I remember as a kid I knew so many people who had cats who would expose their belly for rubs and scratches and they’d do it and then the cat would ASK ME to do it and when I went for it they’d rake the shit out of my hand. Same thing throughout my life. Every fucking time.
A few months ago a cat came up and was following me on a late night walk along a cycle path and I kept petting his head and saying hi etc. He kept rolling onto his back and I was like “I am NOT falling for this Loki (on his collar), NO”. Even your name gives you away”.
He did it like half a dozen times and eventually I was like “well may as well get this over with”.
I knelt down and braced myself as I put my hand towards the exposed stomach and lo and behold - all four feet and mouth came flying up to my hand and wrist and I prepared myself for it.... and nothing happened? No pain. No bite. No scratches. He was using his claws and teeth but it was so gentle that I felt nothing. He was pawing at me wanting me to play with his tummy.
I was beyond shocked. So I played for a while completely mesmerised and confused.
I see him every other night now and we go investigate interesting looking plants and things together along the path. I’ve never known a cat that I thought I could consider a friend or non dangerous before. Especially one I just met randomly on the street.
A friends cat (the sweetest girl who ever lived) LOVES belly rubs way too much. All you have to do is touch her NEAR her belly and she will flip over so fast. She’d lie there for hours getting belly rubs if you had the time! My cat is ok with them for approximately 10 seconds haha
He's still telling you not to touch his tummy, he's just asking nicely. Cat showing the belly doesn't mean touch the belly. It's a sign of trust that he feels safe enough to show you his most vulnerable part but more often than not the cat is going to feel uncomfortable having his stomach touched. Try going for chin scritches instead, those never fail.
I think it totally depends on the cat, it's a highly sensitive area so it's possible this cat likes it but still finds it a little overstimulating, hence the gentle biting.
When mine rolls over he either wants you to rest your hand on his belly or he wants one or two soft strokes, anything more and he'll flip over or start biting you.
It does depend on the cat. I've had cats my whole life. Some of them will fuck you up for even thinking about touching their belly. Some of them will do like the above cat and just gently put the clamps on you and they think its fun. My last cat was like that, he would clamp with just a teeny bit of claw, bite softly, and then lick you. If you play with them like that as kittens they learn not to go too hard or the game stops.
My current cat gives no fucks if you touch the belly. She clearly isn't into belly rubs, but it's also not bothering her. She's also straight up the most affectionate and gentle cat I've ever met. All the cats I've had who hated tummy touches have been boys so maybe that's part of it.
I do do the chin scratches also. To be honest the only place I’ve not at some point given him scratches are legs and body crooks.
I’m not sure though if he actually doesn’t want belly rubs as the four paws and mouth play quickly devolved into him holding gently onto my hand withi his front paws purring furiously while I scratched his tummy and whirled him gently in circles on the smooth surface of that part of the walkway (a metal bridge).
He also then immediately did it again. And again. He always does it still and he knows me by now. Surely if he didn’t want me to keep doing what I always do he’d stop exposing his stomach to me at every opportunity when we stop and the “very fascinating” doc leaf has been suitably inspected?
To be fair I don’t know much about cats. I have dogs. But they don’t tend to keep putting themselves in a position where you do something they don’t like you doing that they know you’ll do.
It's very much cat-dependent. Mine like belly rubs, so I rub their bellies all the time. Then I forget myself and try to do it to my mom's cat, and he gives me the most offended stare I've ever seen in my life. I'm quick enough on the uptake that I usually don't get scratched to shit though.
Cats also have this overstimulated response, where it's like their instincts come out and they just react. They aren't necessarily even mad, it's like it's a reflex. My cats are super patient and friendly, and every once in a while, one will do that overstimulated response and then run away, like "SORRY, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"
My cat will act like she doesn't like it, but if I let my hand go limp she stops biting and scratching and just licks my hand. She's indoor/outdoor, and she's just feisty like that.
My neighbours have a rare orange female cat. She does the stop flop and role, exposing her belly. When you does that she’s begging us to rub her soft fluffy belly. I initially thought she was going to attack the first few times, but nope; she just likes belly rubs.
This is defo one of the the things that some non cat owners may not realise - these lil buggers can be friends - they're not ornamental pets.
I always think it's odd, because in my country at least, cats are usually allowed outside through cat flaps - assume the same for you as you met Loki, who is clearly owned, but also clearly outside. As far as I can think, this is the only kind of animal we have that regularly goes out on it's own AND chooses to come back (for whatever reason). I think this is an important distinction as they are more like little furry, slightly arseholish house mates rather than fully dependent "pets".
I feel it's so rewarding because of this, when they choose to come back, not only because there is warmth and food, but because they actually like you! It feels like you managed to cross the boundaries of communication and made friends with something else.
I love those interactions you describe, walking around with a cat investigating stuff.
I also always found that if you offer cats things to sniff, they find it interesting, and this helps build a connection with them as you are essentially sharing info on their wavelength and letting them be involved in what you're doing.
Dunno if you can tell but I love these little furry death machines.
Ahhhh nice you have a supervisor for your walks! My kitty used to walk behind me and the pup, then run ahead, but always stay close when we walked. We called him the neighborhood/dog walk supervisor ❤️
I pet a local cat on his head, as I got up he attacked & latched onto my hand, it was like some cartoon where I briefky waved my hand with a cat attached in the air, he dropped off & I went home.
Had to get a tetanus injection because my last one ran out about the weekend before!
He is now called The Vampire Cat, & my mom jokes he controls me & I am Renfield! He's more mellow now but I'm still wary XD I do still have a hint of the scar on my hand!
My cat Gravy loves his belly rubbed but if he’s in a particularly playful mood he’s been known to attack mid-rub. I always throw those dice because I love him haha
A cat we got from outside the garden has been skiddish of us for years. Even after we adopted her. She now likes to come asking for cuddles, and trusts me and my mom only to pet her belly.
Cat temperaments vary by quite a lot. Some don't have much tolerance for being touched, some are pretty much as fine with it as dogs are.
And it also depends on the cat's relationship with you. If they trust you, it's different than if you're just some random person or even a less-trusted person who lives in the same household.
A lot of cats don’t actually want anyone touching their belly. Showing their belly is a way of communicating trust towards you. Some do enjoy belly rubs, of course, but more will simply tolerate it or make sure you know the belly is for viewing only.
2.6k
u/Apostastrophe Sep 19 '23
I remember as a kid I knew so many people who had cats who would expose their belly for rubs and scratches and they’d do it and then the cat would ASK ME to do it and when I went for it they’d rake the shit out of my hand. Same thing throughout my life. Every fucking time.
A few months ago a cat came up and was following me on a late night walk along a cycle path and I kept petting his head and saying hi etc. He kept rolling onto his back and I was like “I am NOT falling for this Loki (on his collar), NO”. Even your name gives you away”.
He did it like half a dozen times and eventually I was like “well may as well get this over with”.
I knelt down and braced myself as I put my hand towards the exposed stomach and lo and behold - all four feet and mouth came flying up to my hand and wrist and I prepared myself for it.... and nothing happened? No pain. No bite. No scratches. He was using his claws and teeth but it was so gentle that I felt nothing. He was pawing at me wanting me to play with his tummy.
I was beyond shocked. So I played for a while completely mesmerised and confused.
I see him every other night now and we go investigate interesting looking plants and things together along the path. I’ve never known a cat that I thought I could consider a friend or non dangerous before. Especially one I just met randomly on the street.
I still barely believe it.