Why Is Your Cat Begging Like a Dog?

When people think of an animal who begs, the first image that comes to mind is a floppy-eared, wide-eyed, adorable dog. Whether they’re after food scraps, extra treats, or cuddles, pups have made begging kind of their calling card (and it’s often something they are trained not to do). Cat begging on the other hand is (like cats themselves) far more nuanced. Cats do beg, but their methods and motivations are often misunderstood. And the exact way an individual cat begs will differ based on their personality, their needs, and — most importantly — their past experiences with the humans in their lives.

My cat Pumpkin, for example, had an entire repertoire. Sometimes, he would stand on his hind paws and bat at the air like a dog when he wanted me to lift him into my lap — but only if I was sitting at my desk. If I was on the toilet (because yes, he liked to sit on my lap there, too, the little weirdo), he would place a single paw on my thigh and wait for me to hoist his 20-pound bulk upward. And if he wanted help getting onto the couch — he was older and no longer much of a jumper — he would simply sit at my feet and stare patiently until I got the hint. All of these were forms of begging, but I didn’t teach Pumpkin to do any of these things. Not deliberately, anyway.

My foster cat, Akela, is a much subtler beggar. Unlike Pumpkin, she never raises her paws or performs any overt gestures. She prefers quiet clarity. She sits beside me and looks meaningfully in the direction of the thing she wants. If she’s hungry, she positions herself on the rug near my desk chair and stares toward the kitchen. If she wants playtime, she sits next to her wand toy and glances back and forth between it and me until I comply.

She is not always so passive, though. When I’m sitting on the couch eating dinner, she often nips my left tricep — a surprisingly specific and effective communication technique — to indicate that she wants me to put my arm around her and stroke her chest while I eat.

As was true with Pumpkin and Akela, begging ends up looking wildly different from one kitty to the next. A cat’s particular style may not resemble dog-style begging at all, even if the goal is essentially the same.

Why cats beg in the first place

Why does anyone beg? Because they want something. And just as you might adjust your approach depending on whom you’re asking or what you want, a cat will do the same.

“Cats usually beg for food or attention,” says Marci Koski, certified feline behavior and training specialist at Feline Behavior Solutions. “Either play time or just to be petted. If they are an indoor/outdoor cat, they also might beg to be let outside because there is so much enrichment for them outdoors.” 

Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant at The Cat Coach and author of Naughty No More!, says cats aren’t born knowing how to beg — they learn how to do it. “Cats quickly figure out that when they engage in specific behaviors their person will respond with whatever it is that they are demanding,” she says. “The consequences of a behavior predict if it will be repeated.”

In other words, if your cat begs, it’s probably because you have taught them — intentionally or not — that begging works. “Cats are actually really skillful trainers of their humans,” Koski says. “If they’ve learned that meowing gets their human to get up and give them attention, [they’ll keep meowing]. It is their human who has taught them this is effective.” 

Begging in all its forms

Almost any behavior can be a begging behavior if it gets the cat what they want. 

“It’s usually a repetitive behavior,” says Krieger, “persistent meowing, rubbing legs, getting i n their person’s face, following them around, vocalizing early in the morning, etc.”

Koski adds: “My cat Oliver puts his paws on the coffee table and does a happy dance to get me to play with him.”

Some cats drop toys at their human’s feet when they want to play. Others tap their water bowl or paw at the refrigerator. Akela, for instance, has learned a very specific gambit: Because I keep her wand toy on a high shelf, she has decided that messing with my corded earbuds — usually left on the couch — summons me to remove the earbuds and bring down her toy. She always looks straight at me as she does it, making it extremely clear she knows this strategy works. 

What begging says about you, your cat, and your relationship

A certain amount of begging is normal and expected. Cats have a very limited set of tools for communicating with us, and begging is simply one of them. “But if your cat is constantly begging, it may mean you’re not meeting their needs as well as they require,” Koski says.

This isn’t meant as criticism — it’s simply information. If you notice your cat begging often, take that as communication. They may be telling you they’re hungry, bored, lonely, understimulated, or that parts of their environment or routine aren’t quite working for them. Addressing those needs not only reduces begging — but also strengthens your relationship.

How to change begging habits

Not all begging behaviors are equally tolerable. A cat who quietly sits by their toy is adorable. A cat who yowls in your face at 4 a.m. is… less so. Change is possible, but it requires consistency and patience.

First, identify what your cat wants. Then, either provide it or provide it in a more satisfying, structured, or appropriate way. If your cat is begging for food, try feeding smaller, more frequent meals rather than sticking to strict morning-and-night schedules or free-feeding.

“A cat’s natural behavior is to hunt 10 to 12 times a day with a 40 to 60 percent success rate,” Krieger says. You can mimic this with interactive feeding: “Use food puzzles, hide food around the home (on cat trees, in boxes, in condos), or roll pieces of dry food across the floor for them to chase.”

Most cats are chronically understimulated, so increase play considerably. Daily interactive play sessions — especially with a wand toy — for five to 10 minutes before meals help replicate a cat’s natural hunt-eat-bathe-sleep cycle and can dramatically reduce neediness and begging.

Once you’re proactively meeting your cat’s needs, you can begin gently reducing the begging behaviors themselves. “When they beg, ignore them,” Krieger says. “Then, when they stop begging, give them a treat.” This rewards the absence of the unwanted behavior.

Similarly, when you notice your cat sitting calmly or behaving in a way you want to encourage, use that moment to initiate something they usually beg for — a cuddle, playtime, or a meal. Over time, your cat will learn that calm behavior is what unlocks the good stuff. Of course, ignoring a begging cat can be difficult — some cats are persistent — but consistency is essential.

“If you give in after two hours of begging, that teaches the cat: If I do this for two hours, I will get what I want,” Koski says. And honestly, what else does your cat have to do with their time?

Frustrating as begging can be, never punish your cat. They’re not misbehaving out of malice. They’re communicating a need. Punishment won’t remove the need, but it will harm your relationship, and the behavior will almost certainly come back.

If a particular begging habit feels unmanageable, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Certified cat behavior consultants, like Krieger and Koski, can analyze your cat’s needs and routines — even over Zoom — and offer customized solutions.

Can you train a cat to beg on their hind legs like a dog?

If you actually want to train your cat to stand in the traditional begging position just because it’s cute, go for it. Many cats are perfectly capable of learning this trick. With patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement, cats can learn to perform all kinds of behaviors, including sitting up with their paws raised.

It does take work, though. Cats are individuals, and many have no natural interest in performing tricks. But training can be an enriching activity for both you and your cat. People often assume cats are happy sitting around all day with nothing to do, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Cats crave stimulation. They need challenge, enrichment, play, and interaction. And just because most people don’t take the time to train them doesn’t mean they can’t learn.

Teaching your cat a fun behavior — whether begging on their hind legs, high-fiving, or simply coming when called — can be a rewarding bonding experience for both of you. It’s certainly worth a try.