posted by fmoore on Nov 29
Cats love it when you pat and stroke them, more than you could ever imagine. There are particular areas on your cat that are very sensitive to touch and your cat gains great pleasure from you stroking these areas.
Have you ever noticed that your cat will lift its chin to encourage you to pat it under there or allow you stroke the side of their face or scratch the base of their tail?
The reason for this is that these areas have sebaceous glands which produce body odors.
So every time you pat or scratch your cat in this area you are effectively letting it mark you with its scent.
The skin of your cat is also very sensitive, including the hairless pads on their feet. These areas of skin and pads are particularly sensitive in that they help the cat to investigate and be aware of things that are happening around it in the wild and at home.
While most cats don’t mind their body being patted, quite a few of them don’t like their paws to be touched. Ironically, a light massage between the paws is one thing that many cats enjoy even if they don’t normally like their paws touched.
If you have been patting your cat for some time and its tail begins to start flicking rather rapidly then this is a sign that it is starting to get somewhat agitated and it might be wise to stop patting it for a while.
Cats can get a little carried away when you pat them and particularly if you’re patting them on their underside and they are lying on their back. One moment they can be purring with pleasure and the next minute they can be biting and scratching your hand.
Often they are just playing and don’t realize that they can be causing minor harm to your hands or wrists. It is not uncommon for cats to give you a little nip when showing their affection towards you too. This is certainly not something that they should be reprimanded for. This is just how they show their love for us.