Pleasure and benefit
There has never been a single creature on the planet that does not love affection. Just like humans, animals need care and attention. Cats, like no other animal, love to be petted. Gentle stroking not only brings pleasure to the cat, but also has a beneficial effect on the health of its owner.
Important! The moment you caress your kitten, your blood pressure stabilizes, your nervous system calms down, and your stress level decreases.
But you should definitely take into account the desire and mood of your cat, because the animal does not always want to be stroked. Cats, like people, have different morals and characters. While some people love to be petted and are ready to sit in their arms for hours on end, others only need five minutes to get their fill of affection, after which they begin to pull out, scratch, and sometimes bite.
Important!
In order not to create discomfort for the animal, it is correct to stroke the cat when he wants it, and stop such actions when the animal openly demonstrates reluctance to your caresses.
Possible reasons
The first thing that comes to mind is going to the vet. Not a bad idea, especially if you have never encountered a similar problem before. In any case, if the issue is not ordinary shedding, but severe hair loss, you should carefully monitor the animal.
See if his health condition is worsening. Perhaps this condition is after sterilization, or perhaps hair loss indicates the presence of a serious disease.
ATTENTION! Hair loss in many cases is standard shedding. It is worth making the process easier and combing the animal in a timely manner. But you shouldn’t rule out other conditions ahead of time.
There can be quite a few reasons, so it is worth closely monitoring the animal to find out if there are any associated symptoms.
The scientific side of the issue
Scientists, studying the behavioral characteristics of the cat family, conducted many experiments and tests regarding the question of how to properly pet a cat. After years of comparing the behavior and reactions of cats, they came to the conclusion that there are certain behaviors in animals that will determine whether they are predisposed to affection by their owner for a given period of time:
- Reach out to your cat. If he doesn’t react to you in any way and avoids touching you in every possible way, you shouldn’t anger the animal. Most likely, he is not in the mood for tenderness right now.
- If you extend your hand and the cat begins to rub against it, you can gently stroke it behind the ear or in the chin area.
Important! To make this “procedure” enjoyable for your pet, determine his favorite places for petting.
Stress
Stress can cause your cat's skin to peel and hair to fall out. You shouldn’t be surprised, because cats are quite vulnerable creatures. They do not tolerate rude treatment from their owners well; stress can occur when they lose their owner.
Any unusual situations can affect the behavior and condition of the cat. Signs of stressful conditions are hair loss, apathetic mood, and lack of appetite.
In this case, you can use special medications, as well as show affection and care for the animal. In this case, sedatives should be prescribed by a veterinarian.
How to pet a cat correctly?
There are certain points on the human body, pressing on which during a massage allows you to relieve stress from the muscles and get maximum relaxation of the body. Your pets are no exception to this situation. They also have certain areas on the body, massaging which even the most stubborn representative of the breed will not remain indifferent.
Neck and ear area
Ears are a favorite place for petting dogs and cats. Try the following steps and you will see your pet’s grateful eyes:
- Using gentle massaging movements with your fingers, stroke the kitten in the ear area.
- Smoothly move from the center to the edges of the ears.
- Slowly lower yourself to the back of your head and massage with gentle movements.
From such caresses your pet will simply stretch out in bliss.
Neck, chest and chin area
The animal cannot properly scratch these areas of the body with its paws, so most cats love it when their owners give these areas a gentle massage. If you adhere to the following recommendations, you will see in practice that you are now petting your cat correctly:
- Use your fingertips to follow your pet's chin. Notice how he stretches his neck forward in pleasure.
- Slowly, going through the fur, go down to the chest area.
Important! Movements and pressures should not be sharp or intense, so as not to damage the animal’s larynx.
Back area
Since the cat family walks on four legs, the entire load from their movement goes to the spine. Therefore, they often develop a disease of this part of the skeleton.
If your cat falls asleep on your lap, help her feel completely relaxed and cared for:
- Pet your pet from the neck to the base of the tail.
- Using light pressure with your fingertips, move from the back of the head to the base of the tail along the spine to relieve tension from the back.
Important!
When petting, try not to touch the tail, as cats do not like this. Rest assured, this is the correct way to pet a cat.
