Why does the cat lick his butt when you pet him?

It's not just after he's eaten that a pet will lick himself. He'll do the same if he's feeling sick or stressed out.

Why does a cat meow and raise its butt?

It can often be difficult to recognize what a cat wants to tell us with its behavior. Meows, tail wags, and "kicking" can mean both "Hello" and "Get out of here." Cats are easy to misunderstand, but with a long "neighborhood," you can still tell exactly what the fluffy ones mean.

Another way cats communicate is by raising their butts. This behavior is considered normal between congeners, but the owner may be surprised when his pet jumps on his lap to get his dose of affection, and suddenly puts up his fluffy backside.

It's worth putting yourself in your cat's shoes. When getting to know each other for the first time (after the hissing is over, of course), cats usually sniff each other's faces and necks, saying hello. This can be compared to nodding to a stranger when they first meet. Cats leave their pheromones on each other, which suggests friendship. This allows them to get rid of feelings of aggression and fear.

Once cats begin to feel more comfortable in the company of another mate, they move on to sniffing the whole body. This is similar to the human handshake – "Nice to meet you." The scents are left on these areas after the other cat has been kicked, groomed or stroked by the owner, so these sniffings allow the animals to learn more about each other.

The last step is to "get to know" the area under the raised tail. This allows the cat to recognize the new friend's scent. Animals that keep their tails down and don't want to be sniffed so thoroughly can be compared to a shy person hiding their face.

Behavior and body language

A cat can respond to different gestures while being stroked. Of course, they can purr, but they can also roll over on their back, arch their back, rub their face against their hand, or bite it. Ailurophiles know that the behavior of their pets varies greatly.

Scientists explain that each cat has scent glands in several places: on its chin, ears, neck and the sides of its face. When they rub parts of their body against a human hand or other places, they show their joy and show that they like what humans are doing.

Cats also leave a trail of scent and thereby make their presence known to others, marking the territory to make the house seem more familiar.

Cats can arch their backs when they first wake up after a nap. They also like to be scratched, so stroking their hand will be a hint that they are being scratched.

Why did this behavior occur?

Many people tend to say that lifting her butt while back stroking is a pretty clear sign that the pet trusts and appreciates the person. She understands that she is becoming vulnerable, but at the same time she feels safe because she trusts the person who is doing these actions.

Typically, this behavior occurs as a baby, when the kitten is just beginning to become an adult. His mother had to lick and brush him, even before he could do it on his own. When cats are stroked or scratched in the area of their backs and hindquarters, they feel like they used to when their mother was grooming them.

It is important to note the following: there are quite a few nerve endings in the places she strokes while stroking, so these actions can often be related to the most common desire for more pleasurable sensations. What's more – they like itching and stroking so much that they won't let their owners remove their hand from them.

According to scientists, the concentration of nerves in these places causes a sensation similar to tickling. However, it is unpleasant for some people. Therefore, some cats may like such scratching and others may not.

What are the reasons why cats lift their butt when stroked and other body movements

Body movements for an animal are a form of communication with the world around it.

If the owner touches the cat and the cat pokes its head, crawls closer, squints, and purrs, it shows how much pleasure it feels.

Sometimes the owner starts to pet the cat, and it suddenly presses to the floor, wags its tail, meows – this means that the petting is not pleasant, something irritates the cat, or it just is not in the mood to play. But if stroking causes the popping reaction – you can be sure that the cat is in good spirits and that it is quite contented with life.

Why cats lift their bottoms and what other signals they may send to the owner

According to experienced breeders, if a kitten sits with its tail wagging, it is in a playful mood. If you pet him, he will pop his butt up, flatten his ears and squeeze.

The invitation to play may look like he is wiggling on the floor. Although you should be careful here – the animal may behave the same way in other situations. For example, if the cat is poisoned or has eaten too much. Then he may start screaming and not let it touch the back of his body.

When the cat is about to jump, he will first press himself to the floor and wiggle his backside as if aiming to land accurately.

If the cat walked and walked, and then stopped and stomped in one place – it means that it is time for the cat to sleep, and this is the place he chose to lie down.

If the cat was sitting or lying peacefully, and when the owner stroked him, his favorite pet began to fight and bite – fluffy wants to play, and with his congeners that's how he plays.

Why when stroking a cat can put his bottom down

When a cat petted begins to protrude its rear end, crawl in close or squint its eyes, it shows its delight at the highest level.

Sometimes the owner starts petting the cat, and it wags its tail and meows. This means that the owner does not like petting or the cat is not in the mood for petting at this time.

If the cat sits and wags its tail, it is in a good mood. If you pet him at this point he will pop his butt and flatten his ears. Rocking on the floor can also be an invitation to play. However, we must be careful here, because there may be other reasons for this behavior.

