How can I get my cat to enjoy being held or sitting on my lap with me?

Cats are individuals and just like people, they all have different preferences. Not all cats like to held. It likely has nothing to do with loving you. If you want to encourage your cat to like the experience, remember the always be slow and patient. Don’t force the behavior upon your cat or he will have a negative experience and then will rebel against it. A good place to begin is encouraging him to sit quietly in your lap. Once he is comfortable on your lap, he may allow more handling. If he seems otherwise happy, you may be content with meeting him where he is and finding a different way to express affect and bond. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cats are individuals and just like people, they all have different preferences. Not all cats like to held. If you want to encourage your cat to like the experience, remember the always be slow and patient. Don’t force the behavior upon your cat or she will have a negative experience and then will rebel against it. Start by encouraging her to sit quietly in your lap. Once she is comfortable doing this and is content, try lightly putting your arms around her and apply a little pressure. Don’t try lifting her yet. Practice this behavior. If/once she is comfortable and accepting of the behavior. You may try lifting up her front half and holding her lightly again you. Once again, you will need to practice this behavior. Then you can progress to picking up her whole body and holding it against you. Then you can progress to standing. Finally progress to walking. Be slow and patient and don’t make her uncomfortable. Word of warning, some cats will scratch or bite if they become uncomfortable so use your best judgement. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If you have ever physically punished your cat, it is possible that your cat has developed a fear of you. On the other hand, you can be the gentlest of cat owners and still have a cat that runs when you try to pet her. Often this behavior is due to poor socialization of the cat when she was a very young kitten. Kittens need to be socialized to human touch between the ages of 2-7 weeks. This is when kittens learn that being held and pet by humans is pleasurable. Kittens that don't receive much early socilization may always be a little skittish around people and not associate petting with a positive experience. Some cats are also just more sensitive to being pet - it doesn't feel good to them; it arouses or irritates them. A cat that doesn't like the way petting feels will run away to avoid the experience. Yet, that same cat may enjoy your company and want to be in the same room with you. You can encourage your cat to come closer for petting by doing the following simple steps: 1) let your cat initiate the interactions, rather than you trying to impose them on your cat; 2) Sit or squat down whenever you would like your cat to approach so that you don't seem as threatening to your cat; 3) Reward your cat's approach with a favorite treat or a tiny bit of canned food; 4) Let your cat smell your hand before you attempt to pet or touch; 5) If your cat is shy about its head being touched, try scritching under the chin or at the base of the tail; 6) Reward your cat for allowing you to touch her. 7) Keep your petting brief and increase as she seems more tolerant. 8) Instead of petting your cat when she approaches, engage her in play with an interactive toy to help build a bond between the two of you. 9) Be patient with your cat and yourself.

Not all cats enjoy being picked up/handled. It can be a difference in personality or a lack of socialization when they were young kittens. You can try to get your cat more used to you by giving him tasty treats during interactions with him. First give treats when your kitty is near you or sitting on your lap/while you pet him to get him used to this type of interaction, then work up to giving him treats while picking him up for short periods of time. Some cats will never enjoy being picked up!

Cats are extremely difficult to train to do things, it's not like dogs, most cats will be happy to come and either sit on you or beside you from time to time, but that happens on their terms and when it suits them, that's how cats are.

This is typical normal cat behavior. She will calm down as she gets older. Cats are not dogs and they pretty much do what they want. Training a cat is difficult and takes a lot of patience. You can use a Scat Mat to teach her not to jump on the counters. They sell them at Petco. If you sit calmly she may come to you for affection when she wants. Trying to force a cat to do something will just cause them to resist. Be patient and ignore her and she’ll probably seek you out. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Catori.

It takes a lot to train a cat and it is not possible at the age your kitten is. Kitties at this age need to learn to run, play, hunt, fight, climb, clean themselves, etc. They really do not have the mind to learn dog tricks. You will need to wait at least 6 months or even a year before you can start with teaching your cat such commands as sit. Not every cat will be interested in learning this, so she may never be cooperative in that respect. Teaching this command will take a lot of patience, immediate reward with a treat. The cat will need to make the connection between the command and the act. And then the cat will need to want to obey the command. Cats are very independent personalities, so, while your kitty will love you, it is more likely to train you than be trained by you.