Can you train a cat to cuddle?

No. You can’t train a cat to do anything. A cat will only ever do what it pleases, nothing more.

He’s very young. Eventually, he might cuddle as he ages. I wouldn’t say you can train him to do it, but the behavior might develop if you coax him to get his petting while your lying down. Especially, if it’s when he usually sleeps. Then he might curl up next to you. Then you have to worry about waking him when you need to get up though.

Cats can have very different personalities. Some don’t like to cuddle at all or even care about you unless they want food. I don’t think you can train them to do it any more than you could a human though… We had several cats when I grew up and they weren’t very cuddly at all, that’s what I thought cats were like in general.

My mother has a cat now though that’s the complete opposite. I can’t sit down for a even a minute before she comes and want to lie in my lap (after a few painful moments of walking around on me with her claws out), and if I stay over she comes to my bed and wakes me up to cuddle. She can do this for hours, I didn’t think cats could even be like that.

Thanks for the information. I needed to be reminded that cats have their own personalities. Maybe he’ll warm up to us when he gets older. At least he does like attention. We have a young female cat that won’t even let us touch her. We’re lucky to get one or two scratches behind her ear until she backs away.

Many cats do get more cuddly as they get older and less energetic.

If it’s important to you, I think a relaxation blanket would work nicely. You just need some treats and a towel/blanket that smells good (I usually scent them with fennel tea).

Then, clicker training. It’s a lot of fun to see cats think, and most love it.

My family has always had male cats. I don’t know if that makes a difference. The one cat who didn’t cuddle was neutered at a much older age than the others. I don’t know if that made a difference either. Just some other thoughts that came into my head about it.

Thank you. :)

You can’t train a cat, but you might be able to develop your relationship with them and their trust and interest in cuddling with you, or not… it’s up to the cat.

Cats also like what they do to be their idea, and will resist many suggestions.

Most cats are snugglebugs in one way or another, though it may take some time to develop, and for them to develop trust and interest in snuggling with each person. The cat is still young, so will tend to have more energy and more often be in play / hunt / active modes. You need to wait till a cat is in a cuddly mood. The liking petting is a good sign. Keep petting and doing what the cat likes, and I expect it will eventually come around.

He loves his belly rubbed.

Give him time, space, kindness and respect.

Cats are all different. Accept your cat’s uniqueness. We have a very gentle and friendly 3 year old cat that won’t vocalize his purring. You can feel the vibration of purring but it’s silent.