If the cat walks and stops abruptly, stomps in one place, it means it is time to sleep. This is the place where he has chosen to rest. If the cat lies peacefully, and after petting begins to bite and fight, it is located to play with the owner.

How to understand cat gestures

Cats often greet their owners. They approach a person with their tail up. In this case, you need to show a reciprocal response, for example, by scratching the animal behind the ear. If a cat lies down with its belly up in front of a human, it means that the cat trusts it completely. But in this case a cat is not always happy if its belly is tickled. On the other hand, you can safely stroke its head.

It is believed that if the cat rubs the feet of the man, he asks to eat. However, such actions can also occur if the cat feels that the owner smells strange. In this way, the cat will try to correct the scent by leaving its scent on the person.

A cat can lick itself not only after eating. Sometimes it indicates nausea or stress. The relaxed state of the cat is also indicated by its posture. In this case, the animal will lie down and blink its eyes slowly.

Cats and cats have a more relaxed and complex behavior than dogs. Much harder to understand the facial expressions of these fluffy animals, because they do not have as developed special muscles on their muzzles. That is why the owners of cats should not be guided by the facial expressions of the animal, because you can easily make a mistake.

A cat being polite

Have you ever wondered if your cat says "hello" to its fellows? Experts note that a friendly greeting with cats always involves "sniffing their heel."

"In the feline world, butt-swapping is considered proper etiquette," explains Pam Johnson-Bennett, owner of Cat Behavior Associates. "Cats who show friendliness approach each other with their tails up. They will sniff each other nose to nose, and then one cat will turn to present her other part." The fact is that the scent glands and their corresponding pheromones inform her feline companion of details about herself.

If your cat is always poking your butt in your face, it just means you've raised one cute gentleman!

A pet wants affection.

For some cats, this behavior means they want to be petted. Butt-slapping is a surefire way to grab your attention completely! So when your cat behaves this way, you should just be amused by his behavior!

In the wild, cats are always wary. They watch their territory for potential prey or threats. When animals are in a safe place with someone they trust, they are not afraid to close their eyes (fall asleep) and may turn their backs – the ultimate sign of trust. Johnson-Bennett says that while the back-to-face position is the most vulnerable position for a cat, it doesn't mean she doesn't trust you unless she puts her heel up to you. All pets are different and show affection and trust in their own way.

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What Cats Tell Us

It's not a cute purr or an annoying meow, but non-verbal communication. Cats are traditionally considered one of the first animals that people domesticated. They have been living with us for a long time, and it is assumed that due to this fact, they have the ability to understand the emotional state of their owners. This means, probably, that it is not for nothing that cats turn their backs to the face of their owners. Why do we look for meaning behind this? Simply because we have studied their body language well.

Any owner of a furry moustached pet knows that begging look that animators in cartoons and various bloggers like to use in their videos. By the way, the Internet is full of videos where people in an entertaining format trying to explain to others why a cat turns back to its owner. It's no secret that the different positions of the tail can tell about the emotional state of the animal, from anxiety to complete satisfaction. The soft nudge of the owner's forehead means gratitude for his care; and pressed ears mean tension. The turning of the back is thought to mean complete trust in the person. But why do cats turn their backs to their faces and want to sit comfortably on them, as if showing a human who is really the master?

Why does the cat turn back to its face?

We shouldn't blame an animal for its natural behavior and instincts. Therefore, it is useless to yell and scream at your pet in an attempt to reason with him. After all, the question of why cats turn back to face lies on the same plane as the rest of the cat's habits. The main thing is to have enough patience to realize it. Photo by Mario015 Medeiros on Unsplash

Logic dictates that if turning your back for a cat equals the notion of total trust in a human, then absolute trust should look more obvious. Perhaps that's why cats turn their backs to their owner's face. Scientists in general share this opinion, although they point out quite different root causes of this action. So Mikel Delgado, a doctoral student at the UCLA School of Veterinary Medicine, told Inverse why cats turn back to face scientifically. It turns out that this feline behavior isn't overbearing or aggressive at all. Rather, it is a way of greeting.

Like dogs, cats sniff each other's backsides to confirm the identity of the other animal and to say hello. This ritual acts as a biological safety measure, because the smell for cats is like a fingerprint for humans. If we stick to this opinion, the answer to the mystery of why the cat turns back to the owner becomes simple – such "fingerprinting" in the eyes of the animal, shows the voluntariness of his intentions and the absence of aggression towards you. Other scientists, answering why cats turn back to us, assume that this gesture of the animal is an expression of affection and friendship, and no more. If a cat turns its back to you, it trusts you. But if it also raises its tail in front of your nose, it is the maximum affection and closeness that can be achieved by not every man. So, you can be proud of yourself.

