Your older cats..12 months +

[Rocky'smomma]

Rocky will be 1 year old in June...when we first got him, he was only 5 months old and for months, he would cuddle with hubby and I, especially me, since I stayed at home, and was with him more,, so he bonded with me more than dh..well, now that he is older, he doesn't really like to be held as much...anymore...he does though, come and lay by me or come sit by me on the couch and loves to be rubbed and pet, but it seems that now that he has gotten so much bigger, he doesn't like to be held really anymore.....

[yorkster]

some kitties just are not lap-cats, etc.
My kitty Liza was that way. she wanted more to sit close to you and get scritches......................
kitties are all different with their own personalities.

[Prairie Purrs]

It's definitely a cat-by-cat situation. I've got one fellow (Hagrid) who was born outside, and he wasn't human-handled until he was a few weeks old. Sounds like a recipe for a stand-offish cat, but Hagrid's favorite spot is on my lap, on his back, cradled like a baby. And he's three years old and huge, so he's quite the lapful.

[HayleyRosie]

I'm sure every cat is different. Hayley likes to cuddle on her own terms. Sometimes it appears she is not a lap cat and other time you would say she was.

[slick]

Neither one of my cats are lap cats. Sad, but they will sit very close to me and let me pet them all over, but want nothing to do with laps.....

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Ally is a real lap-cat - always has been - thank goodness, 'cos I LUV a good snuggle. However I have noticed that she is not as interested in playful kitten games - chasing feather toys etc - as she used to be. She has just turned 2, so I suppose she is just growing up a bit! (ALthough her game of hide and seek at bedtime is a nightly ritual)

[catland]

I can get my non-lap cat, Sid, to sit on my lap. The best way to do this is if he's just woken up from a nap and is still kind of groggy. I can then get him on my lap where I give him the head scratches that he likes so much. Once he's more awake he wants off - but for those couple of minutes it is wonderful.

I've been trying to condition him by doing this at least a few times a week and it seems to be working - he is content to stay on my lap for even longer (maybe three minutes ) and seems more relaxed.

I've learned that if a cat is wide awake and in a playful mood - there's no way they'll sit on a lap, so timing is important.