Can you persuade this cat to become a "lap cat"?

[Beetleback]

I have a very affectionate, attention-loving cat but he won't sit on laps. He likes to be held, to sit next to you with his head on your lap or to lie on your chest. He often wants attention while I'm working, which would be much easier if he would just sit down on my lap, but for some reason, he won't.

Any tips to persuade him that laps are a good place to hang out? Or do I just resign myself to the fact they're fickle creatures?

He's currently sat on my laptop licking my face 🙄

Mine won't even sleep anywhere near us.
Always takes herself off upstairs to hide away to sleep.
Would love her to snuggle up to us on the sofa.

I'm not sure you can change them! My last cat was the sweetest, most loving and affectionate cat but she refused to sit on my lap. She always say right next to me though.
My current cat is always trying to get on my lap!

My old cat NEVER sat on anyone’s lap in the 15 years we had her!

She would chill on a bed/sofa near me if I brought her up but never on anyone. Only once did she sit on the sofa with us of her own accord - a few weeks before she died 🥺

This is what takeaways are for. Although you’ll have to get them to leave it outside the door until you can move.

Try getting fat OP. I have 'generous' thighs and cats love to curl up on my lap.

What about a heated throw?
I know it's August but mine fight to sit on my knee if I've got the heated throw on low in the summer.

Pemberley will only sit on a lap with some sort of blanket or cloth on it. It can be a handkerchief or tea towel, so it can't be about comfort - I assume he just wants some sort of barrier between his royal self and our nasty peasant knees.

Shove a long awaited fresh kipper in the oven. Guaranteed to have a dcat stuck to you for hours.. Ime.

Looks like puss is lying on your lap in that pic OP?

have faith... 2 of my cats only became lapcats at about 7yo. One is deceased since 2 yrs ago, the other is almost 12 now. He's been in my lap 3x this evening since 7:30pm !

<insert pic of generic black short hair cat here>

That anecdote is reassuring to me, actually, because one of my young cats is very neurotic so hard work, and only cuddly when I'm asleep. She was a lapcat until about 1yo but not at all in last 6m.

I know! He did it because I told you he never does! Because he is a cat!

Oh he looks SO comfy.

Mine will only sit on my lap after I have said the magic words: “I really ought to get up and go to bed”.

Rest of the time, she likes to be stroked but not on laps. Her way of asking to be stroked is to stand juuust out of arm’s reach and look round accusingly.

Cats eh?

I love that your cat;

a) is clearly secretly reading your MN posts, and
b) is now gaslighting you.

Cats really are the shit 😁