Does your cat love a belly rub?

kookycats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
2,253
Purraise
287
Location
Naples, Fl
Tony's favorite thing in the world is a belly rub. He immediately rolls over on his back so we can rub his belly. I now call him "jelly belly". Our neighbor, and kitty sitter - Fran - is the only person outside of us that Tony trusts - so much so that when she comes over to visit he immediately runs over to her and rolls over for his belly rub. Angel and Tippy aren't that crazy about belly rubs.
 

kittykisser

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
74
Purraise
30
Location
Port Orange, FL
My female doesn't really care. As long as I'm petting her, she's happy. My male hates it and growls when I do it. He has such a squeezable pouch that I can't help myself sometimes.
 
 

bluebird gal

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
451
Purraise
41
Location
On The Road
When he's in a really affectionate mood, Si rolls over & lets me rub his belly.  It seems more like after I've been stroking him softly on his back, he just flops on over so I can continue the same on his belly.  He generally moves on when he's through with you rubbing him.  Now you will get gentle teeth & claws if you try to sneak a brush into the scenario 
 

c1atsite

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 22, 2002
Messages
3,175
Purraise
15
Location
new york city
With penny I can put my hand on her tummy and move it slightly but only when she's on the bed. This is surprising because she has lots of cattitude - meaning the type to say absolutely not
 

keshia195

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
Messages
1
Purraise
1
Yep same here I have two cats who absolutely hate belly rubs but then I have one who loves it's when I give him a belly rub lol but he doesn't really like it if other people give him a belly rub only me. I guess that means he trust me also my dad tries it but he does it to hard sometimes and that's when he get's attacked by my cat I keep telling him this but he doesn't listen lol I guess he'll learn hard way one day lol.
 

shebaa

Queen of Sheba
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
488
Purraise
348
Location
Arizona
nope. my cat hates it. you would think shes asking for a belly rub when she lays on her back. its like shes teasing you. "do it and die!" lol
 

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I haven't had a cat that has never liked a belly rub.  My previous girl Chynna loved tummy rubs.  Abby also loves them.  Spencer can't get enough of them. And Katie loves all kinds of rubs, the problem is that she's so hyper that she can't sit/lay still long enough to get into it and relax.  She's what I call an "active petter." In other words, she helps you pet her by moving/squirming to and fro while you pet or brush her.

I can't imagine having a cat that wouldn't let me rub its tummy.

I think the key is to start them off when they are kittens. Same with brushing. Not all cats like being brushed, but if you start when they are babies (if you can), they become accustomed to it.
 

banana queen

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 2, 2016
Messages
182
Purraise
242
Socks allows me to touch her belly if she is in the mood. Anyone else gets bitten and/or scratched.

Izzy likes belly rubs sometimes, and will flop over for them preferably in front of your feet. If she doesn't want one, or changes her mind, she bites.

Mittens doesn't usually ask for them, but if you touch her belly she doesn't mind.

Amber loves belly rubs, and kneads and purrs. She has never rejected one yet.
 

lonelocust

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
500
Purraise
156
Location
Amsterdam, NL
Gabriel looooves belly rubs. If he plops down next to you and lies on his back, he definitely wants a belly rub. If he lies in another position and you start to run his belly, he'll usually roll over to get more belly rub from the petting. He also likes a very vigorous belly rub.


Pythagoras likes an upper belly/chest/rib rub but is usually less into it in the lower abdomen where the saggy pouch is. He has a much more pronounced pouch after being fixed than the other cats; no idea if this is related or just a coincidence.

Artemis seems to be a mixed bag. Sometimes she likes it, sometimes she doesn't.
 

Boris Diamond

Cat Valet
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2015
Messages
27,151
Purraise
15,940
I called Boris the belly rub king.  He was always good for a session.  I was rubbing his belly 3 hours after he got here.

For years Diamond was not trusting about belly rubs.  Now he is good for a belly rub session if I approach him right.

The ex-feral Seal is just now letting me rub his belly, but only for a short time.  He will give me a love bite to let me know when to stop.  

It took a couple of months before I could rub Leo's belly.  Now I start petting him and he rolls over on his back and lets me rub that sweet belly as long as I want!

I don't know why I enjoy rubbing kitty bellies so much.  Belly fur is softer on the longhair kitties I think.  But short hair kitty bellies are great to rub too!   Kitties look really cute when they are showing belly.  And when a kitty lets you rub belly, it shows a trust that is endearing.
 
Last edited:

puddykat

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 27, 2015
Messages
350
Purraise
727
Not as much as a back rub - he DEMANDS a back rub three times a day!
 

amandag

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 25, 2017
Messages
86
Purraise
42
Location
Montgomery, Al
My Gary loved belly rubs. He would let me cradle him like a baby and rock him while rubbing his belly..He would go to sleep every time!
 

arouetta

Slave of Bastet's acolytes
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
2,117
Purraise
2,891
Montressor constantly demands belly rubs.  When he's in the mood for one, he will lie on his back and move around and not stop until you disappear or start rubbing his belly.  And he never turns down one if you rub his belly when he's not asking for it.

Shadow is definitely a no-touch cat.  Which means she absolutely hates when I'm feeling for lumps.

Midway, I taught to like belly rubs.  He would lie on the floor on his side and stretch out under your feet.  I would lightly rub his belly and I swear he had a look on his face of "Um, I'm not sure I like this" and partially ball up.  I did it so much though that now when he's stretched out he happily lets me rub his belly.
 

DreamerRose

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
8,744
Purraise
11,085
Location
Naperville, IL
No, neither of my cats like belly rubs. Mingo instantly balls up and starts biting and scratching. Lily rolls over on her back when she doesn't want to be petted anymore, but if you rub her belly, she balls up, too.
 

jennifurr

To err is human, to purr is feline
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
1,661
Purraise
200
Location
Northeast Ohio
The only cat I know likes belly rubs is Sammy. He wouldn't do anything too vicious when you do it, and seems to like the attention from it.
 

lyssblade

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
10
None of my cats growing up enjoyed Belly rubs and would often shred your hand/arm for it. Shadow, on the other hand, loves them. If I'm on the couch reading or on my laptop he will come over and lay down next to me. When I go to scratch his ears he will move my hand to his belly demanding I rub him there. 
 
Top