Where to scratch a cat to make it feel good. Do cats like to be kissed? The most sensitive areas of cats
Furry pets- affectionate, kind and gentle creatures. They themselves can bestow warmth on their owners, but they also love to be petted. Why do they like such manipulations so much? What is the secret of stroking a cat as a way to show attention to it? Let's look into the issue.
Why do cats like being stroked?
First of all, we note that cats have the most sensitive areas. Vibrises are located there. These are hairs, similar in structure to whiskers, but smaller and thinner, they serve as the cat’s organs of touch. If you stroke your pet in the direction of the growth of the whiskers, she becomes very pleased, she is very pleased with such attention. But when you move your hand against the fur, the cat experiences discomfort. And if we're talking about As for representatives of short-haired breeds with coarse hair, they even experience pain if stroked incorrectly. In this case, pets may simply stand up abruptly and run away, offended.
There is another reason why pets love affectionate petting. In those areas of the body that they enjoy touching, there are specific glands that exude secretions. Cats use it to mark territory and household objects, even their owners. And when the owner strokes the pet, he himself is accidentally “marked” with its secret. The cat perceives this as a sign of attention and trust, so they experience great pleasure from this and relax.
About sensitive areas of the cat's body
An animal has many such areas:
- The area between the ear and eye. As a rule, it is not densely covered with hair in kittens and adults. Most of the scent glands are located there, precisely those with which the cat marks its territory.
- Middle of the forehead, area between the ears.
- The area of the muzzle between the nose and lips. These are the areas where the mustache grows. With such areas, cats and kittens always rub against the owner’s legs, marking him, as well as objects in the house, furniture.
- Lips, chin. When the owner gently scratches the lower part of the chin, the cat simply becomes touched and lifts his neck up, purring contentedly.
- The lower back is the base of the tail. It is difficult for a cat to scratch such a place on his own. He will be grateful to the owner for the massage.
- Stomach. Although animals do not have specific glands in this part of the body, the sensitivity of the zone is high. A cat can trust stroking its belly only to its closest person - its owner. A pregnant cat becomes calmer and more sensitive to touch. However, in last weeks You shouldn't stroke her belly - it's unpleasant for her.
About stroking cats by strangers
These pets clearly know who belongs in the house and who is a stranger. And although many people, for example, relatives, colleagues of the owner, may often be in the apartment, they remain strangers to the animal, from whom you can expect anything. Therefore, house guests should not immediately unceremoniously pet the cat that came out to them. First you just need to extend your hand to him so that he sniffs it. Based on the reaction and mood of the animal, it will not be difficult to guess whether he wants to be petted. If, after sniffing your hand, he turns away, then you should not impose yourself. Cats are sensitive to the smell of tobacco, so they can immediately run away when they smell it. The same applies to strong perfume aromas.
If the cat, having sniffed the hand, begins to rub against the guest, it means that he is not against stroking and affection. It is better to start them from the head, namely from the forehead area. If the cat closes his eyes at the same time, then you can continue to stroke him, moving towards the neck, chin, and base of the tail. But what you shouldn’t do is ruffle your ears and scratch them.
The cat shows his satisfaction by arching his back, purring contentedly. Even when the cat is happy and does not show aggression, you should not try to touch its belly. She can bite, because this is a secret place. You can stroke your belly only if the cat offers it to you, lounging on its back. Otherwise, the pet may even bite you.
Every owner knows exactly which parts of his pet’s body are the most sensitive. But even they need to be stroked delicately and carefully, taking into account the animal’s mood and state of health.
We always associate with cats a soft, fluffy back that we want to stroke and unusual purring sounds, and we also remember how a cat loves to be caressed by clinging to its legs. It turns out that there is a very important explanation that answers the question of why cats want to be petted.
Magical abilities of cats
Ever since ancient egypt The magical power of these animals is known. Modern magicians say that in fact, we do not choose cats, but cats choose us. And not even so much us, but our home, which they are ready to help for shelter and food with their magical power.
Speaking about why cats choose our home, magicians cite reasons such as depletion of energy reserves in the house, the need for protection from the influence of unnecessary people, connections, property, and unnecessary expenses. In other cases, when cats appear in our house, they want to protect the family from disintegration and prepare us for the imminent death loved one, and if it is in their power, then extend his life years.