Cheek area
Want to cheer up your kitten? Caressing the cheeks for this, as with a person, is best suited:
- When the animal is calm, use gentle touches to stroke the area under the animal's eyes.
- Smoothly move to the cheeks - they are located behind the whiskers in cats.
In response to your actions, you will hear the cat’s satisfying purr.
How not to pet cats?
There are certain moments when you give the “purr” not pleasure, but rather discomfort from caresses. Therefore, every cat owner needs to know how and when not to pet their pet, so as not to irritate it:
- Have you noticed how a cat winces when you run your hand against the fur? Representatives of the cat family do not like such stroking on your part, so you should not do this in the future.
Important! Short-haired cats may experience pain from stroking against the grain.
- Cats and cats are very gentle creatures. Therefore, when you caress your pet, you should not make much effort, put too much pressure on the spine or make the caresses rough.
- If your cat has done something wrong, do not pet him immediately after punishing him. He may perceive such actions as encouragement and continue to do dirty tricks in the future.
- You should not often bother your animal with affection. The exception is situations when he himself insists on stroking.
Cats do not understand human language, and to explain to them how much you love your pet, you should use another language - affection. Determine the areas from which your pet gets the most pleasure from stroking and, if possible, pet him. In return, you will receive even more love and pleasant, soothing purrs from your cat.
How and where to stroke a cat so that they like it: in what places, is it possible to stroke against the grain and why do they not allow you to stroke their belly, how to find an approach to an unfamiliar cat.
Even those people who do not have pets have petted a cat at least once in their lives. And, most likely, they didn’t do it exactly the way she liked.
It is best to pet the cat in those places where its scent glands are concentrated.
. When a person touches these areas of fur, the skin underneath secretes a secretion that remains on the hands. In this way, the cat marks its owner, which makes him happier and more confident.
Heredity
If the cat does not lose weight and does not survive the period after castration, then it is worth assuming that hair loss in tufts may be hereditary. Congenital or hereditary diseases include:
- seborrhea (alopecia, peeling and inflammation of the skin, unpleasant odor),
- hypotrichosis (complete hair loss before the age of one year)
- and other diseases.
In this case, you should contact a specialist for testing and treatment.
Best places
All cats are different, but they have one thing in common - they love to have their faces scratched.
in different places, are indifferent to having their back stroked and do not like having their belly touched.
- Most cats like to be scratched under the chin
, especially where the jaw connects to the skull.
- They also enjoy being stroked on the sides of their muzzles.
and, preferably, with both hands at the same time.
— There are cats who love having their cheeks massaged
and a triangle between them and the nose (but very gently).
— Some cats are delighted to be petted at the base of their ears
, where the odorous glands are also located.
- There are animals that love to be touched on the underside of their tail
.
To determine
, what exactly the cat likes, wait until the cat comes to you, take it on your lap, run your hand from head to tail.
If in the process she turns to you and pokes her head under your arm, then this is a clear signal that you need to pay more attention to the face rather than the body. Look at which part of her muzzle she touched you - side, forehead, cheeks, or threw her head back, exposing her neck. This is where you need to concentrate this time. If you stroke not
what is required of you, but what you want, then the cat will simply jump off your lap and go looking for more understanding hands.
Pay attention
and on the cat’s tail - the stronger and sharper she waves it, the less happy she is with you. Try scratching her in another part of her muzzle, or better yet, stop and if she wants to leave, don’t hold her. If she suddenly stopped purring and turned to look at you or changed the position of her ears, then this is a signal that you started doing something wrong or she was tired of it.
Like any massage, your cat will eventually get tired of
and she leaves. However, if she lingers on your lap, and, especially, if she also purrs at the same time, then this means that you did everything right. Don't worry if, after purring, she tried to bite you and then left - this is a normal reaction to excessive stimulation.
Pregnancy
If the cat is expecting kittens, then this may be the cause of cat hair loss; the causes and treatment in this case do not require special attention. The fact is that during this period your pet’s body is completely rebuilt.
The main share of vitamins that the pet receives goes to feed the kittens. After the cat stops feeding the kittens, her fur will return to its previous state. The cat will regain its beautiful, shiny coat.
All you can do in this case is to enhance the animal’s nutrition, as well as select the appropriate vitamins for it.
