Tabs, as you know, has always been an affectionate cat. He’s not one of those standoffish kitties content to ignore you and never get on your lap for the entire duration of your relationship. He’s very loving, and when he sees a free lap, he’ll jump right on ya.
If you’re lying down, and he sees a stretch of tummy that could be potentially blanketed by his body, he’ll seek out that empty spot and chill for a spell. He’s very into his humans, and that’s one of the many reasons we fell in love with him.
But over the last year or so, Tabs has taken his affection to a whole new level. I don’t know if it’s just because he’s getting older and sleeps more during the day, so when he’s actually awake, he has to, like, squeeze in more lovies, but when he was younger, he’d sprinkle and parse out his affection throughout the day. You know, I’d wake up to a headbutt here or a nose tap there. Then I’d come down the stairs and get some kitty hugs.
Later, when I’d sit and drink my coffee, he’d come by and do a quick round of biscuits on my thighs. So, I’d get my Tabs sessions sprinkled throughout the day, a minute or two at a time. He’d stop by, then peace out for a bit.
Now, though, he sleeps — I’m not kidding — at least 20 hours a day. He disappears for hours on end, and when I do see him, the affection is INTENSE and hits like a furry freight train. I almost can’t take it half the time!
If I’m standing in the kitchen, he’ll walk up and try to herd me toward the couch, so that he can do some machine gun biscuits and intense head butts. Basically, when he wants attention, it has to happen NOW; otherwise, he’s beside himself. He’ll meow and protest loudly until I give in to his demands. It’s adorable but exhausting at the same time, because I feel like I have to drop everything and cater to his intense neediness.
Like, if you see a headline in the paper one morning that says, “Woman held captive by her cat, hasn’t left home in years,” please know that the story is about me.
I was talking to Davina, a frequent visitor here on MBB, in the comments the other day about traveling, and how, like, we’re both at the point where we feel like we can’t take long trips because we don’t feel like we can leave our fur babies. Does anybody else feel like that?
I’m not complaining at all… I mean, there are worse problems to have than an overly affectionate and intense cat. It’s really nice to have a lap cat who is so into you. Anyway, for those of you with kitties, have you noticed a change in how your kitty expresses his or her affection as they’ve gotten older? Let Tabs know in the comments.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Our tortie (she is 7) has become super loving as she has become older also. Like you, I cannot complain. As for traveling, I love it but miss my fur babies so much while I’m gone. I just smother them with lots of love when we return. They are also just as “love starved” and eat up the extra attention. ?
Yes if I leave (which isn’t often) I prefer someone to stay with my cat rather than just stop for feedings. (As I am typing this I have a quilt and cat on my lap!)
Hi Rachel,
Quilt + Cat = Best Thing Ever.
My cat Holly is the exact opposite. She is feisty and mean and allows you exactly 3 consecutive chin scratches before she swipes at your for being greedy. Nonetheless, we love her.
LOL, Martiza! I love how precise the scratches have to be. “You only get three, human! That’s it!”
Is Holly your only kitty? Tabs is our only kitty boy.
I wonder if it has to do with you having a young child and your cat knows that he has to share the attention. So he wants to get as much out of it as he could?
I can’t have a cat where I live so I volunteer at a cat sanctuary and some cats there would swat others if we tried to pet other cats around them. They want all our attention. Some of our older ferals seem to forget they’re afraid of humans and would seek out pets and cuddles. Some senior cats want to cuddle all the time because it’s harder to maintain their body heat(I was told by a long time volunteer).
I get that sometimes it is too much though. We had a few cuddle bugs there and if you let them, they’d snuggle for hours and it’s hard to turn them down. But we have so much to do!
Hi Victoria,
I think that could be part of it. Connor and Tabs are affectionate with each other, but they also seem to get jealous of each other, too.
It’s always been my dream to open up a cat sanctuary (which I’d name after Tabs, of course), so I think it’s so cool that you volunteer at one. How long have you been there? Do they have a lot of volunteers?
Hi Karen,
I’ve been volunteering for about 3 years now. We have a little under 500 cats that are considered “unadoptable” for various reasons. Inappropriate pee-ers, cats with disabilities, cats with leukemia or feline HIV, or cats that were surrendered for being aggressive. I think there are about 100 volunteers.
Here’s the website about the sanctuary: http://www.rapsbc.com/cat-sanctuary/
Here’s a blog for the sanctuary, updated every Saturday about all the different cats we have: http://neko-raps.blogspot.ca/?m=1
Your blog is one of my favourite makeup blogs because of tabs!
The sanctuary looks like such a peaceful place for the cats. I wish I could work there! If I’m ever in the neighborhood (you never know), I’ll try to stop by. Thanks for the link to the blog, too… Now I have more fun stuff to read to Tabs. 🙂
He sends purrs and hugs!
