Conference misery::feline_v1

    It's easy to tell when Holly particularly wants cuddling -- she
    leaps up onto my shoulders;  no subtlety for this Miss.  Sweetie
    does the plop on his back please rub my tummy number.
                    

    Niniane gets "snuggle time" every morning with me.  My husband gets
    up at 6:00 and brings her upstairs for snuggles with me for an hour.
    I can hear her purring as my husband is carrying her upstairs! 
    If, God forbid, I chance to fall back asleep while I'm petting her
    and telling her how beautiful she is (I don't wake easily in the 
    morning) I get poked in the face with a paw (claws sheathed, thank
    God) and a little furry face is looking at me as if to say, "Mommy, 
    no sleeping on the job!"
    
    If she wants snuggling during the day, she'll jump up on your lap
    and lay down on whatever you're reading, or she'll curl up on my
    shoulder and stick her head under my chin (now who could resist
    that!)
    
    Mary-Michael

    
    My cats are pretty predictable.  Mielikki wants attention when you
    are reading or watching TV.  When I'm reading she uses the old cat
    trick of sitting on it, when watching TV she kneads my stomach.
    
    Ishtar is most affectionate in the morning when I get out of the
    shower.  Every morning when I walk into the living/bed room in my
    bathrobe with wet hair, she'll jump on my shoulders, put one hind
    paw on each shoulder and the rest of her body over my head.  Then
    she wiggles and wiggles, getting her tummy fur all wet.  When she's
    had enough of that she'll become a fur stole around my shoulders
    and bite the end of my hair sucking out any extra water.  Very strange
    but very cute.  She's part of my morning routine :-).
    
    Sharon
    

    Do you realize that we all sound like a bunch of lunatics!!  I talk
    about by cat Alex like he is my son...  My husband (who loves him
    just as much as I do, but because of his macho ego, won't call him
    anything but "the cat" or Alex) thinks I'm crazy when I carry on
    about "my baby"!!
    
    Funny...

    TenkaBabies will walk up to the couch or chair or where ever I'm
    sitting and just stand there with her little head down and her
    eyes closed and tail straight up and wait making little gurgles
    in here throat - if I don't scoop her up and put her on her
    back on my lap and rub her tummy, she will stand there with
    and gurgle louder and louder so I'll hear her!  

    Corkie isn't subtle at all.  She'll sit in front of me and cry those
    long cries.  You know the ones; face all scrunched up and a long
    meoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow that lasts 5 minutes.  
    
    Re:  "Headbumps"
    
    I know what you mean, only we call them "face baps".  (Ok, so it's
    silly - but with a squished in Persian face smacking you what else
    could you call it!)
    
    Pat
    

    Merlin , when he's feeling neglected, will go into seclusion (usually
    the cellar vias the PetPort, and moan.  The moans are heart-rending,
    painful things, like the cries of a mother who is _sure_ her child
    is in serious trouble.
    
    When he activekly wants to express affection (and be affected upon),
    he jumps to my lap (or if I'm supine, my chest) and start nursing
    on my chin.            
    
    I suppose it's flattering ...
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    No doubt that Chauncey is the boss around my place.  He didn't forget
    his old tricks after returning from vacation.  When Dana and I are
    awake, he pretends we're not even there.  He'll just stay in the
    living room while we are in the second bedroom watching TV.  But
    as soon as we go to bed and the apt. is dark, Chauncey will come
    into our room and dig his claws into the mattress.  I'll scold him
    with a loud "no" or a pat on the behind, he'll run out of the room
    and come back a few minutes later to repeat the entire procedure. 
    He does not let up until Mommy gets sick of his antics and gets
    out of bed - he knows he can get his way if he tries hard enough.
    Then, he'll run ahead of me, look back to make sure I'm following
    him, go directly to his scratching post where his toys are, and
    look up at me as if to say, "play with me, Mommy - I'm bored!" 
    Usually, I just don't have the energy and go back to bed, but he
    persists and I am forced to put him in another room for the night.
    
