New Kittens too needy

Sargon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:06 pm **Posts:** 2

I adopted 2 kittens a week ago from a breeder I found on TICA & honestly I think I'm starting to regret it. Before adopting, I researched many different breeds & concluded bengals would likely be playful & active, and not necessarily super lap cats. It seems like mine are the complete opposite of that; all they ever want to do is sit/sleep in my lap. If I get up to do anything else, they'll follow me around meowing constantly (not the general "how are you" meow, but the "I want to get back in your lap" kind as it stops if I let them). I've made sure they have food, water, clean litter (they have no issues using the litter box) and I've tried playing with them, and they'll play a little bit & then head straight for my lap. I took them to the vet 2 days after I got them & they checked out fine. I don't mind them sitting in my lap sometimes, but it is literally all the time when I'm home. I picked them up from the breeder when they were 9 weeks, which I thought might have been little young, but I figured it was fine since it was past 8 weeks and the breeder seemed legitimate (in retrospect maybe I should have insisted on 13 weeks or walked away). Does anyone know what might be causing them to be so needy? Will they become less needy on their own over time or is there something I should be doing now to ensure they won't always be quite this needy? Thanks

Chris

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Many kittens suffer separation anxiety when leaving their mom and siblings and it's possible they are substituting YOU for their mom, especially if they are very young and were let go too soon. Regardless, so many of us here would LOVE to have your kitties. My bengal is not a lap cat and not very affectionate. The bengal breed is really not known for being lap cats, but that's not saying a bengal does not enjoy a lap! Yours obviously do. Hopefully, since you have two, they will engage each other in play time and they will be less and less inclined to use you as a bed. However ..... in the cat world, most cats LOVE laps and LOVE humans.

Please turn your "regret" into something positive! Spend time playing with your bengals. Enjoy them for the personalities they have. Bengals are very vocal and will cry constantly. This is just the breed. Yes, you should have waited until the kitties were at least 12 weeks old before getting them. But, what's done is done and now you need to just enjoy your kitties! As they get older, they may not be as "needy" as you put it.

Hang in there ..... and have fun with your babies.

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

So these are 10 week old kittens we are talking about. They are very young and may become more lively as they get older but I would have bitten your arm off to get a Bengal lapcat and many on here would too.

You are so lucky I wish you could just see that.

It's strange that you did so much research but didn't appear to know about taking kittens away from their mothers at such a young age or understanding the obvious which is there is no guarantee what personality your kittens will have no matter what the breed.

Makes me feel quite sad reading your post.

caitlinmarie · **Joined:** Wed Aug 12, 2015 4:13 pm **Posts:** 118

Um, yeah, do you want to trade? :lol:

Seriously, enjoy it. A cuddly kitten is one of the best things in life. Try throwing ball toys. Whenever they look lethargic, I throw a few of them and they immediately get up and start chasing.

brianj12 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:17 pm

First off, why in the world would you get a 9 week old kitten and then complain that he is needy? :rolleyes:

Secondly, if a cat that wants to sleep in your lap is too needy for you, the you really have no business owning a cat... any cat. That's not needy. Needy is when your cat gets a serious health condition, or gets eldery, or gets injured etc. And it's very likely that any cat you own is going to have one or more of these things happen to him.

You should get a goldfish. They are not needy.

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

DeputyMP24 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:31 pm **Posts:** 212

I kinda understand. My Suri, who is now 16 weeks, is very clingy. She HAS to be on or near me at ALL times. She even gets jealous if my 2yr old son takes "her" spot on my lap. Really, I just let her be clingy. I like that she is is my little shadow, and that she is a total lap leopard. Haha, she is asleep in my lap this very second.

Sargon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:06 pm **Posts:** 2

I suppose I used a poor choice of words; I don’t think them sitting in the lap all the time is too “needy” necessarily, but rather I was expecting them to want to do things other than that such as playing. Right now sitting in the lap seems to be the only thing they want (or demand) to do (which is just very different than what I thought they’d be like).

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

They're still quite young. As they get older they'll spend more time running around and playing with each other.

spitspot · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:26 pm **Posts:** 734

Kittens of that age need to do a lot of sleeping to grow, which is why they are probably on your lap a lot. They are also very very young and will naturally need comfort, warmth and security that your lap offers. They will sleep less as they get older and be far more active. In fact I bet you will look back fondly on the lap cat moments when you are retrieving your two from the top of the curtain rails!! :lol:

neonyellowclover · **Joined:** Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:03 pm **Posts:** 535

Do they have "cat" places? Cozy beds, blankets, a cuddle pocket? Try putting one of those next to you so they can learn a safe, cozy place that isn't your lap. When they get more comfortable in your home, they will be more active. At the moment, it sounds like you are their safe place.

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Just give them some time. They are still getting used to a new environment and a new human taking care of them. They will become more independent as they get older. Bengals are like children -- seriously! Except they never get past the three-year-old stage. Infant children need a tremendous amount of care and are extremely needy and dependent on you, but they grow out of it. Kittens are going to require time. If you wanted a cat who would go off in a corner and sleep 20 hours a day, an adult moggie would have done the trick. Hang in there -- this will not last forever.

lalune93 · **Joined:** Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:30 am **Posts:** 147

First of all, those kittens were NOT ready to leave their homes… any reputable breeder does not allow their kittens to leave until MINIMUM 12 weeks old… If you got them at 9 weeks old, of course they are going to be needy! They have been taken away from their mum prematurely – the last few weeks in their home (9-12 weeks) are extremely important. They learn socialisation and interaction. They still need to be with their mum. That is exactly why they are being so clingy to you… you are their new mum, they are in a new environment and they are clinging to you for comfort.

This breeder you got them from must not care about their cats at all if they are willing to let them go at 9 weeks old. Did you do your research? How did you decide on this particular breeder out of all others? Did you ask her why she was letting them go so young?

You need to give them time to grow and develop… over the next few months they WILL come out of their shells and be more active and playful. However, you also need to take into consideration that every cat is different and will have a different personality. Some bengals are lap cats. Some are not. Some are more active, some more calm. These are questions you should have asked the breeder before committing to these two darlings. If you wanted very active, lively cats, you should have asked about their temperaments. Bear in mind, it is still early days and they are still very much, BABIES!! Give them time and comfort… enjoy the cuddles you get because they most likely will not last.

Ann urmson · **Joined:** Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:12 pm **Posts:** 28

When I bought my little fella Blaze off the breeder she told me he was 10weeks
old but it turned out he was only 8. I just thought he was a small kitty. He wanted lots of cuddles and attention which he got. Now he is 16 weeks old the cuddles have stopped unless he says so, then he demands to sit on knee but mostly sits at side of me or where he can see me, still follows me everywhere. So enjoy all the cuddles they want to give you because it prob won't last and when they become little tornados you will be glad of all the quietness of sitting on your lap. Enjoy.

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

How are they both getting on now?

Would love to see some photos.

New Kittens too needy

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