Aww, Tabs is such a sweetheart! Mingy has gotten more affectionate over the years and will sometimes jump on the bed for early morning cuddles. Ella is the love bug of the bunch and loves to cuddle. Nina loves her people and she’ll sit next to me on the couch or bed but not on my lap.
Oh and we sort of have a 4th cat now! Louis is (another) stray we took in, but we’re fostering him in the hope of finding him a new home. He’s very sweet and follows me from room to room and loves to give head butts and make biscuits.
It is hard to leave them when we travel! But we recently got some security cameras so I can spy on them while we’re gone. 🙂
Hi Ruchita,
Congrats on the fourth kitty. You know what they say about that fourth cat… She or he’s the gateway cat. LOL! I know, I know. You’re trying to find a home for him. But you know and I know he’s already your kitty.
Are you guys going on any fun trips soon? We’re hoping to make it back to Hawaii in the summer.
Jiji is much needier than Mina. Mina likes affection but on her own terms. Jiji wants snugs and pets all day.
Hettie, the doggo, is the neediest dog ever. Constant need for pets, always wants to lick you, jealous when we pet the kitties. But she was abandoned, so I don’t blame her.
Poor thing. She needs a lot of reassurance. How lucky you are to have found her!
Our cats are all pretty affectionate and like to surround me and drape on me if I’m sitting down. Our youngest has been very attached to me since she was lost for 9 days last year. She wants to be held and snuggled all the time (and will get on her back legs and reach up with her front paws until I pick her up). Sometimes, I have to say “just one minute…” because I’m busy with something else, but I do try to get to her right away since it’s not hard to remember how devastated I was when she was gone. Tabs may also be trying to catch you when he’s awake and you’re not busy with Connor. Just being opportunistic. It’s hard to say why cats do what they do. 🙂
Hi Kim,
Ahh, that makes so much sense! Tabs has always been an opportunistic kitteh. If he sees an opening, BAM, there he is!
I was just pondering the same exact question. I got Elvis when he was 2 months old and now he is a year old. I feel like he is getting more affectionate as he gets older. He still doesn’t sit on my lap but he loves to wake me up early now and wants to be petted and purrs a lot more. I’m hoping he will eventually want to sit on my lap but we will see. When we went to Las Vegas I brought him with me on the plane and he was fine. He meowed a little but everyone was so interested in him when I had to take him through security.
Hi Leah,
How cool that Elvis was mellow on the plane! What airline did you guys take? Virgin?
Hi Karen,
We took Southwest airlines and left from Oakland to Las Vegas. I had to take him out of the carrier at security and everyone wanted to pet him. He meowed on the plane a little but he was fine and he’s fine in the car too.
Hi Leah,
I had no idea Southwest allowed cats to fly on planes. Good to know. Tabs is a terrible traveler (it’s an orchestrated effort to drive him 15 minutes down the freeway to go the vest) so I doubt we’ll ever fly, but still, good to know.
Karen,
As Rose is getting older (she is 13) she is definitely needier in the affection dept.
If I don’t pay attention to her when she wants it, I get what I call the “bitchy” meow, then the paw and if necessary gentle little “bites” till I pay attention to her.
She will do anything to get me to pet her when she “needs” it.
I travel for work to Upstate NY and Southern New Jersey about once a month for a couple of days that require overnights and Rose HATES when I leave. I have to take my suitcase out to pack it at the last possible minute before I leave as she gets depressed as soon as she sees it.
I bought the Canary camera so I can watch her on the App when I’m gone which helps me anyway. She waits/sleeps in the living room every night while I’m gone waiting for me to come home and when I do get home she greets me at the door. I get lots of meows yelling at me for 2 minutes–then all is forgiven!
Anne Marie
Hi Annemarie,
Tabs has a bitchy meow too! And the paw… we call it “the possessive paw.” LOL!
We just cancelled our dream holiday touring ancient Greek sites for my husband’s birthday because our beloved Odin was so ill. He’s stable now but I couldn’t possibly go and leave him!
Karen, you talk about intense neediness from Tabs – that’s what Siamese are like all the time, whatever their age! That’s why I love them…
Hi Sarah,
I’m sorry that Odin still isn’t back to 100% but I’m glad he’s stable. Is he eating pretty regularly these days?
Love from Tabs!
Boy, is he ever eating?! It’s gravy galore in this house!
That’s great. I’m glad he’s getting his fill of gravy. It’s paramount to his recovery!
My fiance and I both went out of town for a month earlier this year (he had a work thing and I went home to visit family). We had someone come in to take care of our 12-year-old fur baby. The night I got home she literally looked at me like she couldn’t believe her eyes and never thought she’d see me again! She even slept on me that night – which NEVER happens. Love-starved for sure!
Hi Sara,
What a little angel! The same thing happened last time we went on a trip. Tabs slept between us for a week ALL NIGHT LONG on the bed which never, ever happens. Fur babies are so funny. 🙂