Smokey is the most affectionate cat we have. He loves to be petted so much he’ll lie down and roll over for a belly rub. I think that’s pretty unusual for a cat.
Mark took this picture in the driveway when Smokey needed some loving. He has a pretty good beer belly to rub.
That’s funny, because I’ve noticed the same thing about the much vaunted “belly scritches.” Such are for dogs, who seem to love them, but for cats? I think mostly you risk reconstructive surgery on your hand. We have one cat who will tolerate it for exactly three scritches before doubling over to attack. So yes, pretty unusual!
I put this in the category of cat contrariness. One example is a cat sitting with its back to you, which some interpret as aloofness, but me? The cat trusts me to watch its back. It’s actually endearing. Another is the invitation to belly rub, which I know is almost certainly an invitation to resist doing exactly that.
In dogs, rolling on the back and exposing the belly is a submissive gesture. In many cats, I think it’s a test. Will you fail it?
What I have found works every time a cat rolls over like that is to reach behind and cup the back of the head. That seems pass the test LOL.
One of our cats likes to have her belly brushed, believe it or not. She rolls on her back, I cup her head in one hand (like Wayne suggests) and then I gently brush her belly. She won’t put up with it for too long, but I do manage to get quite a wad of loose fur off her belly during the procedure.
Smokey’s fur looks really soft, especially on her underside. I’d love to rub that warm, soft, furry (beer?) belly.
Our kitty cat did not like to have his belly brushed until much later in life. In the early days, he was fiercely protective of his underside. As he got older, and began to tolerate brushing, we could only brush his back and sides. When we was very old, he wanted to brushed everywhere all day long. Smokey looks like an invitation for affection.
Wayne — Smokey is the funniest cat. I just happened to walk by him and stopped to scratch his head. He stood up, bumped against me and rolled over onto my foot. I couldn’t resist taking a couple of photos. He might get tired of the belly rub eventually, but we haven’t reached that point yet. I understand from reading and from nature shows on TV that rolling on the back is a cat’s last defense. It brings all four sets of claws into play. I saw a show once where lions were attacking a solitary cat (I can’t remember what kind), and they backed off when it rolled onto its back.
Scott –Smokey likes brushing, too. He even tolerates it when Leah finds a tangled mat and has to brush pretty hard.
Robin Andrea — Smokey jumps up on the sofa next to me (the dog person) for petting and will stay there forever, or until Leah puts food down.