Being a kind of connection between our physical and subtle worlds, a cat appears in our house to fulfill the mission of a protector from “otherworldly” evil, which is physically invisible to the naked eye. According to magicians, a cat is able to neutralize any negative impact on us and on our home.
Cats in modern medicine
The extraordinary abilities of cats are proven and scientific research. There is a theory that cats need negative energy fluctuations to maintain their energy system. This is their unique difference from all mammals.
We, people, on the contrary, need to find an opportunity to get rid of the accumulation in us. negative energy to support your mental and physical health. The energy systems of a cat and a person are similar in structure, so communication between a cat and a person is very beneficial for both. This is the answer to the attractive power of a cat's soft back for us and the answer to the question of why cats want to be stroked.
In modern medicine, the method of treating people with the help of cats has been successfully used. In some cases, cat therapy is more effective than drug treatment. Treatment with the participation and assistance of cats promotes recovery from mental illness, brain damage, heart disease. The ability of these animals to assist complete healing from drug addiction and alcoholism.
The scientists' conclusions are also interesting regarding the purring sounds made by cats. It turns out that purring is a way for cats to restore strength and heal wounds. Speaking about the effect of purring on the human body, we can say with confidence that the sounds made by cats are superior in their medicinal properties ultrasound therapy. Cat purring strengthens bone tissue, improves cerebral circulation, stabilizes heartbeat and normalizes blood pressure.
The neighborhood of cats is a gift from nature to man
In addition to the listed abilities, the phenomenal capabilities of cats in the field of telepathy and foresight, called the “third eye,” have also been noted. That is why cats are full members of the crew on submarines and ships, and necessarily live in houses located at the foot of volcanoes and in areas with increased seismic hazard.
Interesting are the numerous observations by scientists and evidence from people that cats can talk, listen to music, read and watch TV.
Therefore, if this cute and mysterious animal somehow ends up in your home, accept it with joy and gratitude, take advantage of every opportunity to exchange affection and attention with it, and listen with reverence to its healing purring.
There are many unknown and incomprehensible things around us, but we can be sure that nature has carefully taken care of maintaining harmony and well-being in the world around us.
Everyone knows that cats are very capricious. We all love to pet them, but few people know how to properly pet a cat so that you and your pet can enjoy it. There is even a certain technique for this. By following it, you will understand how to properly stroke so that the cat does not show aggression and dissatisfaction.
There are many animals on earth, and there are none who do not love affection, because this feeling is inherent in everyone from birth, when mother washes or strokes. Animals from the cat family love affection like no other species. For cats, stroking is a manifestation of attention, care, and affection towards them.
Stroking technique
Experts who study animal behavior have repeatedly conducted experiments on how to pet a cat so that he likes it. As a result, we came to the conclusion that stroking should begin with an attempt to reach out and try to make several strokes on the head or torso. Based on the cat’s reaction, it will be noticeable whether the animal is currently predisposed to affection or not. If the cat moves away from your hand or tries to bite, then you should not anger him and stroke him against his will. If, on the contrary, the animal begins to rub against your hand, expose its head, back or stomach, then the cat is not against caresses.
Ironing correctly
The cat has favorite places (points) from touching which he receives greatest pleasure. However, each person also has his own favorite places that bring maximum pleasure, which is noticeable when performing a massage.
For a cat, stroking is a kind of massage that brings pleasure, calm and relaxation.
Conventionally, a cat’s body can be divided into several zones:
- head;
- back of the head;
- chest and neck;
- back;
- stomach
Head
Almost all cats don't mind having their heads stroked. But, try not to touch their ears with your hand. This is a special and very sensitive organ, the touch of which is not very pleasant for the cat. One of the places that brings maximum pleasure for almost all cats is top part bridge of the nose and forehead. Gently stroking your fingers in this place has a very beneficial effect on the cat. The thing is that this is the point at which in childhood, each kitten is licked by the mother, washing them. Apparently, these pleasant memories are embedded in every kitten on a subconscious level, therefore, when stroked in this place, they experience very pleasant feelings.
