Want to show your cat affection? Think twice before stroking it [truncated]

Daily Mail [UK] ^ | 7 October 2013 | Victoria Woollaston

[Slings and Arrows]

If you really love your cat, don’t stroke it.

Researchers say that the pets become stressed if they’re constantly petted.

Animal behaviour experts discovered that cats released hormones linked to anxiety when they were handled by humans.

In fact, the tests appeared to show that no cats enjoyed being stroked.

Some were prepared to tolerate it – but they were the individuals that showed the highest levels of distress.

The researchers concluded that genuine cat lovers should avoid constantly petting their feline friends to spare their feelings.

-snip-

The research also dispelled the popular belief that cats are solitary creatures who struggle to live happily together in groups.

[Slings and Arrows]

Full title: Want to show your cat affection? Think twice before stroking it: Our feline friends can become stressed when touched

Mrs Slocombe, you lived in vain.

[Thanks to Gefn for the link!]

[Slings and Arrows]

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[E. Pluribus Unum]

So when they come around purring and rubbing against your leg and you pet them and they act as if they like it, it's all a lie?

[ModelBreaker]

What nonsense. If they don’t like it, why are they always hocking you to be petted?

[fwdude]

This article is such BS.

[who knows what evil?]

As an owner of multiple cats over a fifty-five year period, I feel qualified to determine that this is complete ‘bullsh*t’.

[fwdude]

Mine seeks out my hand and pets himself with it. Sometimes I have to leave the room to get away from him.

[Slump Tester]

I guess that's why both of our cats kick stuff off the desk to make room for themselves to curl up on my mouse hand.

Who knew they liked stress?

[RoosterRedux]

Animal behaviour experts discovered that cats released hormones linked to anxiety when they were handled by humans.

I call bullsh!t on this.

My three cats chase me around the house bumping me and nudging until I scritch and stroke them. I have one cat, Rooster (my namesake), that constantly rubs his head against my mouse control hand until I give up at the computer and rub him.

Purrhaps my control group is to small for conclusions. But as someone who has worked in the service of our feline overlords for many years, I would suggest these "experts" know not of what they speak.

[miss marmelstein]

My cat only likes to be stroked on her own terms - but she does like it. When she gets tired of it, she has her own way of telling me to knock it off.

[tiki]

Then why do they position themselves right under your hand and when you quit petting they nudge it.

[Cyber Liberty]

A cat? Lie? Surely you jest!

[Boogieman]

I don’t know, maybe the researchers were stroking them wrong? I’ve notice that cats don’t really like to be just “stroked”, per se, but they like to be “scratched”. Try to pet a cat front to back, along the grain of the fur, and often they will move around and try to get your hand some other place that they want you to be rubbing or scratching for them. Behind the ears is always a crowd pleaser.

[fwdude]

Purrhaps my control group is to small for conclusions. But as someone who has worked in the service of our feline overlords for many years, I would suggest these "experts" know not of what they speak.

They're probably the same ones who concluded that homosexual sodomy is natural, healthy and beneficial.

[Lady Jag]

Does this mean we’re going to have to stop calling them pets and call them nervous nellies instead?

[KarlInOhio]

I can just imagine a couple of guys in lab coats chasing a cat around the lab to see whether it is stressed when stroked.

[bunkerhill7]

this is pure catsht.

[Thane_Banquo]

Mine seeks out my hand and pets himself with it. Sometimes I have to leave the room to get away from him.

Yep. This is what one of mine does. The other jumps up on my lap and starts licking me, or if I'm walking around he stretches out his paws to be picked up.

[freedomlover]

My cat doesn’t just like to be petted, he likes his HIND END to be petted.

Although he is somewhat particular how and when it is done.

By my friggin’ face at daybreak seems to work best.

[freedomlover]