How to Pet a Cat
Let the cat sniff you before you pet it so it can become comfortable with you., Wait for the cat to bump her head against you., Pet the cat once if she jumps into your lap and lies down., Pet a cat when she's on her side., Let the cat give you some...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Let the cat sniff you before you pet it so it can become comfortable with you.
Extend a hand or finger and allow the cat a chance to touch her nose to you.
If she shows no interest in your hand or just stares at it suspiciously, reconsider your intention to pet her.
Try some other time when the cat may be in a different mood.
However, if the cat sniffs your hand, meows, and then rubs her chin or the side of her head against it, or brushes the side of her body on you, chances are she is open to being touched.
Open the palm of your hand and softly touch her body. -
Step 2: Wait for the cat to bump her head against you.
When a cat bumps her head into your hand, it's a signal she wants attention.If you are busy at the moment, at least pet her once or twice, to let the cat know you aren't ignoring her. , See if she fidgets.
If she does, it may be that she just wants to lie there and relax, as humans are a great source of body heat.
If she doesn't fidget, you can continue to lightly stroke her spine or in the spots described in Part
2. , Cats love to be petted when they are on their sides.
Lightly stroke the side that is facing up.
If it meows or purrs, it may communicating enjoyment.
Avoid the belly, though (see Part 3, Step 3). , Purring is one way a cat signals that it feels sociable and wants attention.
When accompanied by hip bumps, ankle twining or head bumping, it means your cat wants you to pet it right now.
Sometimes one stroke is all the cat wants, like a handshake or a greeting, rather than a long hug and snuggle session.
The loudness of a cat's purring denotes its happiness level.
The louder the purring is, the happier the cat is at the time.
A soft purr means that it is content, a loud purr means very happy.
Excessively loud purring means over-excessive happiness, which can sometimes switch quickly to annoyance, so be careful. , Sometimes even petting that feels good to the cat can become overstimulating or irritating, particularly if it is repetitive.
If you're not paying attention, the sign to stop may come in the form of a soft, inhibited bite or scratch.
Often, however, the cat gives several subtle signals before biting that she does not want to be petted anymore.
Look for these advance warnings, and if you see them, stop petting:
Ears flattening against the head Tail twitching Fidgeting Growling or hissing, Use your fingertips or fingernails to gently rub the chin, particularly where the jawbone connects to the skull.
It's possible the cat will push into your stroke or jut out her chin, both signs of enjoyment., Use the pads of your fingers and apply gentle pressure.
The base of the ears is another scent-marking spot for cats.
If she bumps her head against you (called "bunting"), she's marking you as hers., If the cat likes this, she may rotate her whiskers forward, effectively asking for more., Once the cat is warmed up, use your middle finger to stroke the cat's "mustache" (just above the upper lips) while encircling her whole face and stroking the top of head with your thumb.
The cat is yours. , Pet the forehead, then run your hand from forehead to the base of tail, going from head to tail repeatedly.
Massage her neck muscles by pinching gently.
Apply gentle pressure and make it a continuous, slow motion.
Work only in one direction (forehead to tail), as some cats do not like back-to-front strokes.
Don't touch the tail or move your hand along to the side.
If the cat likes what you're doing, she'll arch her back to add more pressure to your hand.
When you bring your hand back to where you started, the cat may rub her forehead firmly against your hand to encourage you to do it again.
If the cat puts her ears back, cowers away from your hand, or just walks away, stop petting.
You can scratch gently as you bring your hand down along the cat's back, but don't stop at one spot and scratch there.
Keep your hand moving.
Apply a little pressure at the base of the tail, though with caution.
This is another scent gland area, and there are cats that like getting scratched right here.Others, however, have a habit of suddenly snapping their teeth at your hand when they've had enough. , Some cats do not like getting stroked from tail to head. , Some cats enjoy it, but some don't, and if you're not used to being around cats, you're better off not experimenting unless you want to risk a bite or scratch. , When cats are relaxed, they might roll onto their back and expose their belly.Don't always take this as an invitation to rub their tummy, as many cats don't like that at all.
This is because in nature cats must be careful to protect themselves from potential predators (as opposed to dogs, who are more confident in this regard – and love having their bellies scratched).
The stomach is a vulnerable area where all the vital organs are located, so lots of cats will instinctively bare teeth and claws if touched here.Some cats do like it, but they interpret it as an invitation to play rough or wrestle with claw-grabbing and scratching.
They'll wrap their claws around your hand or arm, bite it, and scratch at it vigorously with their front and back paws.
This is not always an attack; it's how some cats "wrestle." If a cat grabs you with its paws, hold still and let the cat disengage her claws.
If necessary, reach over with your other hand and gently pull the paw back to unhook the claws.
Cats often scratch deep when they don't intend to if their claws get stuck.
They use claws to hold and grab, so when the message is for you to stop moving your hand, they'll stop if you stop. , Don't play with a cat's feet unless you know the cat well and know she likes having her feet played with.
Start just by petting the cat to get her relaxed, then ask permission to stroke her feet by touching one foot once with your finger.
If the cat doesn't object, lightly pet that foot with one finger in the direction the fur flows (from wrist toward toes).
At any point the cat pulls her foot away, hisses, flattens her ears or walks away, stop.
Many cats don't like their feet handled at all, but can be trained into it for activities like claw clipping through a slow, successive reward system. -
Step 3: Pet the cat once if she jumps into your lap and lies down.
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Step 4: Pet a cat when she's on her side.
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Step 5: Let the cat give you some low audible sounds (called purring).
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Step 6: Watch for signs that the cat does not want to be petted anymore.