Back of the head
The back of the head and the places behind the ears are also very sensitive for a cat. Once you hold your pet, you can begin by gently stroking this area. Stroking the places behind the ears will allow anyone, even the most obstinate cat, to relax and enjoy it.
Breast and neck
These places also bring pleasure to the cat, since it is difficult for him to scratch them on his own, therefore, with the help of the owner domestic cat will never refuse. Start stroking it from the chin, gradually moving to the entire neck. If the cat is pleased, it will begin to stretch its neck upward, which is a sign to continue petting.
Back
Considering that cats are four-legged animals, when walking they experience maximum load on the spine and back area. Back rubs bring cats maximum pleasure and relaxation. Relieves stress and fatigue after active movements and games. The entire back area, from the top of the neck to the hips, is an area of maximum stress, so a light massage will benefit the cat.
Stomach
Another place that brings pleasure to cats is the stomach. You should only stroke his belly if the cat himself asks for it. Cats are animals that are very careful. Lying on their backs, they are very vulnerable, therefore, they do not always readily accept stroking in the abdominal area. Only when the cat feels that he is safe can he allow stroking in this place.
If you have noticed, dogs can often lie down in front of a person to have their belly rubbed, while cats, on the contrary, will never lie down on their backs in front of a stranger. Stroking the belly is a special privilege that is available only to those people whom the cat knows well and will completely trust. Such people usually include members of the family in which the cat lives.
Where not to iron
We have listed the places where you should properly pet your cat. Let's figure out where you shouldn't iron.
The cat also has places where stroking does not bring absolutely any pleasure, but puts the animal into tension, a state of stress and sometimes even aggression. There are reasons for this too
Should not be ironed:
- against the grain;
- tail
Against the grain
If you decide to stroke your cat against the grain, this can not only cause him discomfort, but also cause aggression. If the cat is short-haired, then such stroking can cause him pain, therefore, the cat may scratch or bite. This is how his defensive reaction manifests itself.
Ears
A cat's ears have many nerve endings. Not surprising, since a cat has a hearing range from 3 to 45 thousand. Hz, while in humans it does not exceed 10 thousand Hz. Cats use their ears to guide them when choosing the direction of movement. Besides, this body very gentle and sensitive. Any touch to the ears causes discomfort in the cat.
Tail
Touching the tail can push the cat to defend itself, so you should not touch or stroke the tail. For a cat, this organ serves as a steering wheel, for balancing, i.e. aligns the body when moving. In addition, this organ contains a large number of different nerve endings and the cat is very distrustful of those who try to touch its tail. From it you can determine emotional condition V this moment time. Unlike dogs, tail twitching from side to side indicates emotional stress and irritation of the animal. When a dog wags its tail, it is evidence of an expression of positive emotions.
You can visually see how to properly pet a cat by watching the video.
In conclusion, it should be said that stroking is as pleasant for an animal as it is for a person. The main thing is to do it right. Thus, the cat itself receives a charge of comfort and positive emotions and gives them to the person.
“A man is only as cultured as he can understand a cat.”
Bernard Show“God created ferocious lions, bloodthirsty by nature, and then a cat appeared - a lioness, but in miniature.”
Heinrich Heine“God created the Cat so that man would have a tiger to pet.”
Victor Hugo
Do you love petting your cat?
I'm sure most owners love doing this. Some people specifically get an animal so that they can grab it at any time, forcefully place it on their laps and “SHUMP” it thoroughly in all places.
Now the second and more important question:does your cat like it when you pet it?
She shows obvious signs pleasure? Does he purr loudly, rub his head against your hand, squint his eyes contentedly, expose his back to you, “butt” his head, even roll his belly up, completely trusting you?
Or, in response to your “caresses,” the cat hisses indignantly, breaks out, scratches or even bites, and then rather fights?
Then the third, and most main question:Do you know how to properly stroke a cat and do you think about pleasing the animal and not yourself?
In fact, it turns out that great amount People petting cats is completely wrong, and as animal behaviorists say, this leads to serious misunderstandings between the owner and his cat.
