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Old April 4th, 2009, 12:04 AM
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Why cats stick their bums in the air when you pet them - Answered by Dr. Van Lienden

Ok so moms cat really gets her but up there,roxy doesnt do it as much but sometimes..i always thought it was their way of totally saying i accept you or something like that.mom and me r curious anyone know.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 05:02 AM
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If you like getting scratched on your back do you lean in to it?

It's no different really. If it feels good, then lean into it hoping you get more. This includes cat/dog chin scratches and side of the face rubs. If a cat is getting back rubs while laying on its side, it will push out the hind feet hoping to catch on to something so that it has leverage to push into the hands.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 09:07 AM
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oh wow never thought of that..thanks.well moms cat must really like it cause she can get her but up there..rox isnt that into it.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 09:25 AM
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Quote:
If you like getting scratched on your back do you lean in to it?

It's no different really. If it feels good, then lean into it hoping you get more. This includes cat/dog chin scratches and side of the face rubs. If a cat is getting back rubs while laying on its side, it will push out the hind feet hoping to catch on to something so that it has leverage to push into the hands.
I could be wrong, but I think there's more to it than that. I think it depends where you pet them. Petting them near their backsides seems to trigger that response in my experience. It makes no difference whether the cat is spayed/neutered either, I think it's their reaction to stimulation in that area.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 09:28 AM
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I thought it was an accepting thing or something????But i dont know,yried to google it,but didnt find the answer.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 09:51 AM
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They like it because it is a hard area to reach on their own, its like someone scratching your back, it just feels really good they they try to say "don't stop scratching" but sticking out their butt haha
Also as a side note when thei rub their heads on you they are marking you as "theirs" with the glands on their heads above their eyes.

Last edited by cell; April 4th, 2009 at 09:55 AM.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 10:20 AM
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Yeah i thought when they rubbed on you they were marking u as their territory...Interesting...Now i know..Cause honey loves it..
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Old April 4th, 2009, 10:23 AM
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It's interesting. Never met a cat who didn't respond to that spot being scratched. Like a dog when you scratch his/her butt. You can get their legs going pretty good in a scratching motion if you hit the right spot. Cats are above that. They just raise their tails.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 11:23 AM
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I think this is just the way God made them! It is so funny the way they knead! At another rescue I volunteered for a female cat was sticking her backside up, and rocking it side to side? I could not figure out what she was doing? My friend had a laugh on my behalf, "Don't you know she is looking to mate"? I have never seen anything like it before.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 11:31 AM
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There is a scent gland at the base of the tail that cats like having rubbed, kind of along the same lines as having their cheeks and chins rubbed. When they raise their tail, they're apparently inviting you to smell their anal glands:

http://www.messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm

Quote:
Cats have scent glands on the chin, lips (in the corners), temples and at the base of the tail. Each cat has its own scent signature. When it washes, a cat transfers its scent from these glands to its fur. This scent is then transferred to objects the cat rubs against - a fencepost, twiggy plants, a doorway or a person's legs. For example, most of my doors have a grey greasy mark at cat's cheek level where Cindy marks them over and over again.

They use this scent to mark areas and objects around them, other cats, humans and other animals in the household. This helps create a communal smell. A new cat must literally rub up to superior members of the group to mix their scents before becoming an accepted member of the group. Its home territory also has a smell profile and any new smell - another cat or even a new piece of furniture or a scent carried in your shoes or clothing - can cause insecurity and lead to a frenzy of marking activity! When a cat scratches it leaves both a visual marker and a scent marker from its paw-pads. It will mark its territory by rubbing its chin or cheeks onto upright objects (posts, chair-legs, door edges etc) and also by spraying or depositing faeces. Scent is so important that blind cats can navigate around their indoor territories using a combination of memory and scent trails.

Cats who are familiar and friendly with each other often have a greeting ritual. They use a similar ritual to greet their humans or other household animals. They rub their head, flank and tail against the other cat or person to exchange odours. They hold the tail straight up so that the other cat can sniff the anal glands. When stroked, cats raise their rumps even higher (almost standing on tiptoe) to invite you to sniff their anal glands!
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Old April 4th, 2009, 12:56 PM
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WOW That's a really good explanation Sugarcatmom

HOWEVER, I think I will refrain from sniffing my Kitty's anal glands
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Old April 4th, 2009, 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by kiara View Post
I think this is just the way God made them! It is so funny the way they knead!
My boyfriend's mother's cat always jumps onto my boyfriend's belly when he is laying down and starts to knead his stomach.
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Old April 4th, 2009, 10:30 PM
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That is a great explanation scm.Wow so interesting...I think i am in awe even more as time goes by watching and learning from them,espcecially now,i have never been through a situation like this before where 2 cats meet like honey and roxy..There is no other animal more fascinating and one i learn something new from everyday then my girl...
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Old April 5th, 2009, 11:30 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
There is a scent gland at the base of the tail that cats like having rubbed, kind of along the same lines as having their cheeks and chins rubbed. When they raise their tail, they're apparently inviting you to smell their anal glands:

http://www.messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm
HA. The truth is out.....I've been telling my hubby that our Mitten is smelly.
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Old April 28th, 2009, 01:18 PM
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This is simply a combination response of learned and to a lesser extent evoked behavior: something along the lines of you receiving a pleasant massage. Consider when someone receives a delightful backrub, usually some moaning and posturing occurs, but as to the percentage of what is learned and what is innate,that is debatable. Perhaps mapping with PET ( a technique that can image the brain during some activity) will reveal the answer.

Dr. Van Lienden

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  #16  
Old April 28th, 2009, 01:24 PM
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elevator butt!!!
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Old April 29th, 2009, 12:05 AM
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I just stumbled on to this thread and it's hilarious! One of my friends had a cat named Fluffy who SOOO loved having her bum scratched that she'd turn full around and actually walk up your chest with her hind legs to get closer! He (being the odd duck that he is!) named the bum So whenever someone new met the cat she was introduced as Fluffy, and her bum, Viv (short for Vivacious!!).

It's been seen by all I'm sure but it bears repeating - my favourite cat haiku:

You must scratch me there!
Yes, above my tail!
Behold, elevator butt.
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Old April 29th, 2009, 05:58 PM
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My Mother's Shih Tzu does this, start to pet her and she raises her behind, I say it's because she is ho%#ny it is so funny to see her lifting her rump in the air for you to rub.
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