The Belly Rub

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

We have been having our bellies rubbed this week!

In an earlier blog post called Pet Petting Zones we were talking about where we like and where we DON’T like to be pet. But in this blog post we would like to discuss a very controversial petting zone: The Belly!

According to one supposed expert on cat behaviour:

“When a cat throws itself on its side and shows its belly, most people misinterpret this behavior and think that it wants its belly rubbed but will get grabbed by their hand and the cat will bite them. What the cat is actually doing is showing a greeting behavior and showing trust. It is actually an abuse of that trust to stroke its belly.”

Well, this counts for almost all cats, but there are a few exceptions, like us!

We actually like our bellies being rubbed (but only when we are in the mood).

And the proof is in this video of me loving my belly rub:

These are the signs that I love it:

1. I am purring (it’s a cat thing)
2. I am kneading the air with my paws (also a cat thing)
3. I am doing a lot of slow blinking (this one too)

And this is a video of me getting a belly rub. Usually I LOVE it but not today. I am not quite in the mood today because my ear was itchy:

Here are the signs that I am not loving it that much right now:

1. My tail is twitching ever so slightly
2. I am not rolling over onto my back
3. I am not purring

Well, folks, now you know that some cats like their bellies being rubbed, some like it sometimes and some cats never like it!

FUN FACT:

A giraffe’s tongue is so long that it can lick inside its own ear!

VIDEO PICK: