There is nothing better than holding a cat in your arms, or having a purring cat napping on your lap. However, there are cats out there that simply don’t enjoy being picked up or held. So what’s the deal with this cat behaviour?
A Lack of Socialization. Some cats never had the chance to be socialized with people when they were kittens. Socializing young cats with people is a very important step for building trust with our feline friends. If a cat was never around people when he was growing up, he will not be comfortable allowing a person to pick him up and carry him around.
Age. Older cats have frail bodies, and they may not enjoy being picked up or carried around due to their aging bodies. These cats might also be scared of being dropped or picked up wrong, which could cause them unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Not in the Mood. In some cases, a cat will be happy to be picked up by his owner or others, but if you catch him at the wrong time, he might not be so happy to be picked up. If your cat seems to be in a bad mood or he’d rather be left alone, don’t try to pick him up.
Don’t worry if your cat doesn’t like to be picked up or handled. The next best thing is to have him sitting beside you on the couch. Who knows, one day you might even be able to lure your cat onto your lap with treats.
Have you ever had a cat who didn’t like to be picked up? Were you able to help your kitty overcome this cat behaviour, or do you have any tips to help others with this cat behaviour? Let us know in the comments section below, we’d love to hear any feedback, tips, or stories.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
My first family cat Bagheera never enjoyed being held. We always figured it was just too much crazy going on in the house with three little kids and she was never fully relaxed. As she got older she’d sit in a lap as long as the person had a blanket. Now my one year old Nimbus is much the same. She loves being close to me, and will even snuggle against my head on my pillow in bed, but is very selective in her cuddly moods. I just never got lucky with cuddly cats.
We adopted a cat that was feral. She loves being indoors , being with pur dogs and other cats. But doesn’t even get close to us unless it’s feeding time
That’s one thing I’m a bit saddened about.
I have a 4 – year old male cat that I’ve had for a couple months and although he’s a bit chatty sometimes and generally happy, he doesn’t enjoy being picked up.
He may flop beside me on the couch with this back pressed against me and let me rub his head or upper chest, but that’s about it. Once in awhile he may put one paw on my leg, so perhaps in time he’ll warm up.
He frowns when I pick him up and cradle him like a baby.
I’m going to start carrying kibble in my pocket – to reward him for leaning against me. That might work.
I do TNR and don’t have the heart to return a 4 year old lovely calico … that was allowed to have 5 litters! I have her now about a month. My heart is overflowing as she’s been adjusting here by leaps and bounds, but she’s a little bit of an enigma to me. She likes and reciprocates affection but plays hard to get and is “nervous” … certainly doesn’t like to be picked up or restrained. I felt her body turn rock hard with tension at the vet’s.
I’m just concerned about what I will do in the event she gets sick and needs to be pilled, etc … she will be very difficult to handle. My vet said “you’ll cross that time when you come to it”. Is there any training I can employ to get her to like being picked up?
Thanks for your comment, Paula. You have a wonderful heart to have taken in this very deserving Calico kitty. She sounds lovely. I’ll bet that by now you’re already noticing an improvement in her calmness and ability to be touched. Once street cats are put into a loving and supportive environment they just blossom. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could pick her up comfortably very soon.
If that doesn’t happen you can use “shaping” behaviour to get her to enjoy being picked up. This means that little by little you “shape” the behaviour that you’re looking for by offering positive reinforcement. In this case, you’d come up to her and pet her, then pick up just a paw then pet her again and/or offer a treat. That’s it. Shaping should never be rushed. Then, when she’s fully comfortable with that move you do the next behaviour towards picking her up, like lifting several paws, then lifting her only an inch off the floor, then higher and higher until you finally reach your goal. Remember to reinforce her positive reaction each time with a pet or a treat. Let us know how it turns out!