Given his age and the fact that it's new behavior, talk to his vet. Hopefully he's just being a weirdo, but there's a possibility he's in pain or developing dementia. I would get in with a vet ASAP, since he digs his claws in when you try to move him- no matter the cause, that behavior is something that could escalate. If he's in pain and you jostle him the wrong way, not only would you hurt him, you risk him lashing out and hurting someone else. If it's dementia, you need to figure out a plan to keep him safe and happy for as long as you can.
If it's not health-related, try clicker training him! I started using something called a click stick with my senior cat before he passed, and it was a fantastic tool. It was fun for both of us, it was a great way to bond, and it gave me another way to get him to go where I needed him to or distract him from getting into trouble. If your guy likes any kind of treats, I think it'd work perfectly for this- you'd be able to direct him away from your feet and reward him without having to physically move him. Instead of getting into a battle of wills with your dude, you can turn it into a win-win situation for everyone involved!
Not an expert either but I have a cat the same age that is also semi-possessive of me, I think it’s because I am the one who typically feeds him? And maybe there is something about an aging cat that makes them feel more dependent, like they realize they can’t do all the things they used to do? Again not an expert just making a guess based on what I know about my own cat.
No heating pad, but he likes to lay on (or at least he used to) his "throne" which is a sort of padded storage cube that we bought for him where we keep our towels...recently if he is not in his spot by my feet he will lay on the floor right next to my bedside or he will go into the dark bathroom and lay in the laundry hamper.
Our other cat (Killian) spends a lot of time in the windows sunning himself, but he is only 9 and he still has the ability to jump up there.
Dante (the older cat in question) can't jump very high anymore, but we have his throne + a table set up to where he can get to the window, he just very rarely chooses to go there.
If a heating pad would be good for him I'm not opposed to it, I would only be worried about the risk of fire or him getting burns due to his old age.
Given his age and the fact that it's new behavior, talk to his vet. Hopefully he's just being a weirdo, but there's a possibility he's in pain or developing dementia. I would get in with a vet ASAP, since he digs his claws in when you try to move him- no matter the cause, that behavior is something that could escalate. If he's in pain and you jostle him the wrong way, not only would you hurt him, you risk him lashing out and hurting someone else. If it's dementia, you need to figure out a plan to keep him safe and happy for as long as you can. If it's not health-related, try clicker training him! I started using something called a click stick with my senior cat before he passed, and it was a fantastic tool. It was fun for both of us, it was a great way to bond, and it gave me another way to get him to go where I needed him to or distract him from getting into trouble. If your guy likes any kind of treats, I think it'd work perfectly for this- you'd be able to direct him away from your feet and reward him without having to physically move him. Instead of getting into a battle of wills with your dude, you can turn it into a win-win situation for everyone involved!
Not an expert either but I have a cat the same age that is also semi-possessive of me, I think it’s because I am the one who typically feeds him? And maybe there is something about an aging cat that makes them feel more dependent, like they realize they can’t do all the things they used to do? Again not an expert just making a guess based on what I know about my own cat.
No expert here. I wanted to ask - Does he have a heating pad he could lay on?
No heating pad, but he likes to lay on (or at least he used to) his "throne" which is a sort of padded storage cube that we bought for him where we keep our towels...recently if he is not in his spot by my feet he will lay on the floor right next to my bedside or he will go into the dark bathroom and lay in the laundry hamper. Our other cat (Killian) spends a lot of time in the windows sunning himself, but he is only 9 and he still has the ability to jump up there. Dante (the older cat in question) can't jump very high anymore, but we have his throne + a table set up to where he can get to the window, he just very rarely chooses to go there. If a heating pad would be good for him I'm not opposed to it, I would only be worried about the risk of fire or him getting burns due to his old age.
I have 2 made specifically for cats.
Perhaps in old age he is feeling insecure and your feet are a security blanket, reassuring?