Why is my cat all up in my business - stealing things to get attention!

lisalu

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I love my kitty. :lovecat3: She is my first ever cat, so I'm still learning what makes a feline tick.

But occasionally she drives me NUTS!

I like to sew, and have a big sewing studio. While I've tried to cat proof it as much as possible, there are some things she can still get into. But here's the thing... she NEVER messes with anything in my sewing room when I'm not in there. But when I'm in there sewing, she makes me crazy.

Stella will "steal" things I'm using like little scissors, seam rippers, thimbles, bobbins, etc. Even worse, she will brazenly go up to my thread rack and "steal" a spool of thread right in front of me, then run away, making me chase her to get it back. This game goes on and on, as soon as I get a spool of thread back and put it away, she does it again. I've given her empty spools of her own to play with, but that's not what she wants. She wants the ones she knows she can't have. Keep in mind that she has the run of the house 24/7 so if she really wanted the thread she could pilfer it any time, but she never touches it when I'm not in there.

(Her other game is to stand out in the hallway while I'm sewing and meow loudly. When I came to see what she wants she leaps out at me like "gotcha!" She will do this over and over, and "get me" every time. :lol: )

I get that she wants attention, but believe me she gets plenty. She's an only cat in an Empty Nester household and she is pampered and petted all day long. We even built her a beautiful catio to play in, but when I'm doing something around the house she has to be right up in my face. When I'm sitting in one place doing nothing, then she goes outside.

I'm about at the point of locking her outside in her catio when I'm trying to get something done, but I know she will cry like a baby when she finds out she can't get back in.
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susanm9006

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I had had the same issue with my cats. Why? Just be cause they are cats, I guess. Something else has your undivided attention and so there is an enthusiastic attempt to get some of it, which then turns into a game. And of course spools of thread, bobbins of thread and even threaded sewing machines are fun but such a hazard to a cat, because once thread gets in their mouth they will keep swallowing it. I do a lot of sewing and have to keep everything in a closed drawer and even cover my machine if I turn away for a few minutes or one of my girls will start eating the sewing machine thread.

If you can’t contain the hazards then the catio may be your best choice
 

daftcat75

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She’s definitely seeking attention and getting it too.

I don’t know about Stella. But I find that my Betty (and Krista before her) have love tanks that regularly need to be filled often on their schedule and not yours. Several times a day. It often takes only 15-20 minutes of dedicated attention to fill their tank. I wonder if you can just do a full pivot to her when she is becoming demanding but before she starts getting into things she shouldn’t. You want to reassure her that you will give her love and attention she craves. But you don’t want to reward the most mischievous behaviors like stealing supplies. The longer you try to hold out the more likely these behaviors will get more frequent or extreme. So if you could take a break and love on her before it comes to that, you might set a nice routine for you both where she reminds you to take breaks.
 

danteshuman

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Why does my cat get on my lap and demand attention every time I’m on the phone? Because like little kids they want your undivided attention!

Can you give her a cat tree in your sewing room and keep a small basket of assorted toys next to your sewing? If she comes up, toss a toy and play fetch with her. My only other advice is to get a lidded aquarium of crickets or dart frogs that your cat can watch from their cat tree. Give her something crazy interesting to watch and talk to her as you see. Cats are needy attention hogs. Hopefully if she feels included it will lesson or stop.
 

ailish

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She’s definitely seeking attention and getting it too.

I don’t know about Stella. But I find that my Betty (and Krista before her) have love tanks that regularly need to be filled often on their schedule and not yours. Several times a day. It often takes only 15-20 minutes of dedicated attention to fill their tank. I wonder if you can just do a full pivot to her when she is becoming demanding but before she starts getting into things she shouldn’t. You want to reassure her that you will give her love and attention she craves. But you don’t want to reward the most mischievous behaviors like stealing supplies. The longer you try to hold out the more likely these behaviors will get more frequent or extreme. So if you could take a break and love on her before it comes to that, you might set a nice routine for you both where she reminds you to take breaks.
This works for me. Ailish wants to be pet, but her love tank is about 5 minutes. If I stop and give her my full petting attention for about 5 minutes she will usually go find something to do when her tank is full. Also, pay no attention to little attention-getting pranks. If stealing thread gets attention, why would she NOT steal thread. I have a strict No Reaction Ever policy to annoying cat tricks. I learned this from my Aunt, who had a cat that would knock pictures off walls. Why? Because the minute he started to do it my Aunt would jump up and pick him up to make him stop. She taught him the behavior.
 

