If you’ve ever had the misfortune of dating a clingy guy before, you don’t need to be told why it’s a bad idea. Clingy guys may seem like they’re just really, really into you at the beginning of a relationship, which can be appealing to women who are used to being neglected by men they date. It’s important to know how to spot a clingy guy before you get involved, to avoid all the baggage they come with.

However, it’s never long before such guys start sucking up all the air in a room, insinuating themselves into every corner of your life and making it impossible to get away from them. Some clingy guys can even become dangerous and violent, so clinginess is more than just an annoyance. It’s also a serious potential red flag.

And yes, clingy guys even exist in the sugar bowl, so as a sugar baby, you need to know how to spot a clingy sugar daddy before getting too involved. Here are some telltale signs to keep in mind.

He doesn’t have any friends

To be fair, there are many reasons why a wealthy sugar daddy might not have many close friends to speak of. For example, lots of sugar daddies are hyper-independent, too busy for friends, or both. But be on your guard if the guy in question doesn’t have any friends despite seeming like a sociable person.

That’s a sign that he smothers the people he gets close to, eventually pushing them away without even realizing it – keep this in mind, so you know how to spot a clingy guy before it becomes difficult to leave him.

He hasn’t had many serious relationships

As with friendships, some people are just more introverted and solitary than others and won’t get into many serious relationships as a result. But again, the difference lies in whether your sugar daddy hasn’t had many serious girlfriends because he hasn’t wanted any or because he drives interested women away.

Does he seem to date a lot for someone who can’t seem to stay in a relationship? Keep in mind that there’s always a reason a person is perpetually single. And if it doesn’t seem to be by choice, it’s possible something about them is repellent to others.

He seems overeager to use your number

Naturally, you want a potential sugar daddy who has your number to actually use it once you’ve given it to him. But be careful if he does so literally right away, as in you give it to him and find yourself immediately staring at your first text from him.

The same goes for social media and similar means people use to keep track of each other. It’s great and even flattering to feel like someone’s interested in you. But you should never feel like someone is riding your social media feeds or text inbox. That’s how to spot a clingy guy.

Conversations with him never seem to end

Even a very interested sugar daddy should still have things he wants to do with his free time other than text or message you. So pay attention if you ever catch yourself dreading his messages or putting off responding to them.

A healthy, well-adjusted person will text or talk for a while before breaking away to go do other things. But when you’re dealing with a clingy person, the conversation just goes on and on, even after you repeatedly say you have to go and try to end the conversation yourself. And then, once you’re free, it’s never long before there’s yet another message from him trying to reconnect.

You feel like he’s rushing you

New romantic connections – especially sugar connections – should just grow at their own pace, a pace that feels comfortable for everyone involved. So pay attention if you feel like a sugar daddy you’ve been seeing is rushing things along at breakneck speed instead.

That can be a sign that you’re dealing with someone who can’t handle not being in a relationship and is desperate to get into another one as soon as possible. This is an especially troubling sign if you’ve literally just met or otherwise don’t really know each other, and is vital to understand this so you know how to spot a clingy guy.

You feel smothered even when you’re apart

A truly clingy sugar daddy does more than just make you feel smothered when you spend time together in person. He also has an extraordinary way of making you feel like you can’t get a moment for yourself, even when you’re physically apart.

There are lots of ways this can happen, but the most common way is simply by blowing up your phone and your social media feeds. A notification that your sugar daddy has texted, called, or messaged you should make your heart skip a beat, not leave you rolling your eyes and sighing with exasperation. To get away from this when you’re already in it, it’s important to know some tips for letting a guy know you’re just not that into him.

Ultimately, it pays to trust your gut when it comes to potential sugar daddies who are also showing signs that they’re clingy. At best, clinginess is annoying and keeps you from living your best life, and life’s too precious to spend it that way.