So besides pressing something into you, I'd assume that the cheek or head is where to ask first? Asking because my cat has only one no-zone, but befriending a much more anxious kitty.
This goober wants pets all over all the time, but no lap time and only sometimes being held. She hasnt even mauled me once, but she did a bite motion in the air to communicate with me one time to stop doing a thing. Shes very intelligent! (Harness is to keep her from licking a scar)
It's remarkably simple - pet the parts of your cat that they invite you to pet.
We were fortunate enough to have a battle scarred bruiser community cat choose our house for his golden years and he really really dug belly rubs, when the time was right for them.
Bat Cat hurls herseld on her back and demands belly rubs. She will actually get the claws in if you haven't done enough. To be fair I used to roll her over and rub her fat little tummy as a kitten but she's kept it going for YEARS now.
this is very much true, my long void son hates when you pet him and never purrs at all, while his big sister will let you pet her belly any day of the week and purrs like an old car engine
I just realized that my first cat, a rescue stray from a boat shed when I was 12, actually loved a deep belly massage as she got older. I happened to have my current cat standing on my chest, looking for snuggles and I hadn't done this for almost 16 years. SHE LOVED IT.🥰
Here is another FIV baby who lives for belly rubs! When he's in the mood he rolls over with a clear request of "belly. Now.", and I drop everything to provide. He goes into a belly rub trance, hence the staring!
His Feline Highness Edward has the most beautifully patterned belly with the softest fur that feels like silk, and he loves to roll onto his back and show it to you, but if you touch it, you will be attacked.
Seattle Humane told us AliceLynx (nee Princess Floof) loved chin scritches but to NOT TOUCH THE BELLY. 3 years on, guess who loves me to touch! the belly! touch! the belly!? Because I RESPECT THE BELLY and the cat atrached to the belly.
Saru’s absolute favorite is laying against our side/leg and having a hand rubbed all the way up and down her belly (including a stop for face rubbing).
Her favorite is having her back leg up over an arm and sticking it straight out. Suspect she had hip damage when she was a kitten.
Poseidon used to hold your hand as you gave him belly rubs, and if you tried to take your hand away he'd hold tight and that's the only time he'd use claws lol he freaking LOVED belly rubs and chin scritches.
Most of my cats live for belly rubs. They do what we call "the flop" when they want them. 🤣😂 They'll flop on us. Next to us. On the floor in front of us. It's their sign they want belly rubs.
Picture for tax. Thing 2 did the flop. And fell asleep to me rubbing his belly.
Jasmine would clear space (and, at 16 pounds, a lot of space) between my computer keyboard and the monitor, and spend hours there each day forcing me to type one-handed
Ours loves tummy rubs up to the point where she rakes you with her back paws and leaps up and marches off. You have to watch the tail action to work out when the limit is about to be reached.
Even with dogs, I find my “hold my hand down where they can see and sniff it; they’re quite capable of announcing where they want attention, if at all, by leaning on it” technique works well enough.
Purrfect.
But they can be tricky little stinkers, too.
My profile pic is our Gigi inviting you to touch her pretty belly floof...so she can try to scratch and bite your arm off up to the elbow.
Happy to rely on you for trusted and verifiably (by me at least) accurate cat information which aligns with "how do deal with creatures big and small, human and not." Your make my online experience more enjoyable. Thank you!
I let kitty chose the level of engagement. Don't antagonize an apex predator. Unless it's a box and/or pile of kittens. Then I scoop up the babies and they them they're babies.
My friend had a cat that hated being pet with very rare mood based exceptions that quickly became "actually, no i hate this". We think it had to do with her being a stray with a horrendous flea situation either messing up her nerves or making her just not used to touching being not bad.
My calico loves her face being touched and enjoys Nelly rubs but hates her back being pet. My flame point prefers regular back pets and tummy rubs to face pets.
my family's cat has this thing where if you are extremely still/sleeping she will come and nap on you, but then the moment you try to touch her she immediately runs away so you effectively become paralyzed for the duration and, it's kinda worth it tbh. who really needs to pee
I still remembered the day my first feline love decided to nap on my knees. It was a very rare occasion, and twenty years later I still mourn Galathée.
We have 4 cats and each has very specific petting protocols. From extremely skittish to sentient throw pillow. But they all have some form of interaction they love.
That is premium belly. I’m allowed to pet Teddy’s belly almost any time, as long as I scratch his armpits too. Carey will present his for scratches, Fred likes his belly and back of his thighs scratched (not armpits), and Nubbin lets us pet her belly but not long. Boo prefers not, Nick will kill you
Luci hisses when her belly is touched for more than seconds - she'll put her claws right in your face. She's young.
Siri needs you to ease in. She has anxiety.
Cori and Baxter will let you blow kisses on their hairy bellies.
Baxter meets me at the door and rolls over for belly rubbins like a puppy.
Buddy, if he was extremely relaxed, would sometimes accept a few very gentle belly pets. But his back feet were a Never Touch zone & Nessy is the same way about her kicky peets
Oh they are gorgeous! Cori looks so much like my Teddy. God bless him, he knows it makes me happy and I’m even allowed to full on huff his belly. Smells like heaven.
What a wonderful bouquet of cats you got there!!
Luna (in the pic above) also loves the armpit scratches. Circe (pic below) likes them but briefly she prefers the upper middle belly region.
I feel like I need to see Nick and Boo.
I love how they all have their own favorite places to be scratched, and I love figuring it out with them. Sometimes they seem surprised to like something, or try it and politely say no.
Boo believes all hands should always be petting her. Nick is my weird kid, very loving but bites so be careful.
My cat taunts you with her belly like she wants it to be rubbed and then 85% of the time she will attack your hand, 10% of the time she gets up and runs away as soon as you get close and 5% of the time she wants the tummy rubs. She is crafty like that.
I think girl cats like the belly stuff, and boy cats get pissed off by it. It's def a once in a while for short time thing with boy cats, in my experience. Girl like just having your motionless hand on their belly, and will flop their leg over you arm, welcoming it.
I find it really funny when some of them, when I rub them on the bottom sides of their neck, they just keep pushing against it until they pin your hand to the ground
Comments
my only issue with it is that you have to start with Part 2
We were fortunate enough to have a battle scarred bruiser community cat choose our house for his golden years and he really really dug belly rubs, when the time was right for them.
I always thought those charts were silly because each cat is different. XD
The other is back and will lean into you if you give front shoulder pets lol
The other two in our current crop? Hell no!
Her favorite is having her back leg up over an arm and sticking it straight out. Suspect she had hip damage when she was a kitten.
Picture for tax. Thing 2 did the flop. And fell asleep to me rubbing his belly.
But they can be tricky little stinkers, too.
My profile pic is our Gigi inviting you to touch her pretty belly floof...so she can try to scratch and bite your arm off up to the elbow.
(Daisy loves all kinds of pets and skritches and snuggles... but always and only on her terms.
And she clearly communicates every single changing boundary & preference.
These are but some of the many reasons we love her so.)
X3
That's not enough, hoooomaaan.
I feel so grateful and honored
Belly for tax
Siri needs you to ease in. She has anxiety.
Cori and Baxter will let you blow kisses on their hairy bellies.
Baxter meets me at the door and rolls over for belly rubbins like a puppy.
Poor Siri, but love that even with anxiety she lets you ease into the belly.
Mine also let me blow kisses on their belly! I don’t abuse that though, the allow it but not their fave part.
Luna (in the pic above) also loves the armpit scratches. Circe (pic below) likes them but briefly she prefers the upper middle belly region.
I feel like I need to see Nick and Boo.
Boo believes all hands should always be petting her. Nick is my weird kid, very loving but bites so be careful.