    Last night, I decided to test him.  Instead of playing with him
    like he wanted me to, I took my pillow and blanket into the living
    room and laid down next to his scratching post.  Well, the little
    brat, knowing I was going to be staying with him for awhile, got
    into his bed and went to sleep.
    
    I am adopting Nikki tonite - four weeks early.  Chauncey needs a
    playmate and I need some sleep!  I just made arrangements to board
    them at the kennel for 2 days when we move at the end of the month.
    Don't want Chauncey to decide he needs another vacation and take
    off!
    
    /Roberta
       

    Mao will bump you so hard under the chin with his head that I'm
    surprised it doesn't knock him out!.  If he's feeling escpecially
    loving - you can ask him for one and he will immediately bump you
    under the chin as hard as he can!

    Spunky will "headbump" my glass of milk while I am eating!!!  I
    usually eat in front of the TV, and she runs up, jumps on the table
    and manages to get to my glass of milk!  Little piglet!  
    
    Zildjian *loves* to be cuddled in the am.  She is a heat seeker
    and usually is cold in the morning - so she jumps on my chest while
    I am still sleeping and purrrrrrrrrs while she nuzzles her cold
    nose in my ear!
    
    Of course, when I get home from work, first I say hello to my husband
    then I immediately become very vocal with both my furfaces.  My
    husband has to tell me to calm down cuz my voice is soooo loud,
    but the cats love it.  Spunky rolls to her side then onto her back
    and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s and let's out a big meowwwwwwww.  Zildjian
    jumps up onto the stereo and wants to sniff me to see if I'm ok.
     Then she'll asks (no, begs) to go out.
    
    anna and my two beauties
    

    Tiga, my 15 year old, sleeps in her box (with warming pad on low),
    during the day, but at night she wants her pattin'. She jumps 
    on the bed and if I don't lift the covers right away, 
    she actually hooks a claw in my nose until I say uncle. 
    (That's right, she picks my nose and boy does that bring tears 
    to my eyes !!!)

    Schnitzel snuggles up in the morning and I have my arm lightly over
    her and she take her front paws (claws in) , grabs my thumb and
    pulls it close to give "kisses".....Other times she jumps on my
    stomach and knits or rubs around my legs, which is fine unless I'm
    walking....she's tripped me more than once, gets stepped on, lets
    out a blood curddling cry and looks at me like the whole thing is
    my fault!
    
    P.
    

    Weazy will come over to my chair at dinnertime, stand on his hind
    legs and touch my arm with his front paw to ask if he can come up
    and sit with me . . . how can I resist?   When he was younger and
    we kept the bedroom door closed, as soon as my husband got out of
    bed in the morning, Weazy would jump up on the bed next to my head,
    and either put his paw on my face or nose or "nip" me lightly on
    my cheek . . . what a cuddly feeling!!!
    
    Tigger will wind herself around my legs as soon as I'm out of bed
    in the morning, I've ALMOST tripped many times, and especially
    when I'm putting on my makeup, she's got to have her face in it
    too -- purring away!
    
    Pam
    

    These are terrific!!  The "face baps" really got me laughing.
    
    To add to this note, how about us owners and OUR way of wheedling
    kitty to be affectionate with US??  For instance, in the evening
    when Billie is either washing or just sitting contentedly with us
    while we're watching TV, I'll get down on the floor with her.  After
    patting her and telling her what a BEAUTIFUL girl she is, I ask
    her if she wants a "rubbie-rubbie", or a "brushie-brushie"
    (translation: a massage and a brushing)--or both.  My fiance just
    rolls his eyes...
    
    They definitely own US!
    
