COUPLE TRICK CLINGY CAT BY CREATING A FAKE LAP

Ziggy the cat has an adorable, yet demanding way of sitting in her owner’s laps, but they’ve found a way to outsmart her.

A British couple have invented a decoy to comfort their overly clingy cat.

Ziggy was adopted by Rebecca May and her husband, Alex, from a London shelter three years ago.

At first she was shy, but it didn’t take long for her to lose any respect for personal space. While many cats enjoy the odd nap on their owner’s comfortable lap, boundaries don’t seem to matter for this feline. “When she bonds with someone it’s really intense,” Mrs May told The Dodo, “She absolutely has to be sat on you.”

Recently the couple started working from home and Ziggy’s need for constant attention quickly became a problem.

Ziggy is always on the prowl for a lap. Her owners say even before they sit down they’re targeted.

“Her ears go flat and her eyes go black when she thinks you’re about to sit,” Mrs May said.

Through various attempts to quell the cat’s desperation to be held Mrs May’s husband created a genius hack.

Finding an old pair of lounge pants they stuffed them to resemble legs.

They also placed a heating pad beneath the fabric and even a pair of shoes to add a lifelike feature. “He thought that creating a decoy would be funny, but I don’t think he expected it to actually work,” Mrs May said.

May shared the result to Reddit drawing the attention of animal lovers online.

Cat lovers have applauded the invention saying they couldn’t wait to fool their own dependent pets.

One comment pointed out how happy Ziggy’s “sweet little face looks with her new permanent lap”. Another called the invention “hilarious and wonderful”.

While the idea worked a charm, Mrs May insists nothing can replace the kitten cuddles.

“I think the trousers are a bit too scary to keep up all the time,” Mrs May said, “But we’ll definitely put it back out when we have a busy day of calls.”