First, respond by standing up and walking away when he attempts to lick your earlobes. Withdraw your attention. It’s the least offensive thing you can do. This will make a major impact on a cat that craves attention. Then after waiting about a minute, develop another way to interact with your cat that is mutually healthy for the both of you. Try to engage your cat in fun activities such as chasing a feather wand or teaching him to sit, stay, or perform other tricks using a clicker device. The goal is to stop your cat from clinging to you and to give him an appropriate way to socially interact with you. Advice from Alice Moon-Fanelli, PhD, CertAAB, clinical assistant professor of animal behavior at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA.