Sometimes the irritation and dissatisfaction accumulated in a cat leads to serious behavioral problems: the animal begins to scratch and bite the hands of any person who reaches out to her, sometimes it begins to shit out of place or tear things and scratch furniture. Cats are known to be very vindictive.
But if you learn more about the behavioral characteristics of cats, you can avoid many problems and receive great mutual pleasure and health benefits by regularly petting and caressing your pets.
Scientists have proven that when a person pets a cat, his arterial pressure and stress relief.
Most pets (unless they have mental disorders) love human affection and even often seek the owner’s attention and ask to pet them.
However, each animal has its own preferences: for how long and in what place a person is allowed to pet it. These preferences develop gradually in a cat and depend on many factors:
Animals came into my pride of 20 cats in different ways: some (Fleur, Fairy, Fiji) were picked up on the street; others (Caesar, Verona, Malibu, Alice, etc.) were rescued from unscrupulous owners; many (Jolly, Michelle, Charlie, Tootsie, Smalley, Adele, Julien, etc.) were born from my cats and were immediately raised in full respect and love in our “hammock of freaks.”
As a result of 20 years of observing cats, I came to the conclusion that if you behave correctly and patiently, you can achieve complete love and trust in any cat.
Below I want to give rules on how to properly pet cats, accumulated both from my long experience and summarized from various sources on the Internet.
- You can pet a cat only when she wants it and you should never
impose your caresses, holding by force. - Before you try to pet your cat, make sure she sees you approaching her. Do not approach a shy cat unnoticed, otherwise you will not be able to build a trusting relationship with it.
- Before petting your cat, take a closer look to see if it is irritated. whether she is lashing her tail from side to side and whether her ears are flattened. And if she begins to meow and growl threateningly, retreat immediately and show the animal that you respect his wishes. Observe and study the animal's body language - it can tell you a lot.
- Never try to pet a very frightened cat - you will not relieve, but will only sharply increase, its stress. It is better to talk quietly and soothingly to the animal. let it “cool”, but then you can stroke it very gently and comfortingly.
- Never pet cats while they're eating and don't disturb them while they're sleeping or when they're in their litter box.
- Do not touch your cat if you have worn perfume or other scented cosmetics. or creams - cats cannot stand this.
- To understand whether an animal (especially an unfamiliar one) wants tactile contact,
extend your finger to the cat's nose and let her sniff you and touch your hand to show that there is no aggression coming from you (your movements should always be smooth, calm and not abrupt). If the animal avoids your hand or does not react, do not insist or impose your affections.(like “who’s the boss here, I feed this parasite, and she shows off”). - Many cats don't like prolonged caresses. They can purr quite contentedly and rub against you for 2-3 minutes, but if you overdo it with tenderness, the cat will begin to hiss and sometimes even bite and scratch. The fact is that cats generally dislike long and too frequent stroking - they perceive it as stress and aggression. A group of British animal behaviorists have shown that as a result of frequent and excessive touching, cats begin to produce stress hormones and quiet pets suffer the most. who stoically and against their will endure the obsessive advances of their selfish masters. Several cats. those living in a pack experience much less problems. On average, cats react negatively to stroking more often than positively.
- Do not hang over the cat, try to be on the same level with it and avoid looking into its eyes for a long time and directly., it’s better to stand a little to the side, or sit on a sofa or chair, relax and wait for the cat to come to you and sit next to you.
- Never stroke a cat against the grain, gently stroke her forehead, areas between the ears and eyes, chin and chest, behind the ears and the back of her head, back
- Avoid touching (unless the cat completely trusts you) the belly, paws and
tail- this often infuriates them and they begin to wrap their paws around your hand, hold it with their claws and grab it with their teeth. If a cat takes your finger or hand in its teeth, never jerk it away sharply - the cat will instinctively grab onto the “prey” and you will receive ragged bites. Just relax your hand in the animal’s mouth, letting him know. that you trust him completely and are not afraid. After a few seconds, the cat will let go of his hand. Through a series of studies, animal behaviorists have discovered how cats react to being touched. various parts bodies. The subjects experienced the greatest negativity 
stroking the tail area. - Cats that have trusted you completely for a long time love to turn their belly up and ask to scratch it, demonstrating complete trust and respect for you. The stomach of cats is the most vulnerable place, and they are genetically programmed to protect it. Necessarily
fulfill the animal's request. In general, you can’t ignore cats’ signs of attention., I know for sure from myself that when you’re running around and don’t have time, they get offended and sulk at you. - AND Never shout or squeal sharply when communicating with a cat- you will sharply fall in her opinion of you :)
- Some cats (but not all!!!) like to have the pads of their hind paws massaged (they fan out their toes in a very cool way).
