Cat parents often like to hold and cuddle their kitties. But do our kitties always love it as much as we do? It’s important that you don’t force your cat to do things that stress him out or piss her off.
Cuddling with felines is one of our favorite past times as cat lovers. When our cats are being extra cute or sweet, we tend to pick them up and snuggle them with our faces. Sometimes this is awesome. Sometimes our cats love the extra attention. But you should understand when this is appropriate and when it is not.
Some of us have a deep energy connection with our cats. We can sense when they want attention and when they would rather be left alone. If you aren’t that tuned into your kitty, check out her tail and ears. If you force your cat to be held, for instance, and her tail starts flailing and ears are back – please put her down. The stress that we unknowingly put on our cats out of sheer love for them can actually lead to health issues down the road.
Cats instinctively aren’t equipped to be forced into action. Kitties who are not forced to be held or pet are usually more apt to ask for it willingly when they’re in the mood.
One of our cats, Oliver Twist, is the most purrfect and gorgeous cat in the world (bias, I know). He is a cuddle bunny and loves the attention of his moms and brothers. Because of this, we love to ‘show him off’ when we have company over. Only problem? Mr. Twist doesn’t like company. He’s shy and scared of new people in our home. I’ve tried to go find him, grab him and bring him to meet our friends and it only results in increased stress levels. And me feeling guilty. Needless to say, if our company gets a ‘Twister sighting’ these days, they are very special.
Anxiety is a leading cause of disease in our cats so let’s not increase their stress load. Before grabbing your cat or forcing her to do something unnecessary, make sure she’s ready and willing to be a participant.
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