Part of the appeal of caring for cats is having a constant companion, an instant best friend if you will. Ideally, these cute pets are there to lift up your spirits whenever you’re down. They’ll be there to teach you the meaning of how it is to be a responsible person.
But sometimes, you look at your cat and ask yourself, “Why is my cat not very friendly?”
Unfortunately, not all cats are as friendly as people might think. Unlike dogs, cats aren’t always as eager to please. They are gorgeous and majestic creatures who think for themselves and could sometimes come across as aloof and disinterested.
So you’d ask, “How do I make my cat feel friendly?”
Being cuddly or friendly can be like a skill to most cats. Fortunately, skills can be trained. It would be fantastic if you had a lot of determination and hard work to make your cat more cuddly for you.
Here are 10 ways to make your cat more cuddly and friendly:
1. Prioritize Basic Cat Care
The first step in persuading a cat to become more affectionate is to let it notice your good intentions by consistently providing it with good food, clean water, fun toys to play with, and a litter box that is cleaned regularly. When it’s happy, you’ll be satisfied, and these mutually beneficial sensations will continue into your relationship.
Spend more time with your cat, allowing it to regard you as its friend, meal provider, and guardian rather than its owner.
2. Be Extra Affectionate During Mealtime
Talk to your cat when preparing its meal. You can make a show of opening its can or bag of cat food. When your cat starts feeding, massage it gently a few times. This will help her equate being petted with a good feeling.
Make sure to feed your cat in moderation. Many people believe that food equals love and that withholding food will make your cat hate you, but a study on obese felines found that the opposite is true—at least for a while.
3. Greet Them Properly By Slow Blinking
Slowly blinking is a lot more effective nonverbal means of conveying your love and affection to your cat than a straight gaze, which your cat may interpret as a threat.
Felines who get along well greet each other nose to nose. You can simulate that behavior by extending a non-threatening fingertip a few inches away from their nose. Instead of hovering, bend down and softly raise your hand. Many cats may approach you, sniff your finger, and rub against it. That was a successful greeting.
4. Recognize and Reward Good Behavior
Cats do what comes naturally to them. Don’t get upset or yell at your cat. If your kitten bites or scratches during play, redirect them to a toy or scratching post rather than punishing them. In fact, provide secure, quiet areas for your kitten to relax if it becomes overwhelmed and a specific scratching post for it to utilize when its natural cat instincts kick in.
Consider giving a catnip treat. Taking out a tin of catnip often takes frightened felines out of their shells, and distant cats can sometimes become significantly friendlier when exposed to catnip.
5. Be Gentle With Your Cat
Regardless of how old your kitten is, you must treat it gently if you want your cat to learn how to connect with others, whether animal or human.
Try the following gentleness tips:
- Brush and clean your cat often so they can get used to it
- Stay close to them and cuddle to keep them warm
- Say their names repeatedly in a quiet voice
- Engage in playtime, especially as they grow older
Refrain from scolding your cat or harming your cat in any way. Mistreating your cat is not something any responsible cat owner should do. You must show gentleness in every interaction if you want your cat to be gentle and friendly.
6. Include Your Cat in Your Social Circle
It’s critical not to isolate your kittens, especially after they’ve been weaned and vaccinated. Otherwise, they won’t get used to people and other animals when they grow up. As they get older than 8 weeks, integrate them into more suitable interactions with humans and other pets at home.
Introduce them to your family, friends, and other pets (if you have any). This can help a kitten overcome her natural dread of dogs and make the environment more peaceful when both types of pets are there.
7. Schedule Regular Playtime with Your Cat
Allow for plenty of playtime with toys and boxes. Be sure to participate yourself. The value of personal interaction with your kitten cannot be overstated. The more you and other family members join in face-to-face playtime, the easier it will be for your cat to be in friendly interactions with other humans.
Cats have a lot more energy as they age, so playtime is a vital way to help them socialize and engage with you and other humans in the house. Having you as a playmate will develop a powerful bond that will make them friendlier and cuddlier to you.
8. Touch Your Cat Where they Want to Be Touched
They are susceptible to touch and prefer to be patted in certain areas more than others. A study found that cats responded more positively to caressing on the forehead and cheeks, such as purring, blinking, and kneading their paws.
When touched in the tail area, they were likelier to react negatively by hissing, swatting, or swishing their tails. A more recent study with a larger sample size verified similar findings, and many owners agreed to these preferences.
9. Keep Your Cat Inside the House
Experts found that cats who kept primarily indoors with limited access to a small garden daily were more on the same wavelength with their owners than cats who had unfettered access to the outdoors.
Indoor cats were more active during the day when their owners were more likely to be busy and less energetic at night when humans like to sleep. While many believe cats are nocturnal, they are actually crepuscular, meaning they are active at dawn and dusk.
10. Be a Sharp Observer
In general, apply your common sense. Keep a careful and objective eye on how they react to your actions.
Feline body language can be subtle—a slight blink of the eye can suggest satisfaction, while ear twitches can indicate irritation—but as you master their signs, you’ll find yourself much more in tune with how they’re feeling. And if you alter your conduct accordingly, you’ll discover that you’ve earned a cat’s trust in no time.
Final Thoughts
In the end, a cat should have a good upbringing and experience gentleness and love to be affectionate. Kittens should spend the first 8 weeks of their lives with their mother and siblings.
To have an affectionate cat, you must assist them from kittenhood until they’re grown up. They can be loving if you give them affection. Keep your cat clean and away from other pets and older cats, and build a personal bond with them so they can appreciate you and be more cuddly for you.
Further Reading
