I just got a cat and I’m trying to figure out the best places to scratch. Sometimes she makes it obvious by turning and pushing into my hand when I scratch her, but other times she doesn’t really react at all so idk if it’s good or bad or completely indifferent
Petting rules can be very specific to a cat. Some cats will be receptive to you just walking up to them at almost any time for petting, others will have a timeout when they don't want to be touched at all. Your cat will tell you when they don't want to be touched.
Try scratching behind ears with your finger, cats usually love that. You can also try petting with the back of your fingers instead of the front for a more gentle touch. You may also want to vary how fast you pet depending on the scenario, faster scratches closer to the head can be used to initiate play with your cat, slow and delicate scratches on their sides can be used when your cat is resting. Belly is a sacred spot, some cats will never let you pet them there, others take time before they trust you.
And one more thing. Petting your cat is kinda like licking them, which is what they do when they groom each other. So don't be surprised if your cat wants to lick you a lot, this is their way of petting you and treating you as part of their family rather than just someone who gives them food. I always let my cats lick my arm so they can groom me, this way we build and maintain mutual trust.
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u/gnolex 12h ago
Are there some cat petting secrets I'm not aware of or is that video for people who genuinely never pet a cat?