5 Proven Ways to Build a Stronger Bond With Your Cat

How do YOU increase the bond with your cat? Share your favorite rituals and tips in the comments.

So I’ve had cats my whole life; and loved each then so much individually. However, my boy I have now, he’s turning 8 this year, I’ve never had a bond like this before. He was a kitten my mom rescued off the streets, and he just instantly took to me. He’s been with me though the last of high school, my first apartment, all my moves. Bad days and good days. Always waiting at the door for me when I get home from work, and curled up by my side when I wake up. I can even smush my face into his belly and he’ll just purr away. He’ll try licking me, but my hair just gets stuck 😂 he loves treats and playing with this candy cane toy he’s had since he was a kitten, that’s tied to a string. He’s so unbelievably sweet, and truly my best friend. It breaks my heart when I hear people call cats aloof, and low maintenance. I wish everyone could experience the love and bond of a cat!

My wife and I inadvertently adopted a really sweet cat about seven months ago. He almost instantly attached himself to my wife...he greats her when she gets home, sleeps with her, etc. However....the kitty is my buddy when my wife is at work (I'm retired), he always comes over to wherever I am, I play with him using a "fishing pole" toy, give him treats, etc. He DOES enjoy pets and scratches on his back...in fact, as you pet/scratch him, he licks you!! 😂 I always was a dog person but, I guess I'm a cat person now, lol!! I really enjoy your channel!! Thank you!!

My teen daughters seem so offended that all 3 of our cats love me best, but if they would play with, brush and give treats to the cats, then they would be just as stalked by them as me 🤣

I bond with my girls by cackling with them at the birds and squirrels outside out window. We get excited about the really fast or BIG birds and we all look at each other like "Did you see THAT one?????!!!" I also have a toy closet with a wide variety of cat toys with changeable feather lures so they don't get bored. I also built a really WEIRD/WILD cat highway all over my living room and I throw toys up to them that they swat back down to me. I'm a crazy old cat lady.

I retired 7 years ago. This cat that I adopted 5 years ago is super bonded to me, because I’m home all the time.

I had just be given a kitten a little more than a week ago. Since I'm on a fixed budget I could only buy cat food and litter for her box. I can buy toys this Friday; but meanwhile I've taken the shoelace from one of my old sneakers and rolled up a piece of tinfoil to let her play. Bonding with her is easy . Sometimes she'll sit next to me and likes to be petted. Recently she's started sitting on my lap for about a minute. Nala makes the decisions on what she wants to do.

I think the thing with cats (and all pets) is they are very distinct and have their own personality. At 11:38 you mention they don’t like their bellies being petted… Not my female kitty - she rolls around on her back waiting for a belly rub. She LOVES it. Her brother, though, loves rubs on his head and chin, but (mimicking his sister) has also started to roll onto his back looking for belly rubs. Mine also love their paws rubbed, which I hear is rather unusual. Morale of the story - just see what your cat prefers as they are all unique!

Nr.1 thing of importance I learned was the privacy / own space thing. Cats will love you for it if you give them a private area where you yourself are "forbidden". Preferably high up, with window view. As long as you give a cat their own private castle, they will accept you as their chosen servant.

One of the ways that I bound with my cat is by talking to him. My cat is all black, 13 years old. I adopted him from a shelter a year ago. I have to let him be himself. He doesn't like to be pick-up or held, but he is loving.

My Lily doesn’t love to cuddle, will lay next to you, but not be held. looooves to play, and only having her for almost a year. I thought she was getting depressed, gaining weight. She’s a very active cat by nature. I noticed her sleeping more and staying upstairs. My attention wasn’t enough for her. So I bit the bullet, and got a kitten a month ago. The best decision I have EVER made. She’s lost weight, loves the kitten as if she had him. They play all the time. They sleep together. She’s always near him. She’s downstairs now. I did do my research on cat diets. Switched to mainly wet food. Only small amount of kibble. It’s also knowing when your attention isn’t enough and doing what’s best for them. I can’t believe the difference

The portion about allowing my cats to have successful hunts with laser pointers and treats was really informative. I'd never considered that before, but it makes perfect sense. I'm going to incorporate that into our laser play sessions. Thank you!

I moved many times with my 2 cats, cause I had to. Never had aby problems. I treat them with respect and we have really strong Bond.

Unlike previous cats I have owned, my current, 4-year-old red neutered male cat expresses his affection by jumping up on the kitchen counter and coming over and reaching out his paw to gently touch my face or shoulder. It is sometimes a hint that he wants affection or a treat, but it is always an expression of his bonding with me.

My black cat was a foundling. He may or may not have been feral because he was picked up close to a feral cat colony. He was friendly so I don't really think that he was feral. However, we went for a number of years where he was super independent and never really wanted to be close to me. He would talk to me and follow me around but he never wanted my lap, never wanted to be picked up, and would slide away if I tried to pet him. Until he got really sick and wouldn't eat and I had to pay a lot of one on one attention to him to force feed him and give him medication. I did this by going into the bathroom with him, holding him in my lap as I sat on the floor, and forcing him to do what was needed to help him to get well. It wasn't too long after that that he started, little by little, wanting my lap. Then he wanted to snuggle. Now he's almost always in my lap. He even started to greet me at the door when I come home from work and roll over on his back so I can give him a belly rub. And he does seem to enjoy the belly rub. He still doesn't want to be picked up , or to boop my nose or rub my face but sometimes when he thinks I'm asleep I can feel him sniff my nose. And I can pet him. I don't know what it was about the special care, especially since I had to hold him down and force him, but it really helped us to bond.

Thank you doctor! Here are 5 other ways my cat has found to bond with me: - Fishing out my dirty paper tissues out of the desktop trash can, letting me know which ones smell the best by eating whole swaths of those; - Helping me supervise chicken whenever it is being cooked, batting at it right in the frying pan so as to ensure that it won't escape; - Using my limbs as medical devices to soothe his dental discomfort by biting down hard on them; - Taking two-hour long naps cuddled up in my arms when I am sitting at my desk and threatening to become too productive; - Patiently waiting for me to get up every morning, lying right next to me in bed without ever laying as much as a paw on me, no matter how late I might be on his usual feeding schedule 💓

I can confirm, cats do love routine. For my senior cat I've raised since he was 6 months old, I apparently have an unconscious set amount of times I give him pets. I know this, because sometimes when he wants more pets than that, he'll ask for it. I apparently also trained him to knead at blankets instead of me. I realized that recently when he gently kneaded me, and waited for a blanket to be put down before he went into hardcore biscuit making mode.

Cat: "It's a common misconception that humans can't be trained. With patience, most humans can be trained to provide food and open doors when you meow."

One of my cats, Caramel, a very smart Tortie, loves to play fetch with rattle mice and she only likes a certain brand (the fur is very different across brands. If you buy different kinds you'll see what I mean) Anyway, She especially loves this game at night before bed. She loves bringing them to me in bed for me to throw out into the other part of the apartment and she chases them and brings them back! It's adorable & fun for both of us.

Him will lap sit and be pet everywhere all day... She is not the same. She absolutely melts when I talk to her. While she doesn't really understand the words, she knows I'm vocalizing love and she will roll on her back in pure happy cat