She likes it rough??!! (the cat, that is)

Does anyone else out there have a cat that just loves being roughed up? My 17 month old Balinese girl allows my husband to do the strangest things to her. He tips her upside down, throws her into the air (and catches her again, of course), twists her into knots, buries her under piles of pillows, drapes her over his arm and carries her like a handbag - and the whole time she's purring like crazy, totally limp, and with a bizarre dreamy look in her eyes. If he walks up to her when she's standing up and pushes his open hand towards her side, she'll actually fall over! If he stops "abusing" her (none of this hurts her) she'll get up and follow him miaowing for more. She had a few seizures when she was younger, so I don't know if this is evidence of neurological damage or just evidence that my girl likes it rough. Any ideas?

Although my Joey wouldn't stand for some of the things you describe - he doesn't even like to be picked up - he does like to be petted very roughly and even patted with some force. He goes nuts! And if you stop, he seeks out your hand for more!

A friend had a siamese that enjoyed similar types of treatment. She went ecstatic when anyone patted her over the hips and back quite roughly and then pulled her tail. She became very upset whenever the person petting her stopped and kept trying to position herself back for more and crying loudly until someone responded, in which case she would start to purr ecstatcally once more. Wierd cat. I always wondered if she had suffered some sort of brain injury in her life, too.

Kathryn

My cat Trouble and her sister E-Z (who lives at my work) both love rough treatment.

I would just urge caution with handling a cat the way you describe. Although it very well may be that she likes this type of rough handling, it is NOT good for her. You can play with her interactively with different toys like da bird, or cat dancer and she will be able to leap and bounce and play. But tossing a cat in the air, and catching her and tying her in knots? Why would you even want to have a cat you love treated this way? Cats purr when they are upset, when they are in pain and when they are happy. My fear would be, one time he misses her as he tosses her in the air, or that he twists just one time to many and causes internal problems. Tell him to join a football team instead?

Originally Posted by hissy

I would just urge caution with handling a cat the way you describe. Although it very well may be that she likes this type of rough handling, it is NOT good for her. You can play with her interactively with different toys like da bird, or cat dancer and she will be able to leap and bounce and play. But tossing a cat in the air, and catching her and tying her in knots? Why would you even want to have a cat you love treated this way? Cats purr when they are upset, when they are in pain and when they are happy. My fear would be, one time he misses her as he tosses her in the air, or that he twists just one time to many and causes internal problems. Tell him to join a football team instead?

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I agree. It's easy to injure the poor cat. I hope the husband stops this kind of behavior even if it appears that the cat likes it for whatever reason.

Obviously no one wants to hurt their pet. My mom accidently stepped on her puppy and killed it. She still hasn't gotten over it. All that being said, Seamus loves to wrestle and bite. When Chris was home, they'd have a ball. Chris's hands are so torn up looking. I wear my oven mitts when Seamus is feeling fiesty. That way he can bite and scratch all he wants. And he's pretty good about stopping when the mitts come off.

Billy loves to be roughed up! My dad doesn't throw him in the air, and Billy won't go into a knot (not that dad tries) but, he loves to be roughed up. He has this chair that we all call the "Psycho chair" because CJ and Billy go PSYCHO on it! My dad will scratch it with his hands, and Billy loves to try to get my dad... (I won't do it! I'm too chicken! My dad must be fearless!!! ) Anyway, my dad will cover his face, and make him chase his tail, and all kinds, and Billy loves it! If my dad stops, he will actually go up and meow, or bite, until my dad would play with him!!!

Sorry but theres no way i'd throw either of my two in the air, twist them in knots or bury them in pillows!.

Lets hope if she gets the claws out one day when having any of these done to her she won't get the blame.

i'm sure elfael's husband is careful with the cat and doesnt literally 'twist her in knots' (though wouldnt that make a picture?!) though i would be careful of throwing her in the air.

my cat loves to be buried under pillows, she'll dig herself a tunnel and pounce out at her toy mice or unsuspecting people. we play this game called 'the wrestle sock' with two pairs of bed socks on my hands and wrestle the excess energy out of her.

in a cat book i read the author remarked that her cat loved to be 'slapped around the rump' and that she couldnt quite remember how the game started. she says many a cat has slight s&m tendencies!

as long as you remember to go easy and be aware of your own strength and kittys limitations keep playing rough

Er, I obviously didn't explain clearly enough. That's what I get for trying to keep my post reasonably short.

"Throwing into the air" should translate more accurately as "bouncing around in the palms of his hands" - he always has some part of his hand on her, and she never has further to fall than to his lap. "Tying in knots", also, does not mean making her assume positions she wouldn't voluntarily get herself into, eg. tapping her (gently!) on the head with her own back foot, which half the time she starts to groom just because it's there. She's never forced into unnatural positions or any that might hurt her, eg. trying to bend her spine backwards. The same with the piles of cushions - she often chooses to stay in there and play "ambush the fingers". Even being patted, she enjoys really vigorous rubbing all over, especially on the bit of her tummy between her back legs. Doesn't seem to trigger any aggressive response when he does it, though I couldn't get away with it.

