- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
If you’re a cat parent, you might already know how far some cats will go to get your eyes on them, from sprawling out on your laptop to nudging a prized teapot off the counter. But your cat’s attention-seeking behaviors may not happen exactly for the reasons you imagine.
Your cat may do things to attract your attention in order to communicate their needs. Sometimes, this might mean they’re asking for more mental and physical stimulation, like playtime. In other cases, they may be reacting to a change in their routine or responding to pain from underlying medical issues.
Below, find eight common attention-seeking behaviors, along with a few tips to address and redirect these behaviors for a happier and healthier relationship with your cat.
Begging For Food
Dogs aren’t the only animals who beg for food and treats. Begging is a very common attention-seeking behavior that cat parents seek help for, according to Amanda Caron, cat behaviorist, IAABC Shelter Behavior Affiliate, and founder of Frisky Feline Behavior Counseling.
Individual personality plays a role, of course, and some cats are more food motivated than others, Caron says. What’s more, cats are creatures of habit who learn through consistency and repetition, especially when rewarded. If you give a begging cat a treat, you’re positively reinforcing the behavior, so they’ll probably keep doing it.
But before you seek out a cat behaviorist to handle begging, it’s essential to rule out underlying health concerns with a visit to a veterinarian. Hyperthyroidism and diabetes, for example, can boost a cat’s appetite and lead to changes in behavior, like begging, says Dr. Anita Patel, DVM, veterinarian at IndeVets.
Dr. Patel suggests cat parents pay attention to unusual shifts in behavior. For instance:
- Is the begging behavior associated with feeding times?
- Is your cat suddenly begging when they never did before?
- Does the begging behavior occur around specific feeding areas?
- Does your cat beg after finishing all of their food?
Eating Non-Food Items
Cats might lick your hair and other unusual things from time to time, but if you catch them eating inedible items like newspaper, cat litter, hair, and plastic, they may have pica.
Pica isn’t an attention-seeking behavior in cats. It’s a serious medical issue that often points to an underlying illness, according to Dr. Denise Johnson, DVM, veterinarian at IndeVets and Elite Fear Free and IAABC Certified Cat Behavior Consultant.
While experts still have plenty to learn about pica in cats, Dr. Johnson notes a few possible causes and triggers from her research and practice:
- Early weaning
- Gastrointestinal inflammation
- Neurological conditions
- Nutritional deficiencies like anemia
- Parasites like hookworms
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Dental issues
- Boredom and lack of enrichment
If you think your cat could have pica, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as possible, Dr. Johnson says. They can recommend nutrition consultations, changes in your cat’s feeding schedule, or puzzle feeders as options to manage and treat pica.
In the meantime, you can keep your cat safe by storing any non-food items they try to eat out of reach.
Excessive Or Inappropriate Scratching
“Scratching is an instinctive cat behavior, and it’s vital for their physical and mental needs,” says Tabitha Kucera, IAABC Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, veterinary technician specialist, and Elite Fear Free Certified founder of Chirrups and Chatter.
Beyond helping cats maintain claw health and stretch their muscles, scratching allows them to express emotions and communicate, Kucera says.
Emotionally-driven scratching can be fueled by stress, anxiety, frustration, and overstimulation. But it can also provide an outlet for excitement and even joy.
But this natural feel-good behavior may become destructive and problematic when cats scratch furniture and other inappropriate areas and earn the “reward” of your attention, says Dr. Mikel Delgado, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, founder of Feline Minds, and Rover’s resident cat expert.
To address your cat’s attention-seeking scratching, Kucera recommends:
- Regular nail trimming
- Redirecting your cat to alternative scratching posts or pads
- Identifying their preferred scratching posts and textures and placing new scratchers near the inappropriate object.
Pawing At You
Is your kitty very paws-on, to the point of distracting you from your activities?
Caron advises paying close attention to the environment to learn what triggers this attention-seeking behavior. For example:
- If you’re eating, they might think they should get a bite, too.
- If you’re working and they keep pawing at your fingers as you type, they could be understimulated and asking for some interactive play.
Another example of pawing is kneading, or “making biscuits” on their favorite blanket, couch, cat bed, or human companion. Cats may knead to self-soothe when feeling stressed or anxious, but they also knead when content, comfortable, and relaxed.
“Kneading is one of many ways a cat can display their adoration for you,” Caron says.
Howling Or Yowling
Cats meow in order to communicate with people. In fact, experts consider meowing a learned response they developed to get our attention.
