Wordless Wednesday
KITTEH BELLY! What do you do when you see one?
P.S. Not to keep rubbing it in, but please leave your response in the comment box! And there’s still time to share your plans and resolutions for 2013 on last week’s Wordless Wednesday.
Photo by Marie Stordahl
Update, January 15: All hail the mighty kitty tummy! Click through to find out when belly up means hands off, and how to best respond to this feline communication.
Related links:
“Tip of the Week: Ah, There’s the Rub”
“Tip of the Week: Talk to the Tail”
“Wordless Wednesday: Would You Pet This Cat?”
Tags: Behavior & Enrichment, Shelter Management, Wordless Wednesday
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Diana Ritter Says:
Approach slowly, talking sweetly and then gently rub the belly!!
bonnie zarrillo Says:
kitty is very content and so talk sofly but do not touch and compromise the moment, no belly rubs this time
Nell Thompson Says:
Dont touch the belly!!! Under any circumstances until after you have made your acquiantance with the cat and have a better idea of its possible reaction to such an action. This is the cause of many unnecessary hand shreddings at home and in the shelter. How would you like it if you were relaxing on the beach and someone came up and started to squitch your belly??!! Respect people, please!
Donita Says:
I see a completely relaxed kitty that wants to be left alone to enjoy her nirvana!
If talking to the kitty got any kind of engaging response from her, I would give her scritches on the back of her neck (where she can’t reach herself) and she would probably be ecstatic, if she were the kind of kitty that engaged me in the first place and enjoys human interaction. But I wouldn’t touch her belly and ruin her moment for her. (Not unless it was MY kitty, anyway, because she deserves to have her nirvana moment interrupted once in a while as retaliation for what she does to me when in the middle of the night.)
Paws & Prayers Says:
Self-grooming, sprawling and, my-oh-my, belly up are all good indicators of decreased stress levels. We like to see that in our kitties in the stressful rescue world. These displays of relaxed comfort help get them adopted too!
Pune Dracker, Editor, Shelters' Edge Says:
We are impressed—you guys are able to resist the mighty kitteh belly! When cats flip over to show their bellies, many of us make the assumption that they’re looking for a tickle or a rub—and end up with a scratch or bite wound as a result!
Some cats DO enjoy a friendly belly rub, but there are probably at least as many who are rolling over in an effort to communicate that they’re not interested in affection at all—and to show you the weapons they have at the ends of those velvety paws.
Next time you think you’ve got a belly rub-inclined kitty on your hands, take a look at the other body language he may be sharing. Is his tail swishing? Are his ears pinned back? Are his pupils dilated? Whiskers pulled back or extending forward? These can all be signs that when this particular kitty is belly up, he’s saying hands off. He may be trying to tell you he is feeling overly excited, fearful or aggressive.
If he’s telling you to back off, simply remove yourself and find another way to show affection. Try giving him some quiet time to calm down, provide him with an appropriate wand toy to chase, or give him a bit more time to acclimate.
Nancy Clark Says:
One of our adopters had to learn this. We got a call to say that their new kitty was biting them a lot. After several phone calls we finally figured out kitty only bit them when they tried belly rubs. She would stretch out on her back on the bed and they could not resist her belly and every time got attacked. They have learned to resist temptation.
Belinda Reed Says:
One of my own kitties, Mr. Darcy, will tempt me again and agin by showing me his belly! I learned quickly he has ninja moves with his claws if I go near it – so I just admire him from afar and snap pictures here and there.