Cat owners widely experience the scene where they lovingly pet their cat one minute and get bitten the next moment. Have you ever experienced this backfire? Well, join the group of cat owners who fail to understand or adhere to proper cat petting techniques! What’s most likely happening here is that you are simply irritating your cat; your affections are not reaching out, as it does for humans.
It might seem easier for some people to blame it on the cat instead of accepting their own wrong, but many of us genuinely care and don’t have the idea. To understand the situation, we first need to know a bit more about the ancestry of our feline friends.
The ancestors of present-day domestic cats were most likely considered mere pests. They would usually spend their lives running around outdoors, catching mice and other types of prey. Even adopted or domesticated cats would be left on their own, mostly fed leftovers and scraps of food. These animals did not have the usual human contact that they do nowadays. At times, people actively avoided them.
Humans, on the other hand, are naturally social and affectionate creatures. We enjoy the closeness of our loved ones, including pets, and crave physical contact. It’s not surprising, then, that our initial reaction to seeing a cat or kitten is to want to stroke, cuddle, and smush all over them! However, many cat lovers are fully aware that cats do not share the same feelings about this type of interaction. And now you know it too.
Conveying Cat Affections The Right Way
Don’t be surprised when we reveal that some cats actually enjoy being stroked! In fact, in certain contexts, they will choose human petting over food! The good news is that cats have evolved to enjoy human interaction. Age plays a significant role here. Experts have noticed that cats are most receptive to human touch between the ages of two and seven weeks. Apart from that, the personality of humans also plays a big part when interacting with cats. Not only how and where we touch, but even our gender and temperament may play a crucial role in how our feline friends respond.
While some cats might show negative reactions, some may tolerate it with the expectation of food, snacks, etc. With that being said, a tolerant cat does not always mean he/she is a happy cat. Higher stress levels are reported in cats that are described by their owners as tolerating, instead of showing signs of disliking physical attention.
Proper Techniques to Stroke A Cat
The key to success in petting your cats is to make sure they are provided with as much choice and control during the interaction. We must learn to respect whether they want to be petted or not, understand the areas they like to be petted in, and know how long it is comfortable – these should always be factors that we focus on.
Developing caring skills or an understanding attitude might feel challenging to some cat owners. We also need to practice self-restraint when it comes to touching or cuddling their beloved cats. But it could well pay off, as research shows that interactions with cats are likely to last longer when the cat, rather than the human, initiates them.
Understanding the posture and behaviour of our cats is also a methodical approach to petting them properly. This approach ensures that cats feel as comfortable with you as you feel with them. For many of our feline friends, when it comes to touch, sometimes less is more. This is not only true during veterinary handling but also during more relaxed encounters.
As a general guide, the areas around the base of their ears, around their cheeks, and under their chin are some places which most friendly cats enjoy being touched. Places we should generally avoid are areas such as the stomach, back, and base of the tail.
Signs of cat enjoyment:
• An upright tail
• Purring and kneading with front paws
• Tail held in the air while gently waving it from side to side
• Relaxed posture and facial expression with ears pricked and pointed forward.
• Giving you a slight nudge if you stop stroking them.
Signs of dislike or tension:
• Moving or turning their head away from you
• No purring or rubbing
Exaggerated blinking, shaking their head or body, or licking their nose
• Rapid attempts at grooming, especially the areas you touch.
• Rippling or twitching skin along their back
• Flattened ears to the side, pointing backwards
• A sudden and sharp turn of the head to face you or your hand.
We just always need to keep in mind to respect their boundaries, even if it means that we need to admire their cuteness from a distance. Perhaps the characteristics of our furry babies are something that only cat lovers will understand!