    Jane

    Pookie is a quiet type of kitty.. except when I come in at nite..
    she sits right there by the door,, and I can here.. the meowr..
    and she sometimes will lwt me take my coat off.. before I give
    her a hug.. and then we do our kissy -kissy routine...she will
    wrap herself around my arm while we are sitting on the waterbed
    being combed... and heaven forbid should anyone or anything
    interfere with tour time together.. she sleeps by my head
    at nite fora while and then she sleeps inbetween my S.O's
    legs.. TEE-HEE..ANYWAY..she wil stroll out during the evening
    get up on the sofa and pppppppppppppppUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    and then we continue our hugs andkisses..and face rubbing..
    more later
    Kate ..Pookies mom

    Every night I come home, open the door and yell "Mummy's home!"
    and there's Ben and Gonezo waiting for me.  I yell because Barney
    is a little slow.  After Gonezo rolls over for "tummy time" we go
    out and get the mail, then come in for "din din."  Ben likes to
    jump up on me (from the floor, pushes off my front, and wraps himself
    around my neck).  If I ignore him too much, he jumps up from
    behind and scares me to death.  If the cabinet is open, he jumps
    in (don't know how he fits) looking for his treats (we call them
    "yum yums").  At night (all night), Ben rubs his whole face and
    body against my face and then lies down on top of my face purring
    away.  When Barney wants attention, he quietly walks up to you and
    starts to purr and knead either the covers, blanket, your clothes,
    or whatever is the nearest to your face.  He also drools.  Gonezo
    just plops himself down right in front of you and rolls over for
    his tummy time (his favorite).  They also like attention in the
    bathroom, which I think is Gonezo's favorite place.  He's fascinated
    with the toilet and likes to look between the seat and bowl while
    I'm sitting down (weird, I know).  Both Ben and Gonezo also like to 
    hop in the shower when we're through and watch the drips go down the 
    drain (then Ben comes out and jumps on me and gets me all wet as I'm 
    leaving for work).  Meanwhile, Barney just gurgles at me (he can't 
    meow like a normal cat) yearning for the attention that the other guys 
    are "stealing" away from him.  I think they all try to make me think
    I neglect them so I give them even more attention.
    
    Aren't cats the greatest?
    

Nicholas will DEMAND attention in the morning by poking the end of my
nose with a paw while purring VERY LOUD right in my ear.  Hiding under
the covers does no good, he simply digs around under there with the
paw until he finds something to poke...

Evening attention getters:  Laying on my lap and using his extremely
long tail to tickle my nose; eating the edges of the paper I'm trying
to read, grabbing at the pencil when I'm doing a crossword...But
the final and most guarenteed method is to sit on the back of the
couch and wrap his paws around my head (playing "peek a boo"?) while
purring.  He is really hard to resist.  He has also been known to
drape himself around my neck like a fur collar and fall asleep.

Hannah get the "morning after shower" time all to herself (she will
not allow anyone else in the bathroom) and she gets attention by
"drying" off my ankles by licking them, or she rolls over on the
rug and grabs my foot and bites it...that is hard to ignore!  She
also tickles the back of my legs with her wiskers or pats the back
of my head from the window sill when I'm combing it.

Sam disdains all attempts to GET attention...he feels that such
an obviously superior specimen as he is (especially one with such
a perfect tail) need not "stoop to conquer", but should be able
to get all the attention needed by simply presenting himself and
walking in a stately manner in front of his person....or, if that
doesn't work he will finally lay down, glare at me, and roll over
on his back and yell at me to scratch his tummy.  He usually
doesn't have to wait that long for love, however, Marge and I
are both suckers.

    Luther figures he has the best of both worlds. He know that his
    time with me is right after I get into bed. He gets 5 minutes (if
    he's after the center of my throat) to 10 (if he gets the sides
    of the throat) to kneed my throat the snuggle his face into mine.
    Ususally he's low so I can read my books over his head. In the morning
    he apparently also snuggles with my roommate after I've headed out
    to the pool. Sometimes in the evening (usually if he hasn't seen
    much of me) he'll just come and cuddle into my lap if I sitting
    our on my stomack if I'm lying down. Lately he's been snuggling
    into my face in the middle of the night.

