Hi, I'm writing about a cat (male, unknown date of birth but he's about 3 years old) that I took in at the end of summer 2023; he'd been on the street for a few hours, and I brought him in for the night to take him to the vet: no microchip, so we ended up keeping him, and despite a slightly lively cohabitation with my two other dogs, things are going relatively well.
He's since been neutered; he doesn't go outside, except for my courtyard for a few minutes (he loves feeling the breeze on him ^^).
For about two months now, I think, his behaviour has been a bit different:
He 'whines' / whimpers a lot, whether he's near us or somewhere else in the house
He follows us practically everywhere
He sleeps on our laps and is constantly seeking contact
But he never wants to stay in one place if we 'force' it on him because it's more comfortable for everyone (like by moving him slightly, for example)
One of my dogs follows him and regularly tries to play; sometimes he joins in, and other times... I wonder if it doesn't frustrate the cat who might just want to wander around without being pestered by the dog?
At first, it was quite cute and sweet, but the problem is he does it 'on a loop'; in the space of an hour, he might hop onto the sofa 15 times for just a few seconds and then leave, or he 'whines' several times over a short period, then comes close, whines again, then walks away.
And I must admit it's getting a bit tiresome because he absolutely wants for nothing (his litter tray is kept clean, he has dry food and water).
I've read that it could be 'emotional dependency'; it's true that since I've never had a cat before, I was very affectionate with him during the first few months.
But now, on a daily basis, it's hard because I really don't know what to do; it's upsetting the dogs, he's always looking for contact and stops me from using my laptop for work... It's also hard to stay focused on what we're doing because of his 'complaining'.
Thank you in advance for your advice and tips
