Kitten won't let me pet her

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum, and i hope i came to the right place. This is my first time owning a cat, so any advice would be helpful. I got my kitty when she was 4 weeks old. She is 9 weeks old now. She is always following me everywhere, eats from my hand, and even falls asleep on me. However, when i try to pet her, she tends to move around my hand, or move away. Sometimes she sits on my leg, and when i try to pet her, she gets off and goes on the couch, but stays close by. Sometimes she gets off, but sits down next to me. Im wondering why she won'twon't let me pet her. Has anyone had a similar experience? The only time she lets me pet her for a long time is when she is eating a treat.

Hi @camilo and welcome to TCS!  And congratulations on your new little kitty.

Sometimes little kittens just don't keep still long enough to be petted.   How do you pet her?  Do you try different ways?  Some cats just adore being scratched under the chin, others like behind the ears or just to be stroked down the back.  And when you say 'stroke her for a long time', how long is that?  Can you pick her up?

She left her mum very early.. usually kittens aren't rehomed until they are at least 12 weeks old so there may be reasons relating to that.  And she may just change as she ages.  Whether she likes being stroked or not, she obviously loves you.

Thanks for the reply. Sometimes she lets me pet her on the neck and head and behind the ear. However it is very brief. I do a soft scratch. I could stroke her back, but sometimes she wont let me do that either. I am able to pick her up just fine.

Some cats just don't like to be petted.  But time will tell.

She sounds like a real sweetie.