Petting Our Cats
by Lauren Merryfield
When I think of the ways one can pet cats--the ways in which we're
"allowed" to pet our cats--I am aware of how individual each cat is in
what he/she wants.
Jaspur allows me to pet him as he is on a folded towel on the lavatory
vanity. If I pick him up, it's only a couple seconds to pet him before
he's off and gone.
When he wants to play "foot and tummy game" which is really almost
every area but tummy, he lies down on the floor, in the middle of an
open area, and Jim and I do our particular kind of petting with the
foot. Jim does a circle motion; I go from head to tail on the side or
back. Often, Jaspur will flip over and on his way over, grab my toe or
sock, if I am not barefoot. He barely nips so there's no blood.
Jaspur has figured out that both Jim and I need to be holding on to
something to keep our balance, as we lift a foot to pet him, so he
moves near a cabinet or wall so we can reach out for support. Smart
kitty!
Jim has the privilege of holding Jaspur in a certain way with his right
paw hanging down in case he needs to suddenly put a paw on life. I
took a picture of this, which we now consider a "classic," and I feel
proud to have taken an important family picture, given that I cannot
see. So much for some people thinking a blind person can't take
pictures; Jim just gives me directions.
Since Jaspur can be on the bitey side, it is best to approach him from
behind the head first before any petting is done. Moving hands and
fingers are just too much of a temptation for him at times.
Mikey is so laid back he lets me brush his fur with my hands, plus on
some occasions, I can use a comb without any oral repercussions. I
usually begin with his head, finishing at the tail. I often pet one
side or the other, too. When I pet him, since his fur is longer, I am
rather subconsciously checking for clumps, though I rarely find any.
Mickens comes to me to be petted, sometimes walking under my hand
repeatedly; most often getting up on my chest. He often begins this
chest routine by alighting on the back or arm of my chair, then
kneading on me, then flopping down on my chest, usually on the right
shoulder. He is almost always purring during these activities, unlike
Jaspur who only lets me get a sneak purr now and then, as if I am not
really supposed to have heard it. His purr just doesn't go along with
his usually opinionated position on life.
Gabrielle, our bobble-head cat, moves her head around so that at times
I am petting her, head first and down to the tip of her wavy tail, or
my hand ends up at her face, at which time she licks and ends with a
nip, all the while, she is purring.
Gabbie walks beneath my hand at times too, getting a few smoothings in.
She also lets me pet her at bedtime. Evidently the bed is her
territory now because she often appears out of nowhere, if not already
on the bed, so it is often that petting Gabbie occurs shortly before I
go to sleep.
Maryah wouldn't let us near her when we first adopted her. She was a
feral cat who tolerated other cats but had not successfully spent time
with humans until we adopted her.
I had to work, over and over, to coax her into coming to me, at arm's
length, to be petted. I was eventually allowed to pet her back and
sides, and finally her head and tail.
I was so glad when she finally would lift her head, allowing me to
smooth her throat, at which time I could feel that she was purring.
Since I was usually kept at arm's length, though I could feel her
purring, I could not hear it very well, unless all of this occurred in
the bathroom.
Eventually, I could also tell she was purring by leaving my hand on her
back or one side; this lingering hand thing wasn't allowed for quite
some time.
I also use only one hand at a time since she seems to think two hands
on means picking up is about to happen.
She has taken months to figure out how to get up on the top of the back
of my chair; something she has seen Mikey do. I think her difficulty
has been trying to find a way to get closer yet be able to skitter in a
split second. She has tamed a lot, but still wants skittering
privileges. (Maryah is on the back of my chair as I write this;
flip-flopping her short, fluffy tail, but no purring.)
Maryah has, after we moved, decided that Jim is okay and she has a
ritual petting session with him which I do not receive, probably since
Gabeenya usually "tucks me in." Maryah will come to Jim's side,
allowing him to pet her, jump down and go to the window, and repeat
this several times before Jim goes to sleep. At first she did this
stealthily, as if she didn't want me to know. Now just lately she has
allowed this behavior to happen while I am getting in bed.
They all allow petting and playing with their tails; something many
cats do not like. Since I occasionally use their tails as
identification and I enjoy playing with them, every cat who has owned
me has eventually allowed tail play time. It is interesting that they
allow this playing in somewhat different ways, just as general petting
is handled individually with each cat.
Jaspur lets me pet his long, black tail, which he usually holds erect
when walking. Mikey's long, fluffy tail is usually up too, yet not as
stiffly; more like a plume. Gabbie's wavy tail is almost always up,
but curlicued in different ways. Maryah's goes flip-flop, though not
as quickly as a dog's wag. I think she likes to have me feel her tail
as it fans. She is almost always purring during tail flip-flop time,
except when she's on the back of my chair. From this vantage point, I
think she is still on the lookout for a quick skitter, though I expect
her to be purring up there soon.
Four cats; four different types of petting behavior. That's how
petting goes around our house.
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