Hugs are one of the top forms of affection us as humans love receiving. At least before Covid, right? Even now after going through the worst of Covid, I know people still love getting hugs.
Many people believe of all the pets one can own, cats are the least affection of them all, except for maybe a fish or snake. Is that really true, or do cats just get a bad rap.
Yes, when comparing a cat to say a dog, the dog will throw itself at you to get affection, while the cat will not. That’s because cats are very independent animals that like things done on their terms.
Our Topsy is very affectionate especially for a cat, but she will only come to you if she wants. My mother was over today, expecting Topsy to come to her lap as she hadn’t see her in awhile, but Topsy wasn’t having it.
So how do you get your cat to be more affectionate, how do you get them to give hugs? Going back to my previous article about training, it is more of the same.
You’ll need a few tools like a clicker for starters. Like my other article mentioned, you’ll also need something to reward your cat, treats is the best thing. And don’t for get about patience.
First get your cat to climb onto you, this should be easy, since cats like to be on their humans. If not look to lure them to you with treats. Once they are on your chest hit the clicker and reassure them this is acceptable behavior.
Now put your arm around them, hit the clicker, and give them a treat. Guess what you are hugging your cat. Now this will be easier with some cats rather than others.
Our Topsy doesn’t need any of this training as she already climbs on us and plots on our shoulder in a hugging motion. Although again she does this on her terms.
Like the other training tips I discussed in an earlier post, I plan to put this to the test. Be sure to check back here, for an article with all my findings. I can say for now, I am trying the wet food method, and so far so good.
Update: Since this article was originally written and posted to Medium a few weeks ago. We have introduced a new foster into the mix, and training has been put off for now.
Vernon is a handful, and we have been trying to train him to stay off counters etc. He also loves wet food, so I need to bring Topsy over her wet food, or Vernon will eat it all. There are also other factors at play, that need another entire blog post to explain. Stay Tuned!
For more training tips for cats be sure to check out my Pinterest board.
I hope this article found you well, and the info in it can be useful. Now take a break from reading, and go watch a few of my fun cat videos on any of my social media platforms. They're like Lays chips, you can’t just watch one.
