Study - Cats can become stressed when being stroked!

dollywops

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2448932/Want-cat-affection-DONT-stroke-Our-feline-friends-stressed-touched.html

OH and I read this article with amusement - people got paid to do this research OMG!

Last night, as is his want, Benji came into the bedroom, crying loudly. Was he hurt or hungry - no he just wanted a cuddle and a stroke and started purring very loudly, before my husband put out his hand and gave him what he wanted. This morning, now safely tucked up on DD's bed for his long day ahead, he started purring as soon as OH said good morning to him. Obviously, Benji did not read the article!

mellymeepmeep

I can kind of see where they were going with it because my Lily will only take so much stroking before she gets annoyed and moves away! Don't know if she gets stressed though, just peed off haha!

spike241

What a load of rubbish

My cats love strokes and if I don't get the hint they'll just rub their heads on my hand.

tea_lover

Mine wakes me up in the night to stroke him.... I might try and get him to read the article, could do with a good night's sleep!

dollywops

tea_lover wrote: »

Mine wakes me up in the night to stroke him.... I might try and get him to read the article, could do with a good night's sleep!

I believe that is what OH suggested to Benji in the early hours when all Benji wanted was a cuddle and all OH wanted to do was sleep. Can' remember if that was before or after Benji came into the house crying very loudly and advising the house that he had been a clever boy and wanted to show off his mouse! Fortunately, Benji and mouse in gob went out. He lost the mouse somewhere behind the plastic greenhouses - then he was stressed!

lisajane8482

Well if the daily mail say’s it’s true it must be. Unfortunately like all of your cats mine also haven’t read this article.

Gizmo loves being stroked by DH and DD and will tolerate me if they’re not in. He’ll nudge their hands until they stroke him and has been known to try and stuff his head up their nose if they ignore him (usually when they’re playing on the Xbox/PS3), he’ll quite happily sit and let them both stroke him. If they’re not in he’ll head butt my hand and let me stroke him for around a minute before he nips me to say he’s had enough and then trots off.

Salem is the complete opposite, he loves affection off anyone but will only sit/lie on me. He sits on my knee on a morning when I’m trying to do my hair and head butts me until I stroke him. He nods his head to the side if you walk past him and he wants stroking or if he is sat somewhere and wants you to go to him. He also regularly wakes me up in the middle of the night to lay on my chest and have a stroke while he buries his head into my hair purring loudly in my ear before he goes to sleep.

headpin

Our terrors clearly suffer from some kind of ailment, as they demand to be stroked and tickled.

Another generalisation that from the look of this thread has little bearing on the actuality of the situation for most people and their furry friends.

I just hope there was no public funding for this research which is clearly so flawed that it must be filed on the shelf next to the chocolate teapot.

KxMx

I heard about this through the Whiskas facebook page and they put it so much better- stroking a cat when the cat does not want it can lead to stress. Explained in those terms it makes sense to me. I'm sure all our cats have ways of telling us when enough is enough.
I can well see enjoyable fuss is on the cat's terms only. Some cats welcome random fussing other's don't. It all comes down to the cat calling the shots

aileth

My cat has a stroke-barometer. He'll come over to you for fussings with the barometer pressure low, then as you keep fussing him he'll reach 'content.' If you continue to stroke him after he has reached content status, the barometer pressure will very quickly rise, tail starts flicking, ears go low and twitch, he stops making biscuits, and then next time you go to tickle his belly he was wrapped himself around your arm and dug all claws and teeth in.

meritaten

aileth wrote: »

My cat has a stroke-barometer. He'll come over to you for fussings with the barometer pressure low, then as you keep fussing him he'll reach 'content.' If you continue to stroke him after he has reached content status, the barometer pressure will very quickly rise, tail starts flicking, ears go low and twitch, he stops making biscuits, and then next time you go to tickle his belly he was wrapped himself around your arm and dug all claws and teeth in.

First Cat Timothy did exactly THIS!^^^^^^^ Little bu99er never gave any warning signs though! he preferred surprise attacks!

I always put it down to 'sensory overload'.

Dimey

My boy likes the stroking, especially under his chin and massaging of the tummy. He does the wrap round the arm business when he gets excited. If I stop too soon he pulls my hand back with his paws.

He also likes grooming sessions twice a day with a brush and comb. If I'm distracted on MSE then he'll sit behind the laptop and stare as if to say - its time. If I ignore him too long he'll tap my hand with his paw and look at the drawer where I keep the brushes.

No stress in this household.