Cat jumps on my back

[debodun]

One of my darlings has now decided anytime I bend over or stand still for more than 5 seconds, that it's expected of him to jump on my back or shoulder. Sometimes this startles me as I don't expect it. Anything I can do to discourage this without hurting his feelings?

[debodun]

BTW - it's good this is 10 pound cat and not a St. Bernard dog.

[14+kitties]

I have a seven month old kitten that likes to do that when I am cleaning litter boxes. She normally just uses me to get from the bed to the dresser so not a big deal. Occasionally she sticks around for a few seconds before moving on.
Then I have Greyson. He is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15 pounds. He likes to do the same when I'm doing the boxes in their house. He does it because he likes to give me hugs. Yep, he will put his head down on my shoulder and rub. Then he flops his whole body down and lies there. The only way to get him off is to roll my shoulders back and forth so he feels slightly seasick. I make sure I'm near something for him to jump on when I do that.
Try saying a sharp NO and clapping your hands when your cat does that. See if it helps.

[catlover2]

One of my cats used to do that too. I don't think I would clap my hands or startle him to get him to leave as he may dig in his claws trying to get away fast. I would let him come up on my shoulder and then sit down on a sofa or let him walk off onto a cat tree shelf.

[Dracko]

Don't bend over.

Seriously, though, one my cats, Mochie used to do that and she did right from the 1st day I got her. Fortunately she was a pretty light cat. I used to just try to not present opportunities for her to jump on my back meaning I'd brush my teeth standing up straight, etc. If she saw me hunched over or bent over she'd ALWAYS jump on me. I never found a way to stop it.

[violagirl]

When my cat was a kitten he would always sit on my shoulder when I played the piano. It was cute when he was a kitten - now he's 12 or 13lbs and still whenever I play the piano he will come over and sit on my head. I dont' get to play the piano much any more.

[kasey&roxie]

Our cat Roxie didn't want to jump from our dresser over to the window sill as the sill was narrow but she cries to sit in the window with her brother Kasey. So being the good mom, I let her walk across my back from the dresser to the window..

Then one day I was bent over in front of the dresser putting laundry away in the bottom drawer and yep..Roxie jumped on my back and laid down I walked her out to my husband and he picked her up off me.

She hasn't done it since earlier in the fall as the window isn't open now for them to sit in. I'm sure next spring and summer I'll be walking around with a cat on my back.

[MyBirdIsEvil]

I think the best bet is just to clip their claws.

I have a cat that I TAUGHT to jump onto my chest. I ask him to come up, he jumps and I catch him. (I used to have this vid posted somewhere here http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/b...0218100051.mp4)
welllll...

Unfortunately he doesn't quite understand that he needs to jump higher for taller people (I'm 5'2". My husband and his friends are 6+), or that not everyone is expecting him to jump. Or that it MUST be done from the front
He gives warning that he wants to jump, but no one but me and my husband understand that he's staring questioningly because he's asking if he can come up (and if you don't say anything or don't move he figures your answer is yes...), or that people can't see him when he's behind them.
He actually reacts really confused when no one catches him and looks forlorn. He doesn't stick his claws out if you catch him or if he ends up on your shoulder, he does it when you DON'T catch him and he's left sliding down you wondering why you're not holding onto him.
So yeah, it can be kinda painful. He's not as bad about it now, but until recently I kept his claws clipped due to lacerating several people unexpectedly (they didn't even know a cat was there much less going to jump. probably thought a wild animal attacked them or something ). He's very very friendly and anyone is a possible "victim". I also make the point of warning everyone that comes in the house now.

[lindapalm]

One of mine will jump from the floor onto my back and then to my shoulders. One of these days it will give me a heart attack. It hurts like hell, but I haven't yet been able to stop him.

[scottyxx]

My cats love to do that! I usually just walk around to the nearest ledge and let them walk off my back. One of them loves to lay on my shoulder too. No idea why they do it! But I dont think they mean any harm!

[Kittystylez]

My female cat does this!! My arms are flexinle enough that I can bring them behind my back and grab her cause she is small... or I just go up to the object she used to jump onto my back to let her off... sometimes it takes some convincing!

[marko]

This is an old thread buuuut.....My cat Baci does this as well. Personally I find it cute and it makes me smile.

That said if it really bothered me 14+kitties suggestion of clapping hands and a loud "no", seems like a good idea.

Seems to me that cats do not get hurt feelings...actually that's a cool concept and I'm going to post a new thread. Thx!