CatladyJan

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Honestly, this is not necessarily attention seeking behavior as cats love string, yarn, thread etc.... In a case where there are dangerous items involved the cat needs to be removed and I wouldn't let my cat take off with thread/yarn etc as a way of ignoring behavior as it could be ingested.
 

danteshuman

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I would have moved the pictures or what he was using to get up there.
The thread? Needle stealing? Prevent it 100% even if you have to lock her out. I have an idiot that eats anything string like & it could kill him! So I don’t let him even get a chance to get into trouble with it. After you feed your cat a bit of oil and check their poop for 3 days until they pass the bouncy cord they chewed off their wand toy, you never want to do it again!
 
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lisalu

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I would have moved the pictures or what he was using to get up there.
The thread? Needle stealing? Prevent it 100% even if you have to lock her out. I have an idiot that eats anything string like & it could kill him! So I don’t let him even get a chance to get into trouble with it. After you feed your cat a bit of oil and check their poop for 3 days until they pass the bouncy cord they chewed off their wand toy, you never want to do it again!
Yes, the reason I chase her down when she steals thread is because I don't want her to eat it (I've never seen her try to do that, but don't want to take any chances.) I have tried to keep sewing stuff away from her, but in a big sewing studio like I have it is impossible to hide every single spool of thread. And again - Stella could technically go in there when I'm not home and steal whatever she wants, but she never bothers. Little Stinker!
 

susanm9006

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I sure would keep the door to your sewing room shut then. You just never know when they may decide to explore an area. I have a sewing business and sell online, so I am sewing quite often. I keep all of my thread, yarn, string, rubber bands and anything else dangerous my two may want to help themselves to in drawers. My sewing machine always stays covered and I check the floor for pins and tape every time I do some sewing or packaging. It is a nuisance to put away everything just to pull it back out the next day or a few hours later but I don’t want to be hauling a cat to the vet either.
 
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lisalu

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I sure would keep the door to your sewing room shut then. You just never know when they may decide to explore an area. I have a sewing business and sell online, so I am sewing quite often. I keep all of my thread, yarn, string, rubber bands and anything else dangerous my two may want to help themselves to in drawers. My sewing machine always stays covered and I check the floor for pins and tape every time I do some sewing or packaging. It is a nuisance to put away everything just to pull it back out the next day or a few hours later but I don’t want to be hauling a cat to the vet either.
Don't have a door to my sewing studio, it is in our bonus room and no door. I had that studio many years before getting a cat so never designed it with a cat in mind! I do cover my sewing machine and put all pins/needles in drawers. But I have many racks of thread and it is just no possible to completely contain those.
 

danteshuman

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Don't have a door to my sewing studio, it is in our bonus room and no door. I had that studio many years before getting a cat so never designed it with a cat in mind! I do cover my sewing machine and put all pins/needles in drawers. But I have many racks of thread and it is just no possible to completely contain those.
I would put them in plastic storage containers you can lock or maybe buy a used wardrobe cabinet or broom closet. Just something you can stick them in and close it (& that kitty can’t open it!) However my guy turns into a suicidal idiot around strings or ribbons or rubber bands. So I have zero trust that Jackie won’t get into it.
 

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Mine used to be huge pains whenever I wanted to sit down and paint or crochet. It's already an ordeal having to pull out the canvas, paints, brushes and so on because I do have to keep it out of their reach - one wants to lick and chew all brushes and one chews on paint tubes if he finds one around, and has once almost managed to break one (obvs dangerous). They also go nuts it if the canvas is left out so I have a weird cupboard situation where is can half roll half hang up the canvas.. annoying but worth it in the end. Half the flat is closet place for arts and craft supplies plus large storage bins to keep all the yarn Locked up.

Now for the getting into it while you're there: not sure if it's because she wants attention or just that she likes being in the same room as you and then gets bored. So I would try bringing some toys in and giving her a cat tree, platform, as close as possible to you where you can slowly but steadily train them to chill and watch. It took a bit and lots of clicker work but mine accept it now that when I'm painting they can be around but not ON or IN my stuff. They will sit on the tree next to the table or on a box that I put up next to where I paint or when I'm crocheting.

When they did test the limits, I would just say no and if they jumped up again, silently gently move them off the table. Besides that, total ignoring when they were doing it. It's worked over time although it was frustrating and nerve racking .. 🤣
 
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