Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Building Trust
• Method 2 of 2: Determine your cat's favorite pet types
• Tips
• Warnings

Cats are mysterious creatures. They rub at your feet, claiming to be affectionate pets. However, if you try to pet them, they may bite you and run away. To reduce the likelihood of upsetting your cat, as well as the risk of suffering from its bites, take some time to study its preferences and tendencies for human affection. When you already know everything about your cat, you will definitely get along with her!

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Building Trust

1. 1 Do not hurry. When you meet a new or unfamiliar cat in the yard, do not rush to it immediately in an attempt to pet it. Cats, like humans, don't trust strangers. Add to this the fact that you are ten times larger, so the cat at first, not without reason, may be afraid of you.
2. 2 Let the cat walk up to you. When the cat wants your attention, she will let you know about it. If you entered a room where there is a cat unfamiliar to you, go about your business until the animal independently approaches you and tries to grab your attention with special gestures.
   • These gestures include rubbing your body against your feet, purring, rubbing your head and cheeks, jumping on your knees, and meowing at you.
3. 3 Start small. When dealing with a new cat, it is best to start contact by trying to gently scratch its head between the ears. Temporarily refrain from full-fledged stroking, ear scratching, or touching the tail until the animal is completely used to you, and you, in turn, have learned its personal boundaries.
4. 4 Avoid petting a cat that is lying on its back. Cats often roll onto their backs, exposing their belly and taking on the most charming appearance. For many, this seems like an invitation to scratch the cat's belly.However, this is just a sign of submission and trust that you will not invade your cat's personal space. Breaking that trust and touching your belly is a guaranteed way to get bites and scratches.
   • While some cats like belly strokes, most of them don't. If an unfamiliar cat rolls over on its back in front of you and stares at you, it is most likely preparing a terrible trap for you using a “bait belly”, and you will be bitten and scratched as soon as you try to pet it.
5. 5 Learn to identify your cat's irritable mood. In most cases, people are attacked by cats when trying to pet them as a result of misunderstanding. By itself, the cat's approach to you does not mean that she wants your caresses. The cat may come up to you to sniff and check you, whether it wants to play, or simply because it is hungry. Signs that an animal is not disposed to your affection include:
   • pinned ears;
   • dilated pupils;
   • quick twitching of the tail in the air or tapping it on the ground;
   • cessation of purring;
   • unnatural posture;
   • growls and hiss.

Method 2 of 2: Determine your cat's favorite pet types

1. 1 Try trial and error. All cats are different and love different affection. Some people like it when their ears are scratched, while others do not allow them to touch their ears at all. Basically, you should try to pet the cat in different ways and evaluate her reaction in order to understand what exactly she likes or dislikes. If your cat enjoys your actions, it will purr and relax, so watch carefully for such a reaction.
   • Cats often direct people during petting by placing their head or other parts of the body that need to be stroked under their arms. Since your petting is meant to please the cat, let her be in charge.
2. 2 Start petting in the “safe” areas. Touch is one of the most important means of communication. While all cats have their favorite petting areas, most cats have several versatile petting areas in which they enjoy stroking and scratching. For example, most cats enjoy petting in the area between the ears, under the chin and on the cheeks, so you should pay attention to them first.
3. 3 Scratch your cat's ears. Try scratching and rolling the cat's ears gently. Cats who are especially fond of petting around their ears may also appreciate scratching the inside of their ears with the back of their toes.
   • Be careful not to hurt your cat or pull too hard on the ear.
4. 4 Scratch your cat's cheeks and chin. Cats have scent glands on their cheeks that allow them to leave their scent on objects and mark territory. Scratch the cat's cheeks, slowly moving away from the area just behind the whiskers and towards the tail, or gently scratch the cat's chin away from the lower jaw and towards the neck.
5. 5 Try full body stroking. Starting from the top of the cat's head, with your open palm, stroke the cat's body along the spine to the very tail.
   • This kind of petting can be very pleasing to the animal, but be careful. Often, cats become overexcited from such caresses and may start biting and scratching.
6. 6 Find out your cat's favorite petting area. Many cats like to have their backs scratched and even brushed against the hair for a short time. Try scratching your cat's back and the base of its tail with a little more enthusiasm. The cat can really like it and it can be easily checked for fleas.
   • According to research, the tail is a kind of "risk zone" in terms of weasels. Try not to touch it unless you are sure your cat enjoys tail stroking.
7. 7 Learn to choose the right time for petting. Cats are more susceptible to petting when they are relaxed and themselves feel a rush of affection. Try to pay attention to your cat when she wants your petting, and not when it is convenient for you. In general, cats are more inclined to stroking after eating, but each animal is different. So take the time to find out your cat's specific preferences.

Tips

• Cats that don't like or enjoy hand stroking may well enjoy brushing and grooming. Therefore, take a brush made specifically for cats and compare your pet's reaction to brushing with his reaction to stroking with his hands.
• Pay close attention to how you pick up the cat. They all have their own preferences as to how they should be held.

Warnings

• Do not overdo it with petting, as too much petting can over-excite your cat and make her want to bite.
• Never physically punish your cat or yell at her for biting you when you want to pet her. Your cat may have reasons for this behavior that you may not be aware of. In addition, the cat is not aware that you are punishing it and screaming because of the bite. From the point of view of an animal, you simply become a source of threat and danger.