Is it possible to pet cats against the grain?
Some veterinarians advise brushing cats against the grain to better remove loose hairs. However, animals definitely don't like it, because it's just unpleasant
.
Small children love to stroke cats against the grain and perform other actions that are unpleasant for them “for the sake of experiment.” Therefore, never leave your cat alone with a visiting child, and explain to your children the rules of behavior around animals.
Also, never suddenly block your cat's view.
, because she will perceive it as a threat, get scared and run away.
Viruses and bacteria
Such ailments are indicated not only by hair loss, but also by the following symptoms:
- bowel disorder,
- vomit,
- sick look,
- lethargy,
- lack of appetite,
- temperature increase.
You need to urgently go to a specialist to get tested and make a diagnosis. It often happens that other diseases lead to similar infections. These can be a variety of hormonal disorders, parasites, and disruption of the endocrine system.
How to find an approach to someone else's cat
If you come to visit, and the cat living there has never seen you, do not rush to pick it up, stroke it and throw it in the air. Don't touch her
, let her smell you herself. Although most cats show interest in a new person who appears on their doorstep, only a few are not opposed to him immediately starting to stroke and cuddle them.
To earn an animal's trust, play with it
his favorite toy. If after this you begin to stroke it, and it does not try to escape, then in the process do not forget to pay attention to the signs that it sends you (see above).
You should immediately separate the stroking of the animal owner and the stranger. If a close, beloved owner has access to almost all areas of his tailed body, and touching them brings only pleasure to the cat, then the same touches from someone else will be perceived completely differently.
Why do cats love to be cuddled?
The skin of such animals is very sensitive, since it contains whiskers - hairs of a similar nature to whiskers, but much thinner and smaller; these are organs of touch. If you stroke a cat in the direction of growth of these hairs, it will experience a very pleasant sensation. If you run it against the grain, you will feel discomfort. Cats with short and coarse hair may even experience pain in such situations.
There is another reason why cats love to be petted. In those places from which the animal receives the greatest pleasure from touching, there are glands that exude secretions. Pets use it to mark their territory, objects in the house and, of course, their owners. Therefore, when the owner strokes his pet, he is, as it were, independently “marked” with the pet’s secretion. The animal perceives this situation as special trust from the owner and experiences incredible pleasure from this.
The most sensitive areas on the body
A cat’s favorite places for stroking are the areas where the largest number of so-called “scent” glands are located - those with which cats apply marks, including on their owners. Therefore, the most favorite places are:
1. The area between the eye and ear - the area in cats is a little “bald”, that is, it has thinner hair than on the rest of the body, not only in adult animals, but also in kittens. It is believed that most of the so-called scent glands are located here - those with which a cat marks “its own”. 2. The middle of the forehead is between the ears. 3. Angle between lips and nose. These are the cheeks themselves - the places where the mustache grows. This is where the cat most often rubs against its owner’s legs and furniture in the house.
4. Chin and lips - the cat likes scratching these places the most.
5. Lower back - at the base of the tail. 6. Belly - there are no glands here with the help of which a cat marks its territory, but a cat’s belly is very sensitive to touch. Only high trust in the owner allows the pet to lie on its back in front of him and allow him to touch his belly. Stroking a stranger
It doesn’t matter whether you are seeing the animal you are about to pet for the first time, or whether you have already been to its house. If the cat does not see you regularly, then he always perceives you as a new person from whom you can expect anything. Therefore, you should not meddle with it right away and unceremoniously smooth it in all places.
Start by holding out your hand to your pet and giving him the opportunity to smell it. By the cat's reaction you will understand whether he doesn't mind being petted. If the animal turns away dissatisfied or does not show any interest in the hand, then you should not touch it. And if he does not remove his head from you and continues to sniff the air, then he expects to be petted.
In this case, touching should start from the head. Start scratching your animal's forehead between the ears with a few fingers. If the cat closes its eyes and again does not remove its head, then you can continue and move towards the neck and ears. Stroke them gently, but do not ruffle or scratch their ears, and do not put too much pressure on your pet's skin.
If the animal arches its back, raising and fluffing its tail, walks back and forth in front of you, and also purrs, then you can not worry and calmly stroke it. If your pet is cowering, sitting in one position and clearly waiting for all this to end, then you shouldn’t continue, he doesn’t like your touch.
