Can cats get too attached?

[plan]

I'm interested to hear what others have to say about this.

I work from home, and it's been that way since I adopted Bud in late April of 2014. Since I don't go out partying anymore and I'm a homebody, we spend a LOT of time together. When I'm working during the day, he settles down into his Buddy Spot next to the monitor. When I eat, he eats, He follows me to every room of the house, and gets upset if a closed door is between us. When I watch a movie, he lays on top of me. We play at least twice a day with interactive toys. When the weather is nice, we go out for walks. When I go to sleep, he burrows into my side or sleeps between my legs.

I love Bud, and I love the bond we have, but I am just a bit worried about what would happen if I get another job that requires me to be in an office all day. Right now the company I work for is in Los Angeles, and I'm based out of New York, so I literally never have to go in to an office. Everything is done via email, file sharing, and weekly conference calls.

So my question is, could my cat become too attached? Can a bond sometimes be too strong?

What spurred me to ask this was that tonight, my mom was over, and I had to go out for about two hours. I already know that when I leave, Bud lays down near the door, and when I come home he's there to greet me. But my mom told me Bud was there right by the door the entire time I was gone. I always figured that he could hear me coming, and that's why he always appears at the door when I come home. But nope...apparently he stays there the entire time.

 

[eck1kaylie]

I've wondered about this too. Onyx has become my little shadow since we got her, following me wherever I go, and she's always asleep by the front door when I get home.

 

[misterwhiskers]

I used to worry about my cat being too needy too, because he also follows me around and I would always find him by my front door. Ha!! Then once I came home midshift. No cat! I'm panicking!! Then a very sleepy boy strolls in from the bed room. Turns out he only sleeps by the door close to the end of my work shift. The rest of the time he's snoozing in my bed. Lol!!

I think it's likely your cat stayed by the front door for two reasons: one, you were gone a short time and two, your mother was in the apartment and he may not have been comfortable enough to have slept anywhere except by the front door.

When you leave, (yes I know you work from home), do you leave the tv or a radio home? If you ever have to take on a traditional job, leave your tv or radio on to a channel you watch or listen to a lot. Or get a cat condo so he can watch the comings and goings of the local birds etc.

Remember, they also sell pet cams so you could check up on what your cat is up to. But you're likely to have your feelings hurt if you think your cat misses you all that much!

 

[DreamerRose]

Mingo is like that, too, because I'm retired. Last summer, I left him for two and a half days with an automatic feeder. When I got home, I could hear him crying before I got out of the car. After greeting him, I went about my business unpacking, etc. About a half hour later while checking email I could hear him crying again at the door. I called to him, and he came making a sound that sounded like a sob. It was heartbreaking. So yes, they can get very dependent on you. I'll board him from now on. Even now, if I feed him and go to another room to eat myself, he will go to the door and start crying like I've left him again. He's traumatized.

 

[crankydave]

I also work at home, so I've definitely had those same worries. For the first three months I had Ninja, I probably wasn't away from home for more than two hours at a stretch. I've since adopted a second cat to keep him company, but he still wants constant attention from me. Even at nine months, that little critter still has no off switch. If I'm awake, it's playtime. And if I'm not, I clearly hate him because I'm ignoring him by lying in bed in the dark with my eyes closed.

@DreamerRose - I've gotten the "dejected kitten sigh" many a time. He also has an Oliver Twist-ish "Please sir, may I have some more?" plaintive mewp when he thinks he hasn't been fed enough.

 

[DreamerRose]

As I type, Mingo is at my feet crying for my attention. I get sick of this, and I have to admit I appreciate some away time. Plan, if you think you might have to take another job, you might start leaving for a while and let the away time get longer and longer. My son and his wife also work from home, and they have two cats who are litter mates so they don't have any separation problems.

 

[artiemom]

I have always said that Artie is too attached to me. 

When I was working, I would be gone for 10 hours. When I returned, Artie was always at the door waiting for me, with a MEOW..he then proceeded to rub in and out of my legs, while following me like a velcro cat. 

He has windows with large window sills and a cat tree up against one window. 

Now that I have been home for a long while. Not working~~ long painful story; he has become more accustomed to me going out for short periods of time.

Over the holidays, when I was visiting relatives for the entire day, he decided he missed me enough NOT to eat! I left him more than enough food for the time I would be gone, but he never ate any of it. He missed me that much!

He is always following me around, talking to me. He loves to watch what I am doing; especially in the morning. 

Artie even has his own way of taking me over to the litter box, each time he uses it. He wants absolutely clean litter, if he can help it...(I normally scoop 2-3 times a day)..He walks me over to the litter box bathroom; and sits in front of it until it is scooped!!  Or he will walk over to the bathroom, sit, look at me and give a meow...

I think while some cats are very attached to certain people, I think they can adjust to the time away; as long as it is not an extended period of time. 

When I was working, Artie seemed fine during the day. He ate, litter boxed, played. He just missed me and welcomed me home. 

Now, he is older, 12; I have been home for 3.5 years now, so it would be more of an issue. 

Cats are independent. 

If you feel your kitty will be missing you too much, could you adopt another one, for company?  just a thought

Good Luck!

 

[plan]

I used to worry about my cat being too needy too, because he also follows me around and I would always find him by my front door. Ha!! Then once I came home midshift. No cat! I'm panicking!! Then a very sleepy boy strolls in from the bed room. Turns out he only sleeps by the door close to the end of my work shift. The rest of the time he's snoozing in my bed. Lol!!

I think it's likely your cat stayed by the front door for two reasons: one, you were gone a short time and two, your mother was in the apartment and he may not have been comfortable enough to have slept anywhere except by the front door.

When you leave, (yes I know you work from home), do you leave the tv or a radio home? If you ever have to take on a traditional job, leave your tv or radio on to a channel you watch or listen to a lot. Or get a cat condo so he can watch the comings and goings of the local birds etc.

Remember, they also sell pet cams so you could check up on what your cat is up to. But you're likely to have your feelings hurt if you think your cat misses you all that much!

I haven't left the radio or TV on much, just once or twice. That's a good idea though, I appreciate it. Reminds me of a friend who had a cat AND a parrot (yes, they co-existed without attacking/eating each other) and would leave NPR on for them during the day.

Well, yesterday I went to the dentist's office because I was in a lot of pain, and what I thought would be an hour-long visit, max, turned into almost 4 hours because I ended up having a root canal. I had to wait more than an hour for a specialist, and then the root canal itself took forever. When I got home, Bud was in his spot waiting for me.

It's funny because I walk in the door, he gets up, stretches, looks at me, then pads away and keeps turning around to make sure I'm following him, like "Okay, now it's time to get down to the important business of hanging out! You still following me? You still there? HEY?!? You're following me, right? Okay."

 

[DreamerRose]

Lol. Cats are funny people.

 

[gandalfsmommy]

I worry about this because my one year old Gandalf acts like a baby and constantly wants attention and I cant even pee alone. I only leave my house maybe 3 times a week but if i even take out the trash he meows at the door. He started jealousy urinating recently anytime someone comes over