Kitty couch

[SpiritTalker]

I currently have four rescue cats, three females ages 14, 4 & 5, and a male age 4. The oldest female and the male have been with me since they were palm-size kittens. I retired from a full time job a year ago, so i am home now most of the time. I'd had 7 cats but a year ago lost the 3 eldest ones just before retiring, so now have the 4 remaining as described.

After the senior Top-cat -female- died a year ago at age 16, the male cat has become like cling wrap. I cannot move without unwinding him from my person. I serve as his personal couch. If I slide out from under him, he jumps onto my shoulder...from anywhere, like a 15 pound, heat-seeking missile. He will permit the gals to share the lap, torso, shoulder, chair, bed etc., so he is not exclusively possessive, just consistently present. "No" and a shove have no meaning in his language. He just creeps back from another angle.

Any cat behaviorists out there? He apparently assumed the top, alpha cat role, as the male of the herd even though he is the youngest in age, but second newest to join the clan. Do I have to swat him to overcome the behavior? Harness and leash? I need my lap back! Can't bear to hurt him, and he knows this.

[SnowCat]

He might be concerned about you, and be trying to comfort you. We recently lost our older orange tabby and the dynamics of the remaining cats shifted. They grieve the loss of a friend, and they also try to comfort us. Try asking him why he feels the need to be a velcro cat. He may be able to give you an answer.

Snow

[SpiritTalker]

He has such beautiful velvety, green eyes. He just tells me he loves me, and slowly blinks, which is Cat for "I trust/love you".

Yeh, we covered the grief thing both ways, as he misses the older cats too. I'm on automatic pet and scratch. My sympathies, Snow, on the loss off your marmalade.

[SpiritTalker]

Hey Snow, I got it. Velcro-Cat imaged to me the three cats who we lost the month before I retired: one died of sickness, one of old age, and the Siamese was cat-napped by neighbors who moved out. So it was as if every 10 days another cat left. ClingWrap was worried, from his point of view, that I'd keep getting rid of cats. All he knew was they were gone, bing-bang-boom. When he imaged it, I returned a "keep you" back to him and I felt his heart lighten up. We hugged a long cuddle, and he got down off my lap of his own accord to sit by the heat vent. I hope he will be more normal now.

[SnowCat]

I had a feeling it was something like that. I always give the rest of the clowder a chance to say goodbye when someone passes. They seem to handle it better that way. Except when Scotty died. His sister Tiki took years to forgive me for letting her brother die.

Snow

[SpiritTalker]

Just to share a bit...I was brushing, then just petting the male cat - his actual name is Mr. Piss Whiskers. I sat here...I dunno how long, but until the cows came home at least. He finally went belly up and out cold, spread limply across my chest. It is a soothing meditation aid, to just pet a cat and do nothing else whatsoever. Nothing in the universe is more important for the moment. Not even the cup of coffee cooling nearby. Just petting and totally focus on watching the cat. It takes over and becomes the whole reason to Be.

[Katrinkah]

Have you seen the show Hell Cat? It's kinda the cat version of the dog whisperer. But the answer to every issue was pretty much the same. Have high cat shelves put on the walls that they can hop too and hang out on. Even if its just a little ledge for them to post up on.

You can get shelves for pretty cheap at IKEA or something and then glue some free carpet samples to it. There was always a way for them to get up then the main one was usually like a foot and a half to 2 feet from the ceiling. Cats like being way up high and if he has this option it will probably be more appealing then your lap.

[Katrinkah]

Ps - That show was on Netflix when I watched it. It maybe helpful for you.

[SpiritTalker]

Thanks Katrinkah, sounds like a good show. So far the cats have some high posts they use, like on top of the hutch (a three-seater) & the fridge, and their carpeted cat-tower by a window. For now the Velcro cat issue is into remission. I was just sharing that it's sometimes a pleasure to zone out with a cat.