day so he'll know when to expect this reward.

4. Avoid engaging your cat in chatty conversations if your cat is too vocal. Otherwise, you are just encouraging your cat to talk louder and the conversation will last longer.

5. Beware reinforcing your cat's behaviour by overindulging your kitty's demands. Stop letting your cat take food away from you, wake you up during the night and respond to your cat's yowls by dashing through your kitchen to look for the perfect treat.

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[kennethw]

Wow, it is so good to see that I'm not the only one whose cat bosses him around as if I'm the pet my first cat, and his first owner. I sometimes have to go to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. He craves affection and attention all the time he won't leave me alone, if he doesn't get the attention he is not very pleasant to listen to

[SHutchinson]

My Cat Marley is beyond clingy and downright demanding. I'm the only person that he behaves this way with. I can't even use the shower or bathroom without him. He doesn't like anybody near me, Sleeps in the bed with me and Frankly He's more work than a newborn baby.

[eezee]

I can barely live with my cat. This became a problem only after my significant other passed on and now it's only me and the cat. Before, when it was the three of us, we got along harmoniously. Now, my cat is impossible or barely possible to live with. Conflicts every day with him. The problem is that the more he is so needy and demanding of attention, the less interested I am in him. I have to force myself to pay attention to him. It feels like work rather than companionship. I can go through the motion of giving him attention, but he can still pick up my vibes and am dissatisfied. I don't care to play, but I try to, but he won't cooperate and won't play. Just don't know what else to do. I have only 1 cat and 1 me and therefore I feel overwhelmed because he's got no one else. His energy is extremely demanding and even heavy on me.

[imperialchalice]

I’ve been utilizing all this since I got my fur baby. Maybe it’s just about time and patience until it works. Thank you ❤

[Internet_user]

I have clingy husband and a child, can I train them too? Jk

[dtate]

Omg! My husband’s cat is Velcro to me. I know it’s her anxiety from him leaving (he’s in the navy). I can’t use the bathroom alone. I am learning to not give her attention when she is being super needy or vocal. She only gets attention when she is more “independent”. This is hard training her. Can’t wait for him to get home 😫🙏🏾

[Dig_Duke_SFM]

Literally, tiger was dropped off by his owners who clearly never took care of him. Declawed him, then dropped him off in the middle of the road, This cat walked right up to us and rubbed his head against us. We didn't approach him. He came to us. I fed him and he got a full belly then went to bed. Now he's all over me, he's doing this paw opening motion consistently, either anywhere on my body or even my face. Sometimes he does it to my beard while I try to sleep. It's getting alittle out of hand. I give him love n everything. First day n he loves me. I think I saved him from a bad home.... I don't understand why they would do this to him. He's the sweetest cat I've ever had and I've only had him for 2 days, he uses the litter, doesn't knock stuff over, DOES have a tendency to beg for the food that's on my plate but I am not giving him any. But he's a cool and calm cat around my other cat and dog. Doesn't growl, overly friendly. My cat has to get used to him. Dog already love him. Lol

[Stirling-Shade]

Ye know maybe my cat isn't so bad after seeing some of these comments. Sure she practically never leaves my side. However at least she's respectful. She isn't trying to sit on my face, yowling at 3 a.m., demanding food in the middle of the night or the morning really, or knocking things over. Sure she can be a bit of a pester when I'm working in the basement. As I don't want her inhaling wood dust or getting paint in her fur for her own safety.
I've gained insight from the comments on this video, and have become very thankful she's an obedient clingy cat. Or I would probably be pulling my hair out just like the others in the comments here.

[eryberrie]

My little boy makes noise to get my attention cos he knows it annoys me. He rustles plastic bags, scratches things, flicks things around, knocks things off, trills, slashes through paper... the only thing that works and stops him making noise is ignoring him. But it's so difficult, especially when he's about to destroy things!

[abnormalgut]

This is actually why I don't like cats. I have 3 I rescued all of them and my favorite one is the one I almost never see because it's something special when she wants to come for a pet, unlike the one that can't even let me take a quick dump without banging her head against the bathroom door and meowing... "Awww so cute" maybe for the first 10. times after a while it gets astonishingly tiring. My second favorite cat is the typical pissy cat that never wants anything to do with you. Ever. Which is fine by me

[nathaliea.]

Just watching you is relaxing 😻 You must’ve been a cat in a previous life 😻

[LittleBirdieFlyinHigh]

I used to wish for a cat who was really affectionate. And now I’ve got one, I’m mentally and physically tired of him wanting to be with me all the time 😫 He’s got a sibling and access to the outdoors. But most of the time prefers to stay in with me. He will only go to other family members if I’m not around. The moment I am in sight, he doesn’t want to know anyone else. I give him up to a solid half and hour in my lap, and he’ll still want to sit on me throughout the day (and night if I allowed it). But it’s not enough. If he’s asleep and hears me leave the room, he’ll follow me to wherever I go. I have banned them from the bedroom at night and leave them out at night. But now he’s got a weeping eye so I’m keeping him in as he’s subdued and off his food. His brother on the other hand is has cuddles and then he’s happy to be on his own roaming and sleeping day and night. But this one is driving me round the bend. I can’t even reject him whilst he’s unwell. I feel like ignoring him but I don’t know if that would be the right thing to do in the long run. God help me!

