It’s no secret that our cats have very different personalities. If you are the owner of more than one kitty, you know just how different their love languages and attention requirements can be.
So, if you have a cat that seems to take away attention from the rest, understand first that this behavior is not intentional. Some cats simply enjoy more attention than others. But here are some tips on how to handle it.
The 7 Tips for an Attention-Seeking Cat in a Multi-Cat Household
1. Choose the Odd Man Out First
Even though your little attention seeker might come demanding attention in front of all the others, try to go out of your way to show affection toward the less attention-seeking cat first. This way, you’re not letting the more boisterous of the two rule the roost.
You can start by giving them affection or trying to entice play. The more outgoing personality will probably want to be right up in it, which was completely fine. It’s just initiating that contact with the shier cat first that will help level the playing field.
Don’t feel guilty about ignoring your attention seeker until the calmer of the two has had some type of enjoyment. You don’t have to do this every time, but it is a good habit to get into, especially if you can tell that they want attention, too.
2. Understand the Different Personalities at Play
Understanding each one of your cat’s overall personalities can help you provide each of them with all the attention as needed. The bottom line is that some cats simply don’t require the amount of attention that others do and that’s perfectly fine.
If you have a cat that much prefers sitting in a warm windowsill passively, while another one is all up in your business, you can really work with that. The less demanding cat will still need some attention, but you should always provide attention based on what the individual requires.
Don’t feel too guilty if you’re giving one cat a lot of attention over another less attention-seeking cat. All you are really doing is giving each cat what they require. However, it is good to make sure to distribute the love evenly when you can.
3. Learn Ways to Interact Personally with Every Cat
Learn how to bond with each one of your cats individually. Some love chasing or playing with interactive toys, games, and puzzles. It might be fun for you when playing together. Other cats might enjoy a night of cuddles and connection.
Other cats might just be nosy and want to be a part of whatever it is you’re doing. It’s OK to have boundaries, but it’s also OK to include them sometimes.
4. Have a Friend or Household Member Help
Do you have other household members? If so, you can have one of them help you give attention. This way, the attention seeker is getting what they want and you can spend time with the others as well.
Not only can this help you bond with your cat, but you get everybody else on board too. You can even try to play with the cats in separate rooms so everyone is getting some love, but your attention seeker isn’t trying to overpower the others. Everyone wins!
5. Tucker Out the Attention Seeker First
If your little attention seeker is quite active, it might be a good idea to exhaust them before giving attention to the other cats. You can play their favorite game, get the mouse on a wand out and let them chase it around, or whatever you want to do to tire them out.
They might be ready to crash once they run around for a while. When they finally zonk out, you can take that as an opportunity to spend time with your other cats one-on-one.
6. Make Sure You’re Giving Enough Affection
Most cats love pets and cuddles. You have two hands and you can use them! You can get down on the floor and interact with your cats, petting, kissing, and nuzzling all of them equally.
You can also talk to them in weird voices and do a bunch of other oddities that are best left behind closed doors. You know, the embarrassing stuff! Your cats will all appreciate it.
7. Cater to the Interests
Say one of your cats really loves to play with wands and teaser toys. The other prefers warm snuggles on the couch. You can spend time with both of them by doing what they love most. It actually might make it a little bit easier if they have opposite interests.
That way, you can spend some time with one of them by romping around and then snuggling up beside the other for some quiet time. If your cats have very similar interests, you can get everybody involved simultaneously and try to make it as equal as possible while you play.
Conclusion
Having different personalities around can be difficult to manage sometimes, but you will get the hang of it. If this is relatively new to you, remember that you will get into a routine and a groove, and everything else should follow.
So, try out a few tips on the list to see if it helps the situation. You’re sure to come up with something that works wonders for your multi-cat household.
Featured Image Credit: Jaromir Chalabala, Shutterstock
The 7 Tips for an Attention-Seeking Cat in a Multi-Cat Household