This is how tigers in Buddhist monasteries, demonstrating their friendly disposition toward humans, shoot a stream of urine with pheromones into them.

Why cats don't like it when people touch their backsides

Many people have probably noticed how cats react the moment we pet their backside. The cat may immediately become alert, frightened, or aggressive. It all depends on how the cat treats its owners, does it trust them or not? And of course, much depends on the nature of cats. And what, after all, is the real reason why a cat doesn't like it when one of the people touches its backside?

Why don't cats like to have their backsides touched?

Let's say right away that we are not talking about all cats, because some cats are comfortable with such touching, and this means that the cat is very friendly in character, or that the cat trusts the person a lot that allows it to do so. Other cats, on the contrary, as soon as you touch or pet their back part (hind paws, muscles and tail), they immediately show discontent and even aggression, for example, they attack the human hand.

It turns out that cats do not like such touching, because the back part of the body is unprotected area, which, when touched, your cat is instinctively instinctively your cat instinctively feels anxiety. In addition, in case of danger, the back "legs" and tail must be free, so that the cat can run away or defend itself with its very powerful back paws. Especially, cats do not like it when someone suddenly comes up behind them and touches them from behind, even if it is a simple stroking.

Also, we should not forget that cats have many sensitive nerve endings in the rear area, touching which, for cats, discomfort. If you want to pet the cat in those places where it is undesirable to do it, look carefully at the reaction of the cat, and if the cat does not mind, it means it trusts you and lets you pet it in any places, the main thing is that movements should be smooth, without sharp and strong strokes. Here is a diagram of the cat, which shows the approximate places on the cat, which can be stroked, and where you can't. But the main thing to remember is that every cat is individual and special.

How to understand cat gestures

Cats often greet their owners. They approach a person with their tail up. In this case, you need to show a reciprocal response, for example, by scratching the animal behind the ear. If a cat lies down with its belly up in front of a human, it means that the cat trusts it completely. But in this case a cat is not always happy if its belly is tickled. On the other hand, you can safely stroke its head.

It is believed that if a cat rubs its legs, it is asking for food. However, such actions can also occur if the cat feels that the owner smells strange. In this way, the cat will try to correct the scent by leaving its scent on the person.

It is not only after a meal that a cat may lick itself. There are times when it indicates nausea or stress. The relaxed state of the cat is also indicated by its posture. In this case, the animal will lie down and slowly blink its eyes.

Cats and cats have a more relaxed and complex behavior than dogs. Much harder to understand the facial expressions of these fluffy animals, because they do not have as developed special muscles on their muzzles. That is why cat owners should not be guided by the facial expressions of the animal, because you can easily make a mistake.

Traction

According to Live Science, it is possible that cats wiggle their hindquarters before jumping and press their hindquarters to the ground, because this gives the cats extra friction (traction) to push them forward in their jump. When cats jump, they use the force of their hind legs to propel their body forward. If they slip on the ground, they risk injury. Likewise, their bodies can twist in the air and prevent them from landing properly. By checking the ground in advance, they can get into a better position to attack, ensuring greater hunting success.

According to another theory, cats wiggle their hindquarters before jumping because the swaying helps them make sure their footing is firm. Shifting their weight from one hind paw to the other several times helps them know that the surface they are standing on is firm enough to jump off of. If there are loose rocks or an uneven area that throws them off-balance, they will change position or give up trying to jump altogether. Cats also experience an adrenaline rush before jumping, so they may shake their booty due to excitement.

Warm-up

Some researchers believe that swinging is a kind of aerobic warm-up. Perhaps they wiggle their hindquarters because this action stretches and warms up the muscles to prevent injury. The muscles do most of the work, so cats have to warm them up properly to perform the jump. Cats are believed to shake their butts to stretch their paws before attacking.

When cats hunt and play, their bodies release dopamine into their system. This chemical plays a significant role in how cats feel pleasure and is responsible for the reward-motivated behavior they exhibit. Cats shake their booty and hind legs before playing or hunting to release enough energy to hone their attack. Once they catch their prey, the body stops releasing dopamine, which means the cats no longer need it. Likewise, cats love to play and it provides them with plenty of pleasure. When adrenaline pumps up the body, they get excited at the thought of catching their 'prey.

"They seem to prepare their muscles for a sharp move as they strategize – with tiny movements of their feet and hindquarters – just like a golfer does when he's getting ready to play.", veterinarian Meghan E. Herron told PetMD.

It's not just domestic cats that exhibit this behavior; wild cats (lions and tigers) also wag their hindquarters when attacking prey.

It is possible that cats wag their hindquarters before jumping because this gesture has sensory purposes, preparing the cat's vision, proprioception, and muscles for the rapid neural commands they need to pounce. Pexels

Earlier we told you why cats bring home injured or dead animals. You can learn more about this in our story.