[CCsLife]

My cat Cleocatra is one year old & i bottle raised her. When i found her she was very sick with a upper respiratory infection. So i took her to the vet & she received antibiotics. Now shes doing great but she cries and cries until i pick her up & let her drape across my shoulder! She escaped from the house & it took me 4 days to find her. After her great escape she became even more clingy. So im watching this videos to get some tips. I love holding her but she needs to be a little more independent 😊

[nieldoenn]

my cat is obsessed with me. she follows me everywhere, wants me to pick her up in my arms like a baby if I don't and ignore her she climbs somewhere and almost throw herself so I catch her ( like on a chair and try to reach me but almost falling down ) if I ate something she wants to taste it ( I don't let her and I growled at her or hiss so she go backward ) when I go to sleep she goes either on top of me, next to me or under my blankets and be a little spoon and if I don't open the blanket to let her go under, she runs on my pillow because it pisses me off so I move and then she runs under the blanket. if I don't pay attention to her when she is asking for it she goes find a toy and makes mummy cat calling baby cat for food call and bring me the toy, like she's going to feed me. I am not sure who is whose baby...

[SamAntha-uzof]

One of my cats is extremely clingy .. to the point where he needs to sit on my lap while I'm doing number 2. He wakes me up as early as 5am for food. Sometimes I give in, and sometimes I try to go back to sleep, but he's persistent and I don't get a good night's sleep if I don't cater to him:( both my cats have an obsession with opening my closet and they make so much noise when they do... so I don't sleep very well when they do that either. What do I do??? I've tried blocking off the closet door but they constantly find ways around it

[aaliyahmarie]

Whenever I’d come home he would meow until I stopped to rub his belly if he is unsatisfied & senses Im gonna walk off he will paw my hands even while cleaning up.
Just this morning he had tried biting my hand just as I was about to stop petting him he wasn’t done there he then gives me this long pause as if he is fed up with me and by this time I’m pulling away my hand and he paws me twice.
He even ran after me as I was walking to the bathroom I was beyond creeped out.

[Lisi_Mxo]

My Housemate's cat is driving me nuts, He went for a 2 week road trip and i agreed to take care of the cat, but im regretting it 24 hours later, im just not the play with cats type, (energetic kids aswell) and hate to have pets jump on my computer while im working or gaming, being woken up at 6am, ive become a prisoner in this house, windows closed, bedroom door closed, cant even take a poop without him tryna climb through the window and stare at me while meowing. I gonna start my own "'DEAR HOUSEMATE DAIRY"'

[vanxta]

sometimes I just think about giving my cat away from how unbearable it is to live with him. he meows constantly (mainly at night) probably from wanting attention which I do not mind considering that’s my responsibility as a pet owner. what annoys me and makes me want to scream and rip my hair out is him doing it EVERY night and he only stops when I have to raise my voice (it’s draining) and even that is temporary and then it will be medium volume meows that turn louder into an almost howl like yell. . I learned talking louder doesn’t help since cats will take that as more communication to do. I get anxious since my mom needs her sleep as well. he will constantly walk back and forth or sit in my face meowing and it’s gotten to a point where I just don’t want him anymore. I deal with depression and as a teen im barely surviving myself and trying to make myself happy you know. I’ve watched videos on how to train him I’ve tried ignoring and nothing.. I don’t wanna give him up since I do love him w my life but at this point idk what to do and I can’t stand the meowing. my patience is low and everytime i do raise my voice i end up crying from the emotions of how I’d feel if sm were to raise their voice at me. I know I’m not a bad owner, he’s very clingy and needy (clearly) and I should’ve taken into consideration of how an un trained cat would be since they are louder but I was 14 and was just happy to have a little minion on the side of me. having a cat is not for the weak especially if you’re too scared to give them any spankings or any type of discipline so I recommend training them young so there won’t be any future behavior problems.

[push]

My cat is so clingy it’s insane ! I always thought cats are super independent and don’t care about us, WRONG! SO WRONG! She always follows me around, all the time. When we’re eating she’s waiting down the table looking at us. Not demanding anything just waiting. Now I put her on a chair so she can sit with us. It’s so sad to know she’s looking at me all the time I eat. If we’re sleeping and I have to go to the bathroom she will follow me instead of continuing to sleep. When I cook she on a chair right next to the hoven and she watches me. Everyday she asks for me to make her drink, we go to the sink and I make a little cup with my hands do she can drink. But she has many spots for water all around the house but she wants to drink in my hand. She comes with me to sleep and won’t get out of the room until I get out. I woke up at 12pm today, it was super late. She didn’t went to get her food or anything she’s just laying next to me. And she could get her food, I always put a little bit of dry food before a sleep so maybe if she’s hungry in the morning she can eat but she never eats it, she wants her breakfast with me. And btw I noticed if I don’t stay in the room when she eat she won’t finish her plate. I leave the kitchen she comes with me. So know I sit until she’s done. I know it’s not normal ! And when she eats she always check I’m still next to her now!
She so not annoying, she always make little tiny meows to get my intention when she needs something, but that’s it. But I want her to be happy and she doesn’t need me that much to live her cat life. Also she’s so sad if I leave the house for a few hours, even when I take the trash out she watches me with BIG eyes I always think she’s on the verge of crying if I don’t hurry! Also I found her in the street she came to me immediately. Maybe it’s her trauma idk :(
She the sweetest. She never uses her claws or teeth on me! Never ! One day I hurt her so by instinct she hurt me, but that’s the only time. And she listen so good to orders it’s amazing. She’s so calm and shes never bad, she’s such a blessing into my life, I want her to be as happy as can be ❤

[erikaerika]

My cat is really annoying, ,, i put her in a room and close the door, she miaus for 5 mins but then go to take a nap, , in the mean while i can work :)