cats tummys

[cturtle]

my cat is fine with u petting him and stuff but whenever i try to rub his tummy he always attacks u. is that normal? and also when u pick him up he meows to get down all the time. hes like afraid whenever u do it. is that normal 4 a cat? ~alli~

[boscibo]

I would say all that is normal. Some cats like having their tummys rubbed, some don't. Sounds like your cat is one of those who don't like it. My kitten likes her tummy rubbed sometimes, but other times it is "attack!"


Same with the picking up - one of my cats (Abby) hates to be picked up - but she will come up and snuggle, jump in my lap - but only when she wants it.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Yep, my kitty is exactly the same way as far as being picked up - he HATES it and will struggle to be let go immediately. But like boscibo said, he will come and snuggle on my lap whenever HE wants to. He actually likes having his tummy rubbed, but when I used to try and touch my girl kitty's tummy, she would attack me ferociously. I sometimes wonder if the girl kitties are more protective of their stomach areas in general because they carry the kittens there or something.

[wayne0214]

cturtle, Welcome to Pet Talk; My Blue-Czarina is also the same way. She hates to be picked up, for any reason. The only time I can give her scritchies is when she is up higher than I am, and then she must have all 4 paws standing on something, such as a ladder, or refrigerator. tiger is also the same way, but not to the extent as Blue. This morning, Tiger did lay in my lap, for the first time in many weeks. Such behavior has much to do with the personality of the cat. When I go to shelters to rescue a cat, there are certain things to check out to find how affectionate the furkid is. BTW how old is your cat?

........wayne.

[jenluckenbach]

Your cats reaction is perfectly normal. Not all cats are like that, but many are. And the 2 traits do not necessarily go together. All 11 fo my kitties love their bellies rubbed, probably because I love to rub bellies and would probably not have chosen one that hated it. But not all of my cats like to be picked up.

[neko1]

Cookie will let me rub her belly. The others will not. Pumpkin and Neko will let me pick them up but after awhile they start to squirm. But they are all major snugglers!

[smokey the elder]

It depends on the cat. Moby lets me hold her upside down like a baby and scritch her belly. TicTac is always asking for belly rubs. If I try to give Bosun a belly scritch I'll probably bring back a bloody stump!

[Cataholic]

Half of mine will accept belly rubs, half won't. Just depends on the cat. Dakota and Tennessee spend half their days on their backs with bellys completely exposed...rub away they say! Georgia just doesn't like me to come near her belly, and Allie thinks it means "Play time".

[Barbara]

Tigris loves belly rubs and never attacks you, Filou only in very rare cases.
Both of them do not like to be picked up. Filou immediately winds himself out of your arms and climbs to your shoulder but there he gives the sweetest headbumpies and nose kissies. Both of them will not come to your lap when you sit on a chair but Tigris will come on your lap when you lie on a sofa (and your legs are stretched) and Filou will come under the covers and under your knees in the bed -so you see it is very different what cats like and quite different behaviors are absolutely normal.