- If the cat itself jumped onto your lap - rejoice!!! But don’t immediately rush to pet her. Scientists have proven that most often a cat just wants to lie relaxed on your warm lap, but as soon as you start petting it, it gets offended, jumps off and leaves.
- It is very useful to play interactive games with your cat for 10-15 minutes, changing 2-3 toys in one session(a bow on a string, then you throw a ball, then a fishing rod and for dessert a little laser pointer). The cat moves, releases accumulated energy and negative emotions per day and often later, with pleasure and gratitude, he will seek your caresses.
- Never pet a cat after you have punished it! She will regard this as a sign of encouragement and weakness on your part, and in the future she will manipulate you and repeat her outrages.
- With very nervous and excitable cats, be more patient and tactful..
If there are other more trusting and affectionate animals in the family, then it is very useful to stroke them in her presence. so that she can see that other members of the pack love your caresses and trust you. - In the case of a problem animal, it is very useful to remain at some distance from the bowl every time you feed it so that the cat remembers who is feeding it and begins to trust him.
- Some nervous and frightened cats have a syndrome hypersensitivity when they react sharply negatively to any touch. In this case, your caresses will not cause pleasure, but only pain. This syndrome is sometimes cured with special training.
If a cat rubs against your legs, then this is by no means a call for stroking - it is simply marking you with its scent as “its territory.” 
- You can pet a cat only when she wants it and you should never
I really hope that you will try to better understand your pet's preferences, and he will receive pleasure from your strokes rather than stress.
At the same time, you will improve your mood and physical condition.
Happy communication with these wonderful, capricious, mysterious and beautiful creatures - Cats!
I also suggest you watch a wonderful video that offers a wonderful method on how to teach a cat to love being petted.
The owner of two cats - Zeus (who adored it when his owner stroked him) and Phoebe (who at first absolutely did not tolerate any touching), gradually taught his touchy cat to love human caresses. He put tiny pieces in a plastic bag raw meat and Phoebe immediately climbed onto his lap.
He treated the cat to a piece, and then gently and unobtrusively stroked it several times. He never stopped Phoebe, and she could jump to the ground at any moment.
Gradually, the cat began to trust its owner and associate his caresses with something tasty and pleasant. Then she would jump onto his lap even just by hearing the rustling of a plastic bag.
The last part of the video, when the owner strokes this touchy Phoebe, who first came to him without any meat and enjoys lying on his chest, is especially good :)
And the second cat, fat Zeus, became jealous of Phoebe’s beloved owner and took her place :)
Addition:
One of my readers sent a great comment on another article of mine.
But since it complements this article, I decided to duplicate it here:
Not everyone knows that politeness in communication is pleasant even for a cat. I noticed that any cat, not necessarily offended, will be more willing to stroke itself if you first let it sniff your hand, especially if the cat sees you for the first time or after a certain break (for example, you came home from work). Of course, you don’t need to bring it too sharply so as not to scare the animal, but, as a rule, you shouldn’t deliberately slowly “sneak” up to it with your hand. It’s best to open your palm freely and turn it upward so that the cat can see that you have nothing dangerous in it, but you don’t need to make a “boat” out of it, as if you were giving it a tasty treat - you’re not doing that now - don’t knock it off The animal won’t understand the point, it may be offended and will do the right thing - it’s like promising a child candy and not giving it. Since you can see that there is nothing in your palm, it is usually enough for your cat to sniff the tips of your fingers. If it's a cat you know well, a couple of seconds is usually enough, as simple as saying hello. It will take a little longer if, for example, you brought in your hands some smell that is particularly interesting to her, most often from the street, or, perhaps, from the kitchen, where you picked up food. “Well, show me where you came from? What were you doing there without me? Have you eaten anything? 🙂And, of course, it will take longer if the cat sees you for the first time - here you need not only to say hello - to recognize your smell and introduced aromas, but also to get to know you - not just to identify, but to study your smell, and at the same time look at your behavior, make sure what are you safe don't do sudden movements, don't try to grab her. After holding your hand like this for a few seconds, you can smoothly move it to stroke the cat on the head first, she herself will let you know if she is still interested, if she has not studied everything with the smells - simply by reaching out with her nose for your moving hand - well, give her more then a few seconds, then try stroking again. Compliance with such a simple “rule of good manners” allows you to establish contact and, if possible, win over the animal from the first minutes of communication.
