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From: manheime@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ken Manheimer)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Re: cat bite
Message-ID: <200@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 14:26:42 EST
Article-I.D.: nbs-amrf.200
Posted: Wed Mar 19 14:26:42 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 07:56:31 EST
References: <2030@uwmacc.UUCP> <193@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: National Bureau of Standards
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> > My friend has a cat and I like to play with it. Once in a while
> > the cat will lie on the floor with her stomach up for me to
> > caress. But after caressing her for maybe 15 seconds, she would
> > always grab my hand with her paws and bite my hand lightly (but
> > still hurt a little).
> > [...]
> > Does anybody else have the same experience?
> > Is it trying to tell me to get lost or is it playing?
> > 
> > peter
> 
> Every cat that I have known wants to wrestle when it rolls over on
> its back.  That seems to be an invitation for a "mock attack".  It
> sounds like your friend's cat is waiting for you to attack and, when
> you don't, decides to take the initiative.  
> [...]
> -- 
> 
> Ted Hopp	{seismo,umcp-cs}!nbs-amrf!hopp

Most cat's i've encountered seem to have some kind of pleasure/pain
threshold where they crave having their stomachs rubbed until some
moment when they abruptly do something to divert the rubbing,
usually attacking the hand and sometimes just jumping up and
running away.  There are a few cats i've met that are that way with
any petting; i've always been mystified by these.  Surprisingly,
both of my cats love to have their stomachs rubbed and never have
displayed that abrupt turnabout - in fact, they never seem to get
tired of it, though they don't always want to play that game in the
first place.  (In fact, they're unusual in other ways; one likes
(if that's what purring means) to be held over my head while i jump
around (calisthenic like) and even enjoys being swooped around like
an airplane, up to a point.  How'd i find this out?  One day when i
was feeling particularly exuberant and impulsive i picked up the
kitten and zoomed it around - lo and behold aggie liked it.  Molly
isn't similarly enthusiastic, though.)  I'd like to think that i'm
an especially sensitive and sensible petter, but i expect it has
something to do with some incidental circumstance.  I could never
tell whether the ambivalent response was neurosis or desire for
other kinds of play.  In fact, i suspect that my cats' tolerance
has something to do with the fact that they were neutered when they
were fairly young (6 mos), but i would hesitate to conjecture
further.  (?? Pretty peculiar if you ask me...-)

Ken Manheimer	...!seismo!nbs-amrf!manheime or manheime@nbs-amrf.uucp

(Everything leaks.  Not excessively; just enough.)