One of the first things that cat owners figure out when dealing with their feline friends is that they hate belly rubs. To humans, most of whom love belly rubs themselves, this is a strange phenomenon that seems interesting. Many ask if there’s a science behind why this is common cat behavior.
A study was conducted by an animal behaviorist, Lena Provoost of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She finally got to the bottom of the age-old question on cat belly rubs.
It turns out that the reason for this behavior is because hair follicles in the belly (and tail) area are hypersensitive to touch, and the reason why it could be overstimulating to touch a cat’s belly. It is similar to how some humans tend to have parts that tickle them, which can feel overstimulating.
Dr. Provoost advises people to just watch out for the specific body language that an individual cat has because the differences between individual cats can sometimes be night and day, so it is not entirely possible to make a simplifying blanket statement about all cats. The next best thing that researchers can do is find possible scientific explanations for common behaviors, as is done with regard to belly rubs.
An interesting finding Provoost shared in her article was that cats make their bond with any living creature official by mixing their scent with the other’s, ultimately resulting in a “colony scent” that they could be able to recognize from afar.
References:
Pardiwalla, T. (2019, June 12). There’s a Legit Scientific Reason Why Cats Hate Belly Rubs. Mashable India. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://in.mashable.com/science/4055/theres-a-legit-scientific-reason-why-cats-hate-belly-rubs
Langley, L. (2021, May 4). Here’s why cats hate belly rubs so much. Animals. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-questions-pets-faucets-bellies