Note. This article uses photographic materials from open sources on the Internet, all rights belong to their authors, if you believe that the publication of any photograph violates your rights, please contact me using the form in the section, the photograph will be immediately deleted.
How to properly pet a cat to make it happy
5 (100%) 51 vote[s]God created the cat so that man could pet the tiger! This truth has been confirmed since ancient times!
Both cats and humans benefit greatly from stroking. At the moments of touching a warm and fluffy body, the pressure decreases and goes away. stressful state, the body goes into a state of rest. However, you need to pet cats correctly.
Where and how to pet cats
First of all, the cat should be stroked only with consent and should be stopped as soon as the cat lets you know about it (every owner knows the signals). Mutual respect between the owner and the cat will make the touch even better. There are breeds of cats that do not like tenderness and affectionate touches, but they can tolerate it a little. Sometimes it may seem that the cat likes it, it purrs, but after a few seconds it may bite or scratch. Cats are independent creatures and it is difficult to impose your opinion and desire on them!
The desire to pet a cat arises spontaneously, but before doing this, you must obtain permission from your pet. Let him sniff your hand, try touching the fur, if the cat does not reject you, start stroking more intensely. Pets very often show a desire to be petted and begin to “beg”: they climb on your lap, rub against your legs and other parts of the body.
One of the most convenient places to show affection on a cat’s body is the area of the back of the head between the ears. It is best to iron with your fingertips, without unnecessary pressure or sudden movements. Start massaging the ears, head, smoothly moving to the sharpening part. After a few seconds, your pet will relax, begin to purr and put you into a state of calm.
Happy cats love to be stroked on the face, cheeks, under the chin and whiskers. There are cats that rub themselves, with all these parts of their body, against their owner or furniture, while purring and making “massage” movements with their paws.
There are cats that like to be stroked on the neck and chest. You should start from the neck, then smoothly move your fingers along the chest, cats like this and they begin to stretch their heads forward. Such a gesture means approval and continuation to the next actions!
Next, you can express tenderness and devotion to your pet by simply running your palm along the fur from the neck along the back, but without touching the area near the tail and the tail itself. If your pet begins to arch his back after this, it means he likes what you are doing. The love for such touches makes the cat rub its forehead against your hand, urging you to repeat it again and again.
The delicate and sensitive parts of a cat's body are the paws and paw pads. There are some cats who like to have their paws stroked from top to bottom, but most of pets get irritated and can hurt the owner and everyone else. Whether or not a cat likes stroking its paw pads is not difficult to find out; the main thing is that they are not afraid to try.
Correctly assessing your pet's behavior
purring and calm state does not mean that the cat needs to be caressed, cuddled and stroked. Good owner can easily determine that the cat needs affection at the moment or just leave him alone.
A call for active stroking and careful squeezing will be a jump to your knees. At such moments, you can stroke the ears, cheeks, paws, and back without hesitation; the main thing is not to overdo it.
Where you don't need to pet the cat
Touch the cat's tummy with caution; this place is only allowed to be stroked by a very “trusted” and beloved person, whom the cat trusts infinitely. Everyone else needs to remember that cats will protect their stomachs with teeth and claws. In some cases, cats scratch the body of the “offender.” Also, do not pet cats against the grain and against their will, this is the only way to achieve mutual satisfaction and enjoy stroking your favorite fluffy cat!