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- My cat doesn't like belly rubbing, why?
- Why do cats show their belly?
- Should we avoid touching the cat's belly?
- Where to pet the cat?
Although there are some exceptions, the Most cats are especially reluctant to let it do. affection in the abdominal region, and may even present aggressive behavior, including bites and scratches. These are not isolated cases, there are many felines that hate the caress in the "belly".
If you've also been through this situation, you can ask yourself forwhy cats don't like tummy rubs, how to solve or which areas are best suited for stroking them. So, in this PeritoAnimal article, we'll explain the causes of this behavior, the meaning of certain body positions, and much more about petting and cats.
My cat doesn't like belly rubbing, why?
Despite the cats' reputation for being independent animals, the truth is that they form very intense emotional bonds with their caregivers. In addition to sleeping, cleaning up or playing, our cats like to receive affection, especially on the back and neck. However, they don't seem to like it much when we try to stroke their belly. Why is this happening?
The situation usually develops as follows: the cat stretches lazily, displays its belly and lets you touch his belly... Until he bites or scratches! So the questions remain: what happened? why doesn't he like it? How can we solve? What do cats not like? Even though this is an especially soft area of the body, which invites to be petted, it is important to understand what happens to your feline so that your relationship will get even better and avoid scratching and biting the tutor.
Why do cats show their belly?
To learn to relate to your feline correctly, you must begin to understand the body language of cats and know what it means for them to lie on their backs. Contrary to what many caregivers believe, this position it's not an invitation to caress it is a posture that indicates warmth, well-being or relaxation. Your feline tries to tell you that it feels comfortable and calm next to you, something totally positive, but that doesn't indicate that it can touch you.
When your cat realizes that you ignore that this position is not open to petting, they begin to manifest the body language of cats that, once again, go unnoticed by us humans. We are talking about ears back, accompanied by a fatigued body, displacement movements or stiffness, for example.
If we don't stop, the cat flattens its ears more and more, it performs restless tail movements and eventually it may even show the bristly fur as it scratches and bites us. It may seem totally unexpected to us, however, our cat knows that we were warned.
In addition, we must understand that the belly is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body of cats that despite being domesticated for centuries, maintain certain behaviors of wild animals. That's why they tend to have a strong survival instinct, paying attention to potential predators (even if they don't exist indoors).
Underneath the belly, in fact, are located the main vital organs and the cat knows that, when exposed, it is completely vulnerable. This is another reason why cats, unlike dogs, don't like to be patted on the belly.
Should we avoid touching the cat's belly?
We need to understand that each individual has a unique personality. While some cats like to have their belly touched, others will be totally offended. For this reason, it is very important that you inform yourself about cat communication and that, in addition, try hard to know the tastes and the your feline's personality.
Where to pet the cat?
In addition to the belly, many caregivers also wonder why my cat bites me when I pet. Again, we must emphasize that, although animals lie down beside us in a pleasant way, this does not mean that they want to be petted, let alone, excessively.
Instead, we know where cat likes affection and you can bet on petting the areas that are more accepted by cats, such as the chin, the head, the nape and the back. We should also massage with a certain gentleness, be aware of his body language and accept that he leaves our side if he doesn't want to anymore.
despite the Most cats enjoy petting, virtually none of them like being forced to take our side. they must have the freedom to go out when want and expressing that they don't like something, thus fulfilling one of the five freedoms of animal welfare.
