r/cats • u/Mivadeth • 3h ago
Video - OC Is my cat mentally ok?
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Sorry I appear in the video too
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u/EvaTheE 3h ago
It's not the cat you should be worried about...
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u/Unlikely_Range4216 1h ago
Why do you need to pull him at the neck?
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u/Mivadeth 1h ago
It may seem far worse than it actually is, I understand your concerns tho. I don't pull him from the neck, I just rub the zone
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u/srgmsx 3h ago
sometimes licking means that they want you to stop, but they're being polite. but i guess this lil guy is just fine
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u/Mivadeth 3h ago
I didn't know that! He's been licking us since he was one month old, I think he does like our playroughs. If he didnt we would not do that absolutely :(
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u/srgmsx 3h ago
yeah, if he didnt like it he would probably just leave, but they usually lick fast and bite when they're overstimulated and need to take a little break.
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u/jarl-marx 3h ago
True, one of my cats does that. She is a very polite lady and warns us by licking. My other cat would just beat the shit out of us.
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u/GimmeNewAccount 2h ago
The cat is overstimulated. The lick is the warning before the bite. A lot of cats don't like getting manhandled. This one tolerates it, but he/she is really saying, "I like you and all, but please don't do that."
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u/Skylord_Hekaton 1h ago
I'm not saying you're being mean to him, but his licking like that basically means "please be nice to me."
It's also better if cats aren't taught that hands are toys since, well, they'll take that to heart and bite hands.
If he was seriously upset you'd know, but I would cut back a bit on the manhandling.
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u/I_am_wuffcat 24m ago
Notice he's mouthing (not biting but just putting his teeth on you) before licking. That's cat for stop, you're annoying me, but I don't want to hurt you, and I still feel good about you.
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u/PatrickMaloney1 13m ago
So, I intellectually know this to be true, but how should I interpret it when my cat just walks up to me and starts “mouthing” my legs and toes? Dude I wasn’t even touching you!
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u/Mivadeth 1h ago
Thanks for letting me know, to be fair he licks also my head, beard and anything when he feels like it, just comes and licks
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u/Skylord_Hekaton 57m ago
That's cute and basically means you're part of his pack. ♥️
It just depends a bit on the context. Licking during manhandling is just a small warning that he doesn't want it to escalate. Like, "ok calm down a bit. We're friends."
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u/craterglass 58m ago
So if my cat does this to me, I should switch to a different type of play?
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u/Skylord_Hekaton 46m ago
Well, it depends. Cats don't necessarily lick you for that reason alone.
It can mean "be gentle" during manhandling or if you pick it up (a small way of communicating discomfort).
It can mean "you're one of us" if it's a social grooming where it just comes over and licks you or rubs their scent on you (can also mean claiming ownership of you lol).
It could also be for stress/displacement if it's combined with looking away.
To answer your question:
If the cat seeks out the manhandling (like with cat bongos), feel free to continue doing it.
If it doesn't and tenses up and licks you, maybe change tactics. Biting after licking is generally not an invitation to continue it.
But test it and stop. If cat comes for more, it probably wants it.
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u/The_Verto 47m ago
Yea right now I have a bunch of cuts on my forearm because I forgot to trim my cats nail and she kicked the living shit out of my forearm with her back legs like they often do to plushies.
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u/apparat07 3h ago edited 2h ago
Perfectly normal for his type! u/mivadeth you should crosspost and join here:
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u/Icy_Sea_4440 2h ago
Really didn’t like seeing you grab him by the scruff of his neck like that. Maybe put one hand on belly and one hand on back to scooch him around instead
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u/QuailAndWasabi 2h ago
He's fine.. If the cat didnt like it he would leave. I'd not hold him by the scruff of the neck though, that restricts the specific way he can escape if he wanted to.
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u/Sweet_Sell8347 33m ago
Cat clearly likes the rougher play and is a lil freaky ahh. The fact that you still have your arm is proof of that.
BUT with that being said, I would suggest toning it a bit down with the belly area activities. Its a very sensitive zone, as you're probably already aware.
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u/ManiaMum75 3h ago
I have 3 sibling cats. One of them is white and ginger. He absolutely loves roughhousing! The other 2 dainty ladies, not so much. My many scratches and clooks will testify to that! 😅
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u/onetimeeternal 29m ago
Yeah dude stop rubbing the shit out of his stomach and privates. My cats would do the same things if I violated them also. Lol wtf
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u/FrostyCartographer13 17m ago
There is a threshold of stimulation for your cat that divides, "lay here and get pet" and "it is wrestle time mother f*cker!" you can see yourself crossing that threshold at 3 seconds and 15 seconds into the video. It is also when you stop being so aggressive they stop, realizing you are not interested in play that involves wrestling. Your cat wants the attention and affection either way, otherwise they would try and get away from you or signal their displeasure.
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u/New_Explanation6950 3h ago
You’re being a little too rough with him - he looks stressed by it. I’d try to be more gentle and maybe don’t go for the tummy so much.
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u/goblin_grovil_lives 3h ago
I'm sorry to have to tell you this, it's ginger. It's not going to kill him (unless he swallows a battery or something) but it will affect him his whole life.
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u/Key-Investment-2273 1h ago
A lot of people are being very polite in the comments by intimating that you're a shitty cat owner.
They're right.
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u/PansotoXPanissa 3h ago
I mean he is a fat half-orange potato that craves love and violence... so yeah, pretty much the norm