Consistent howling and yowling, however, may point to a serious health concern or emotional distress, according to Dr. Patel and Kucera. They say it can help to first consider whether anything in your environment could be the culprit.
For example, if you’ve recently moved, adopted another pet, or got a new roommate, your cat may be releasing their feelings about these changes!
If nothing in your life or home has changed, your cat’s extreme vocalizations could be a sign of:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Kidney disease
- Urinary tract infections
- Age-related cognitive issues
Your vet can do a full wellness check and order tests, like blood panels, ultrasounds, and fecal and urine sample evaluations, to identify any medical causes of yowling.
If your vet rules out health concerns, you can work with a feline behaviorist to explore enrichment strategies that could help, like new types of play or cat-friendly changes in your home routine.
Sitting On Or Near You
Many cats have an uncanny knack for choosing inconvenient places to sprawl out. But these unusual napping spots don’t necessarily mean your cat is seeking attention.
Cats are naturally curious creatures, and they’re often drawn to cabinets, cardboard boxes, and paper bags because these items often have interesting smells and unusual textures—and because they make good hiding places.
Kucera says cats hide as a natural coping mechanism, and boxes and laundry baskets provide a sense of security from predators and a good vantage point to stalk potential prey, like feather at the end of a wand toy.
Of course, your cat may also choose their perfect napping spot—like your laptop—because they want to stick close to you while also absorbing heat from an elevated position, Kucera says. In short, there’s likely some instinct and logic behind their space of choice.
Even so, you can redirect them by investing in a heated cat bed and placing it in your home workspace, Kucera says.
Knocking Things Over
You might consider knocking things over just another one of those quirky feline shenanigans. But cats don’t do this specifically as a type of attention-seeking behavior or punishment. It’s really just part of their personality and feline instincts.
“Cats are not capable of being resentful or spiteful,” says Laura Cassiday, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and founder of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior & Training. In other words, they have no idea they just wrecked your treasured possession.
“There are likely some predatory elements to this behavior, as cats naturally “test” whether a prey animal is still alive or too strong to try to kill by batting them with their paws,” Delgado explains. “But it’s also just FUN!”
She recommends using museum putty to secure valuables you don’t want your cat to knock over.
Staring At You
A staring cat may want playtime, food, or physical touch.
“Cats do not use their eyes for communication to the extent that they use other parts of their bodies,” Delgado says. Still, the shape of your cat’s eyes, particularly their pupils, can offer some clues to their feelings. Delgado says this is because a cat’s pupils dilate and constrict in response to light stimuli and emotions.
Dilated pupils indicate excitement or fear, while constricted pupils indicate a cat feels threatened and may be about to attack. Checking your cat’s whole body, including their tails, ears, and how they carry themselves, along with the environment and context, can help you better read their mood.
In some cases, staring can suggest an eye problem or neurological disorder. According to Dr. Lindsay Mikus, DVM, you’ll want to consult your vet right away if you notice:
How to Know If Your Cat Needs Professional Attention
Certain cat attention-seeking behaviors may relate to anxiety, stress, pain, or other discomfort. If your cat seems to meow, paw, or move differently than usual, this can mean they’re in pain, having trouble moving, and need some help going up or down stairs or getting on the bed.
Cats are sensitive creatures who often react strongly to sudden environmental changes, from unusual noise outside to changes in your schedule, like a new feeding time.
According to Dr. Patel, a cat seeking attention due to anxiety or stress may:
- Eat more or less than usual
- Hide more than usual
- Groom less frequently
- Use their litter box more or less than usual
- Be more active and wakeful
- Be more lethargic and sleep often
“Cats are creatures of habit, so keeping some consistency, especially with litter boxes, can help reduce their anxiety,” Dr. Patel says.
Dr. Shakira Free Miles, RVN, BSc, suggests cat parents try natural pheromone products like Feliway to reduce short-term anxiety and promote a cat-friendly environment.
These products aren’t a quick fix, but they can help reduce reactivity to stressful events and are incredibly useful for cognitive issues and dementia-related behaviors in cats, Dr. Miles says.
Dr. Miles, Dr. Patel, and Kucera all emphasize the importance of creating a cat-friendly environment with plenty of stimulation.
You can do this by:
- Mounting shelves for them to jump to and walk on
- Setting up dog-free zones in multi-pet households
- Installing catios for outdoor enrichment
- Incorporating puzzle feeders and battery-operated toys
- Setting up window perches and hanging bird feeders outside for some “cat TV”
These changes won’t just help stop your cat’s disruptive attention-seeking behaviors. They can also make your cat much happier, which can go a long way toward improving your bond!