    Back with more on Niniane.  The note about the stupid things
    we owners do got to me and I had to add a couple of my own.
    Niniane *loves* to eat.  Dinner is her favorite time.  As I
    bring her bowl downstairs she literally "dances" under my feet
    and rushes to the bottom of the stairs, rolling around on the
    floor.  I call this the "food dance".  She will do this on queue.
    (Of course you have to have the food first).  So she waits for me
    every night by the cellar door, and when I walk over to it, I say
    "food dance, food dance" and she dances down the stairs, rolls over
    on her belly and purrs.  Then I bring the bowl over and lower it
    to just above her head and ask, "Does Madam approve?"  She meows,
    stands on her hind legs, and pushes the bowl down to the floor with
    her front paws.  My husband says I sound so stupid yelling, "food
    dance, food dance" down in the cellar, but Niniane likes it.
    
    Niniane is also a "computer-cat".  My computer is one of her favorite
    things.  Anytime I turn on my VAXmate, she comes running from wherever
    she is in the house and jumps up on my lap.  She loves the mouse,
    and *always* loves to snooze on top of the tube while I'm working
    (warmest place in the house, I'm sure).
    
    Any other "computer-cats" out there?
    
    Mary-Michael

    When Adrienne wants attention/affection, she meows in her "love
    me love me" tone. If that fails, she stretches out against the person
    whose attention she is seeking (if the person is sitting or laying
    down), or _throws_ herself in front of the person that she wants
    to cuddle (if the person is standing or walking).
    
    Springer, Paws, and Midway usually just wait until the person that 
    they want to love is sitting down, and then they sit next to him/her.
    
    Sly doesn't ask for affection -- he _demands_ it! He will quickly
    move anything that is in his way, whether it be a book, magazine,
    or another cat, then positions himself in such a way that he is
    impossible to ignore. Not that anyone would ignore him, of 
    course . . .
    
    Marleen
    (Sly, Adrienne, Paws, Springer, Midway) 

    Two of our four kids are "computer cats".  Willie, who usually
    has little use for me (my husband is "his" person), will come
    and sit in my lap when I type at my terminal.  He seems to enjoy
    looking at the screen (reading?) and will occasionally start to
    purr -- an EXTREMELY rare occurance.  Sarah loves to walk across
    the keyboard while I'm trying to type.
    
    All of them LOVE the tear-off edges from the printer paper and
    are constantly tipping over the wastebasket to drag it out.
    
    Joanne
    

    Re: computer cats
    
    Sweetie appears within two seconds of when I turn on my VT100 at
    home (he hears the beep), and he lays across the keyboard.  "Why
    would you want to type, when you can cuddle me?????"
                                     
    
            

    Re: .14, and what we do to get kitties to be affectionate with us --
    
    Okay, I confess. No one else knows this except my husband and
    son, and they laugh at me about it.
    
    I especially like the kitties to come up at bedtime and snuggle
    up with me. Most of the time, I go to bed when my husband does,
    and the kitties automatically come upstairs with us. But once in
    a while I go to bed early, and then what I do is this:
    
    I stand at the foot of the stairs, and call out "All kitties can
    come up now!" 
    
    I just want the kitties to know that I am going upstairs, and that
    they are welcome up there with me, even though everyone else is still
    downstairs. 
    
    The first time I did that, my husband and my son really laughed
    at me. Or at least, they laughed at me until they saw each and every
    kitty leave the family room, and come upstairs with me . . .
    
    Marleen
    (Sly, Adrienne, Paws, Springer, Midway)

    getting attention from the cats:
    
      If I want to see my children, I fill up the tub and turn on the
    jacuzzi.  OK, sometimes I do this for other reasons than kitty-love
    starvation ;-)...BUT they both always come running.  Talk about
    total-warm-fuzzy experience!  Picture a warm tub of bubbling water,
    a glass of wine, a good book, Milo sitting on the side of the tub
    alternately batting at the jets and playing with his person's toes,
    and Maggie on the ledge behind my head purring in harmony with the
    motor and occasionally stroking my hair. _sigh_
    
    computer cat:
    
      last week-end Milo inserted his Canada goose feather into the
    disk drive of my husband's Apple. Then he went and got Rick to show
    him ... or maybe it was to ask Dad to come and make the windows
    now that the drive was loaded.
    