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Step 7: Start with a soft chin-scratch.
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Step 8: Focus on the area between or behind the ears.
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Step 9: Pet the cat's cheeks just behind the whiskers.
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Step 10: Gently run the back of your hand along the side of face.
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Step 11: Stroke the cat from forehead to tail.
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Step 12: Keep your petting from the head to the tail and don't switch directions.
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Step 13: Don't pat the cat.
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Step 14: Stay away from the tummy.
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Step 15: Approach the feet with caution.
Detailed Guide
Extend a hand or finger and allow the cat a chance to touch her nose to you.
If she shows no interest in your hand or just stares at it suspiciously, reconsider your intention to pet her.
Try some other time when the cat may be in a different mood.
However, if the cat sniffs your hand, meows, and then rubs her chin or the side of her head against it, or brushes the side of her body on you, chances are she is open to being touched.
Open the palm of your hand and softly touch her body.
When a cat bumps her head into your hand, it's a signal she wants attention.If you are busy at the moment, at least pet her once or twice, to let the cat know you aren't ignoring her. , See if she fidgets.
If she does, it may be that she just wants to lie there and relax, as humans are a great source of body heat.
If she doesn't fidget, you can continue to lightly stroke her spine or in the spots described in Part
2. , Cats love to be petted when they are on their sides.
Lightly stroke the side that is facing up.
If it meows or purrs, it may communicating enjoyment.
Avoid the belly, though (see Part 3, Step 3). , Purring is one way a cat signals that it feels sociable and wants attention.
When accompanied by hip bumps, ankle twining or head bumping, it means your cat wants you to pet it right now.
Sometimes one stroke is all the cat wants, like a handshake or a greeting, rather than a long hug and snuggle session.
The loudness of a cat's purring denotes its happiness level.
The louder the purring is, the happier the cat is at the time.
A soft purr means that it is content, a loud purr means very happy.
Excessively loud purring means over-excessive happiness, which can sometimes switch quickly to annoyance, so be careful. , Sometimes even petting that feels good to the cat can become overstimulating or irritating, particularly if it is repetitive.
If you're not paying attention, the sign to stop may come in the form of a soft, inhibited bite or scratch.
Often, however, the cat gives several subtle signals before biting that she does not want to be petted anymore.
Look for these advance warnings, and if you see them, stop petting:
Ears flattening against the head Tail twitching Fidgeting Growling or hissing, Use your fingertips or fingernails to gently rub the chin, particularly where the jawbone connects to the skull.
It's possible the cat will push into your stroke or jut out her chin, both signs of enjoyment., Use the pads of your fingers and apply gentle pressure.
The base of the ears is another scent-marking spot for cats.
If she bumps her head against you (called "bunting"), she's marking you as hers., If the cat likes this, she may rotate her whiskers forward, effectively asking for more., Once the cat is warmed up, use your middle finger to stroke the cat's "mustache" (just above the upper lips) while encircling her whole face and stroking the top of head with your thumb.
The cat is yours. , Pet the forehead, then run your hand from forehead to the base of tail, going from head to tail repeatedly.
Massage her neck muscles by pinching gently.
Apply gentle pressure and make it a continuous, slow motion.
Work only in one direction (forehead to tail), as some cats do not like back-to-front strokes.
Don't touch the tail or move your hand along to the side.
If the cat likes what you're doing, she'll arch her back to add more pressure to your hand.
When you bring your hand back to where you started, the cat may rub her forehead firmly against your hand to encourage you to do it again.
If the cat puts her ears back, cowers away from your hand, or just walks away, stop petting.
You can scratch gently as you bring your hand down along the cat's back, but don't stop at one spot and scratch there.
Keep your hand moving.
Apply a little pressure at the base of the tail, though with caution.
This is another scent gland area, and there are cats that like getting scratched right here.Others, however, have a habit of suddenly snapping their teeth at your hand when they've had enough. , Some cats do not like getting stroked from tail to head. , Some cats enjoy it, but some don't, and if you're not used to being around cats, you're better off not experimenting unless you want to risk a bite or scratch. , When cats are relaxed, they might roll onto their back and expose their belly.Don't always take this as an invitation to rub their tummy, as many cats don't like that at all.
This is because in nature cats must be careful to protect themselves from potential predators (as opposed to dogs, who are more confident in this regard – and love having their bellies scratched).
The stomach is a vulnerable area where all the vital organs are located, so lots of cats will instinctively bare teeth and claws if touched here.Some cats do like it, but they interpret it as an invitation to play rough or wrestle with claw-grabbing and scratching.
They'll wrap their claws around your hand or arm, bite it, and scratch at it vigorously with their front and back paws.
This is not always an attack; it's how some cats "wrestle." If a cat grabs you with its paws, hold still and let the cat disengage her claws.
If necessary, reach over with your other hand and gently pull the paw back to unhook the claws.
Cats often scratch deep when they don't intend to if their claws get stuck.
They use claws to hold and grab, so when the message is for you to stop moving your hand, they'll stop if you stop. , Don't play with a cat's feet unless you know the cat well and know she likes having her feet played with.
Start just by petting the cat to get her relaxed, then ask permission to stroke her feet by touching one foot once with your finger.
If the cat doesn't object, lightly pet that foot with one finger in the direction the fur flows (from wrist toward toes).
At any point the cat pulls her foot away, hisses, flattens her ears or walks away, stop.
Many cats don't like their feet handled at all, but can be trained into it for activities like claw clipping through a slow, successive reward system.
About the Author
Frances Morales
Writer and educator with a focus on practical creative arts knowledge.
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