All the cat books/sites seem to say that people must not touch, stroke, tickle etc their cats underneath.

Even if it appears that the cat is inviting you to do this by turning upside down and purring, it is said that you should not do this.

The reason given is that the cat is expressing the fact that it trusts you by deliberately putting itself in a vulnerable position. S/he would normally go to any length to protect that part of it's body because several tasty organs that are essential to the cat are located there! To touch the cats belly/chest betrays that trust.

However, i've seen many people on here say that their cat loves a belly rub or tickle. I have now adopted a formerly abused rescue cat that has finally started to trust me.

He turned over to show me his underside earlier today and I would have loved to have petted him their and I feel sure that he wanted me to.

Have the experts got it wrong on this occasion?

Do you ever touch your cats underneath?

Does this give rise to any problems?

I've set up a poll with this thread to see if we can gauge what people think

Not an expert, but to me it's always depended on the cat. My current cat loves belly rubs and purrs away for ages when having them. Previous cat didn't like it, and if anyone attempted it she'd bite them.

So I've just always taken the lead from them. You soon realise if the cats not happy with it!

Mine will meow at me if I ignore her belly display! But most of the time its actually a trap - after a few rubs she'll grab my hand and start play-biting with bunny kicks from her back legs - all in fun, but her teeth are quite sharp!

It will vary from cat to cat.

2 of my 4 cats love a belly rub

This.

This.

Every cat I have ever had has loved having its tummy tickled, but a friend's rescue cat hated it, she sooned learned that to touch his tummy was to get severly attacked.

My recently deceased cat used to jump on my lap and stand there, rear end towards me, waiting for me to tickle her tummy, she would put up with that all day!

Our Charlie (an affectionate 8 year old Tom) loves a belly rub and even allows me to stick my face in. Occasionally if he's in a playful or frisky mood he bats me away so I leave him alone. There's far too much rubbish written by 'experts' on this.

I have a brother and sister.

She doesn't mind it (and she never gets truly annoyed, if you really irritate her she will just swish the tail and walk away).

He doesn't really like it - do it for too long and the claws come out

Depends on the cat some like belly rubs some don't. None of my previous cat's liked their bellies rubbed but my currant cat loves it and grumbles if I stop stroking his belly, he changes position when he's had enough.

Did you name him after the PIF cat?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2AIB7M3V_j4

I was so pleased to see that Charlie behaved himself in the second information film on there, when he was looking up at the stove. My heart was pounding in fear that he was going to grab those sausages or the pan and bring boiling oil or water down upon himself. Good cat Charlie. So pleased you stayed safe that time!

Those "Charlie Says" films genuinely used to scare me as a young child. I suppose that means they worked then.

As for belly rubs, you can't have a cat and not stroke and massage their belly. They soon tell you when enough's enough. I wonder if female cats prefer it more than the boys though?

I think it depends on the cat. Both my cats made it abundantly clear they didn't like it, so see how it goes. Give anywhere else a stroke or a rub and they loved it but the bellly was out of bounds so to speak.

They'll let you know what they're comfortable with and what they're not no need to worry about that.

I like to hold cats like babies upside down in my arms, none of mine have ever bothered about this, but a rescue cat that came to live with me last December hates being put upside down.

My female bengal kitty loves it when I stroke her belly. I can do it for hours on end and she just purrs away.

My tom cat, however, he'll let you for a minute or two (well, rather, he'll let my OH do it, not me) but then after that he'll bop you away.

Really does depend on the temperament of the cat, and how they were handled from birth I think.

It brought back memories for me too

From the poll results so far, it seems that the experts could be wrong on this one!

The experts also say that a cat will never meow to another cat after becoming an adult cat.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2141067

I put a picture of my boy, Leo, on his back being brushed on one of Richard's previous threads about bed time. Bottom line, if your cat likes it, fill your boots. If he doesn't like it I'm sure you'll be told, and it might not be pretty.

Aw - this reminds me of my lovely Ebony who sadly was killed on the road many years ago aged 1 year. He loved being cradled like a baby and would stretch full out in my arms and expect the tummy rub.

The Beast loves a good tummy rub from the OH. She holds him like a babe in arms and he purrs away, legs akimbo.

But not from me, he wriggles when I try it.

I have a suspicion he thinks it's a bit 'gay' so we do our macho face bashing instead

Awww, I'm sorry to hear that. I've had one cat that never returned and one who had to be put to sleep due to injury. I've not let my two out as of yet and i'm now thinking of having them both as house cats with a catio.


Lol, it's funny you should mention that.

I've always had female cats, but now have one of each.

The female is quite camp as she swishes about, but the tom seems to walk really butch!!

Only last night I began to wonder if male and female animals have masculine and feminine traits.

Only last night? Have you really not noticed the differences before? Lions? And actually domestic cats are surprisingly similar. All animals display sex related behaviour, just nothing like humans. You boy cat is just minding his balls, even if they are no longer there. The fact that his walk resembles the Hoffmeister bear is entirely coincidental.