      Maggie hasn't gone near a computer since she walked across a keyboard
    and the screen emitted a 10-second burst of unhappy beeping.
    
    
      Annie

    Re: Night face snuggles.  Since I only get to sleep nights on the
    weekend, Trouble will come over to me sometime around 4 am and touch
    my eyelids with her wet nose to wake me.  She then lays on my pillow 
    and kneads my neck while purring.  I guess she waits until 4 to make 
    sure I'm really going to stay there all night.  The rest of the week 
    she will come to bed with me just to make sure I go to bed, then
    she goes to her bed to sleep.  
    
    Of course, if she wants attention any other time, she will climb
    on my lap and stare at me until I pet her.  
    
    Bernice
    Mother of Trouble

    Well, up until a few weeks ago, Lightning used to come running to
    the door when I came home, blink her eyes at me, give me a kiss,
    wrap around my legs, then do the THUD flopover so I could pet her
    belly.
    
    Now I have to go looking for her because, for some reason, Lightning
    is MAD at me.  I have no idea what I have done to have her MAD at
    me, but she has FORSAKEN me for my daughter.  She won't even sleep
    with me at night (the first time in 6 1/2 years).
    
    DejaVu comes running to the door, cries loudly (CONSTANTLY), rubs
    up against the walls, tries to trip me while I am walking, runs
    to her toys, THUDS over on her side, then gets up and starts the
    routine over again.  She is a very DEMANDING kittycat.
    
    DejaVu still loves me.
    
    Keisha (my Sammy) comes THUNDERING to the door, jumps up and down,
    Thunders up and down the hallway and proceeds to ATTACK my toes.
    
    Keisha still loves me too.
    
    Lightning - WHAT DID I DO ?????????
    
    Sandi (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom)
    

    
     6:pm:  We pull in the driveway, unlock and walk through the door:
    
    "We is home Yaddie Yat, We is home"  "come on in he'a an tee yo
    mamma" " You is a tilly numba, just a tilly numba"  "Yattie want
    to go outide??"  " Yattie want Tuper Tupper? or OWD?  (ocean whitefish
    dinner )..... you get the idea...speaking to Yaddie in this well
    developed kitty language always does the trick, she knows she is
    being referred to when she hears the tone and distorted words...
    she is ready for a night communicating her love and affection
    to her "mamma" and "daddy"...and vice versa... I've even got dad
    leaning out the door at night:  Om on in hea you tilly nombre!!!!

    Bandit will roll on the floor in such a way as to end up on
    her side or back, lying across your toes.  She will do this any
    time she wants affection - upon our opening the door and entering
    our home, getting up from a chair and walking towards the kitchen,
    etc.  She effectively stops one from completing a step - to move
    after she flops across your toes would mean kicking her and she
    knows that no one would ever kick her.  
    
    She also will tackle my wife around her ankles - but seldom
    does it to me.  That is an indicator that she wants to play.
    
    
    

    Serena butts us with the top of her head whenever she wants to be
    petted.  We are then allowed to scratch the top of her head which is
    the on button for her motor (I swear her purr can be heard a mile
    away).  If we stop before she wants us to, she butts us again.
    
    Sherlock either climbs in my lap or stares at me until I pick him up. 
    Then he tucks his head under my chin, sighs, closes his eyes, and
    settles in for a nice cuddle.  Put him down before he wants you to and
    he attacks!
    
    Ande (Serena, Sherlock, and Sky)

    Silver has just started a new kind of kitten affection.  I will
    be sitting there cuddling her and she will be purring away.  I will
    put my face down near her face and say, "Gimme a kiss".  She then
    (most of the time) will look up and lick either my nose or my cheek.
     It is SO cute.  Tabbatha will just look at you as if to say, "You
    want WHAT?  You have GOT to be kidding!"  
    
    HOlly