Even if the cat does not show aggression, but on the contrary demonstrates a trusting attitude, there is no need to touch its sides and belly without permission. Only if he, having warmed up, falls apart in front of you and exposes his tummy himself, can you pet this place. Otherwise, the pet may even bite you.
If you have access to the belly, you should not touch it too unceremoniously. Be gentle with the cat, do not put pressure on the belly, do not ruffle the fur on it. If at some point while stroking your belly, the cat begins to clasp your hand with its paws and bite it, this means that it doesn’t like something.
Any owner knows which places need to be stroked so that the pet enjoys them, and which areas of the body are better not to touch at all. But even with complete trust with your pet, tactile contact with the cat should be delicate and gradual. Remember, a cat is a very sensitive creature; you should not impose your ideas of tenderness on it.
Fluffy pets are affectionate, kind and gentle creatures. They themselves can bestow warmth on their owners, but they also love to be petted. Why do they like such manipulations so much? What is the secret of stroking a cat as a way to show attention to it? Let's look into the issue.
Allergy
The Scottish or Ostevoy's fur may peel off if there is an allergic reaction to certain foods. Allergies can occur to anything, including food, medicines, and chemicals.
It may even be that the cat is allergic to sunlight. If this is your case, then you will experience not only hair loss, but also itching. You should notice that the cat has begun to lick itself too often and scratch irritated areas. Redness of the skin, the appearance of scales and blisters may also occur.
The optimal solution in such a situation would be to identify the substance that caused such a reaction. It is necessary to exclude the animal's contact with the allergen; the doctor may also prescribe antihistamines, special diets, and immunomodulators.
Why do cats like being stroked?
First of all, we note that cats have the most sensitive areas on their bodies. Vibrises are located there. These are hairs, similar in structure to whiskers, but smaller and thinner, they serve as the cat’s organs of touch. If you stroke your pet in the direction of the growth of the whiskers, she becomes very pleased, she is very pleased with such attention. But when you move your hand against the fur, the cat experiences discomfort. And if we are talking about representatives of short-haired breeds with coarse hair, then they even experience pain if stroked incorrectly. In this case, pets may simply stand up abruptly and run away, offended.
There is another reason why pets love affectionate petting. In those areas of the body that they enjoy touching, there are specific glands that exude secretions. Cats use it to mark territory and household objects, even their owners. And when the owner strokes the pet, he himself is accidentally “marked” with its secret. The cat perceives this as a sign of attention and trust, so they experience great pleasure from this and relax.
Problems with the sebaceous glands
This is one of the reasons for hair loss; with normal functioning of the sebaceous glands, the hair is in good condition.
But there are conditions when the coat begins to become too shiny and the skin becomes too shiny. In this case, focal baldness is possible; doctors prescribe antiseborrheic shampoos and retinoids for treatment.
It turns out that there can be many reasons for hair loss. In this case, the treatment will be different; when prescribing treatment, the characteristics of the animal must be taken into account.
Most often, baldness is a sign of some disease . The owner must look at the general condition of the animal, pay attention to whether it is worried or showing apathy. Some symptoms may indicate a serious illness.
About sensitive areas of the cat's body
An animal has many such areas:
- The area between the ear and eye.
As a rule, it is not densely covered with hair in kittens and adults. Most of the scent glands are located there, precisely those with which the cat marks its territory. - Middle of the forehead, area between the ears.
- The area of the muzzle between the nose and lips
. These are the areas where the mustache grows. With such areas, cats and kittens always rub against the owner’s legs, marking him, as well as objects in the house, furniture. - Lips, chin.
When the owner gently scratches the lower part of the chin, the cat simply becomes touched and lifts his neck up, purring contentedly. - The lower back is the base of the tail.
It is difficult for a cat to scratch such a place on his own. He will be grateful to the owner for the massage. - Belly
. Although animals do not have specific glands in this part of the body, the sensitivity of the zone is high. A cat can trust stroking its belly only to its closest person - its owner. A pregnant cat becomes calmer and more sensitive to touch. However, in recent weeks you should not stroke her belly - it is unpleasant for her.
