Please Help! My cats are driving me nuts!!?

Question

My fiance is out of town looking for work and ever since he left my two cats, one male (neutered) and one female, will not listen to me or leave me alone for a second. If I'm on the computer, they are in front of the monitor. If I'm in the bathroom, they are at the door meowing and scratching the door frame. If I'm eating, they want to be laying in my plate. Why are they acting like this? They aren't very close with my fiance (in fact, the male seems scared of him). How should I correct this behavior? I don't believe in spanking animals because they don't understand why you are hurting them. Please, please respond if you have any ideas! I love my kitties but they are driving me crazy!

Answer 1

Mmm,

Possibly just because they don't seem that physically attached to him doesn't mean they don't love him.

Also, cats are a little like children - they're noticed one parent go adn are worried you might leave them too!  So they're shadowing you around the place...

HAve they had an experience of you both being away on holiday or something in recent memory?

I think you jsut have to go about doing what you normally do and ignoring the attention seeking behaviour. It should settle. Altho' for more extreme stuff like trying to lay on your plate just shut them out of the room once you've seen them do it so they know why they're being excluded and they'll get the message.

Bless - in a way, altho' it drives you mad m-a-d MAAAAD

, it does show that although they pretend to be all aloof they totally adore you

Answer 2

Well, like others have mentioned they just want some attention.  

First don't respond when they're meowing and scratching at the door.  They'll think this is the way to get what they want and they'll only continue doing that whenever they want something.  When they're quite then you open the door or whatever is that's going on.  This will let them know that silence will get the reward.

Make sure they have enough toys to keep them occupied. Playing with them and giving them attention will help too.  

Another trick is to use a squirt gun or a small spray bottle when they're doing things like getting on top of the table or any other bad behavior, give a little squirt.  

The squirt will let them know that when they're doing that action they will get squirted.  It's basically teaching them that certain actions will have certain consequences.

Check out the site below, it's really helpful and you can even ask questions on the site which will be forwarded to a vet.

Answer 3

My cat is the same way, as soon as it's "just us" she is all over me. In my case, she acts this way because she was in the picture before I moved in with my boyfriend. It used to be just the two of us, now there's me, my boyfriend, our dog, and miss thing.  She misses the attention she used to get when it was just the two of us. When I use the bathroom she comes and sits on my lap.

I doubt your cats are trying to be mischievous, probably just using the time without you fiance as a way of getting you undived attention.  They love you, and want to feel your love too.

Maybe, when they start to bother you, set out somethign they enjoy to entertain them and show them you love them too. Catnip, toys, treats, whatever.  Or lock them out of the room.

Answer 4

If you live in a house (as opposed to an apartment), you could put them outside. We kept our cat outside on a leash for about a week (some members of my family are allergic, it was a necessity), and that taught him his territory. He lived in our backyard for the rest of his life and was one of the friendliest cats I've known. If you don't want to do this option, then keep a spray bottle nearby. Whenever the cat(s) break the rules, give them one or two squirts. Trial and error will teach the cats what to do and what not to do, and you're not really hurting them (just annoying them). Animals need some sense of dominance and leadership, who's in control, that sort of thing. Right now you're teaching your cats to walk all over you, perhaps literally.

Answer 5

   Chase them outside and if they run away and not come back,than you know you got rid of your problem.

Answer 6

they just want some fussing over and reassuring-cats dont like change and will be unsettled by your fiance leaving.  

Answer 7

relax your cats are just attacted to you! they love you and trustes you.they just want some attention! try playing with them! and please don't hurt them.lol.my cats does that same thing and you won't believe how nice they feel when i play with them! try it and stop worrying my dear!

Answer 8

i wish my cat did that...

Answer 9

It is vert possible now that he is out of the picture (even temp) that the cats are buying for your attention. Mine used to do it all the time!