Why are Siamese cats so clingy?
I don’t believe Siamese cats are necessarily clingy. For ‘clingy’ you might, instead, describe the Siamese as liking human company. Clingy is being a bit critical whereas a cat who likes to be around people is desirable. There are other considerations too.
Siamese Lap Cat. Original photo of Jerry by Jerry Pank
Gloria Stephens (Legacy of the Cat) writes about the Siamese character:
“They want to be as close as possible, and their need for closeness verges on the desperate”.
Is that clingy? Maybe it is 😉 .
Gloria, though, is generalising. You can’t claim all Siamese cats have the same character. Cats aren’t manufactured in a factory like like nuts and bolts. There will be individual variations.
I’d expect Siamese cat breeders deliberately select breeding cats who are very friendly because this is what people normally like.
Gloria goes on to write, “Indeed these are demanding cats”. This is a hint at the clinginess (friendliness) of the Siamese.
Dr Bruce Fogle describes the Siamese as “gregarious” (Encyclopaedia of the Cat), a word which hints at the fact that cats of this breed like human companionship. To be honest, I think this characteristic is overstated. Breeders like to create clear demarkations between the breeds on character and appearance.
If a person’s Siamese cat is genuinely clingy, there will most likely be a reason for it other than the cat’s personality or in addition to personality. It may be a sign that the cat is feeling insecure and/or is bored and wants attention, such as play and general interaction.
The cure for an insecure cat is to make her feel secure. Perhaps the answer for a cat who is clingy is to interact more with her. That should remove the need for her to make demands which is a feature of clinginess.
Let’s not forget, too, that for one person a cat might be clingy but for another person the same cat might be delightfully friendly. The cat caretaker may really like the demands for a highly interactive companionship. Some cats might be addicted to a person’s lap – great for a lot of people. Perceptions depend on the person. Clinginess is subjective. We have to analyse the person’s character as well as the cat’s.
The Siamese family of cats is large and includes the Oriental SH, to name one. Cats of this breed should have similar personalities.
Associated: Siamese personality.
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