Animals

Dogs

Adapt to when the cat wants attention. If you're busy and your cat is meowing at you, you must stop everything and pay attention to the cat. It is the law.
Eventually you'll have to develop a sort of language with your cat. When you talk to him/her, often you will find that he/she does not respond. You must work so that the cat meows back at you when you talk to him/her.
Be careful to set a clear boundary between disciplinary hugs and affectionate hugs. Otherwise the cat will pur when it's supposed to be in trouble, and will not be happy when you want to give him/her attention. This is difficult, but not impossible. The process is illustrated below.
Be sure to keep the cat's food in a locked cabinent. If you do not, the cat will go to elaborate lengths to get to the food; a hungry cat is a dedicated cat.