If I ever thought he was hurting her I'd have put a stop to it long before now. I also can't bring myself to believe that a cat would actively seek out treatment that she didn't like - she's perfectly capable of objecting if she doesn't like what's happening, and if he gets scratched then he's obviously asked for it. And she gets plenty of normal cat play from both of us and from our other cat.
The point I was trying to make is that she seems to love the sort of rough play you'd expect from a large dog, not a 2.5kg cat. And falling over without being touched - that's just bizarre.

is she an only cat? my kitten played quite rough with her litter mates and older relatives and now she's transferred that behavior to us!

She's a little odd but no brain damaged so i dont think you kitty is all that unusual.

maybe we should arrange play dates for all these s&m loving kitties so they could make like minded friends?

I have found it quite fascinating how each cat has different ways to give and receive affection. As people, I think we learn how to "read" them. Marcellus, who is quite a "fraidy" cat does love to have you kiss his nose, the tope of his head, and enjoys a good chin and/or face scratch. You can pet him gently but that really is about it. He does come and do the head butts and rubs and is affectionate on his own terms. I think of him as moody, skittish but yet very tender kitty...he's the one who comes and consoles me when I'm sad or sick. Lewis, who is still a 6 month old kitten LOVES cuddling, playing, being petted, all the "normal" cat things. He's my sweet little lap kitty. Neither, however, would respond to the rough stuff. One would run and the other I think would scratch my face off. However, there is my Wallace...he does like it rough. All you have to do is say, Wally and he's ready! Probably not to the extent that you describe but he loves his pets rough, loves to be held upside down, literally hanging and then have a good tummy scratch. He initiates this and we are careful and don't let him hang too long, he absolutely loves this! He loves his lower back patted hard too...he gets gets all happy and purry and then flops on the floor so you can do it more. He stretches out and wants his belly scratched roughly and he wants the lower back pats and really rough petting....he is in total bliss when we do this. He's a big cat (Maine Coon type mixed cat) and everything he does is big and boisterous! So yeah, some cats like it rough!

Originally Posted by elfael

Er, I obviously didn't explain clearly enough. That's what I get for trying to keep my post reasonably short.

"Throwing into the air" should translate more accurately as "bouncing around in the palms of his hands" - he always has some part of his hand on her, and she never has further to fall than to his lap. "Tying in knots", also, does not mean making her assume positions she wouldn't voluntarily get herself into, eg. tapping her (gently!) on the head with her own back foot, which half the time she starts to groom just because it's there. She's never forced into unnatural positions or any that might hurt her, eg. trying to bend her spine backwards. The same with the piles of cushions - she often chooses to stay in there and play "ambush the fingers". Even being patted, she enjoys really vigorous rubbing all over, especially on the bit of her tummy between her back legs. Doesn't seem to trigger any aggressive response when he does it, though I couldn't get away with it.

If I ever thought he was hurting her I'd have put a stop to it long before now. I also can't bring myself to believe that a cat would actively seek out treatment that she didn't like - she's perfectly capable of objecting if she doesn't like what's happening, and if he gets scratched then he's obviously asked for it. And she gets plenty of normal cat play from both of us and from our other cat.
The point I was trying to make is that she seems to love the sort of rough play you'd expect from a large dog, not a 2.5kg cat. And falling over without being touched - that's just bizarre.

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Sounds like my Billy!!!!!

Merlin likes it when I join in the wrestling game he and L.S. constantly play. (This would probably sound normal if he were a dog.) I'll scoop him up and throw myself backwards onto my bed, and he'll land on my stomach and bounce. He'll act like he has me pinned, and we'll roll around a bit (I'm very careful that he's always on top) and then he'll go tearing through the house wanting me to chase him. If I refuse to give chase, he'll come chirruping and meowing into my room. I swear he's checking to make sure he didn't hurt me!

My Manliligaw liked kitty massage, and he liked being rubbed hard. He lay down on the floor and I knead him like dough. The floor here at school is slippery so he slipped back and forth, back and forth on the floor and I'm on my knees like I'm scrubbing the floor with both hands, using a furry rag. I say, "who wants an extra floor mop? we're keeping the floor clean, aren't we? we've got an extra rag here..." We used to do that at night when everybody's home but me and the kitties He liked digging behind the ears, hard scratching, and all that

Of course one concentrates on kneading the muscles, and is careful around the internal organs...

Eventually, I took my Manliligaw home, of course. I cried buckets when he died.

There is a difference between playing with your cat and someone being abusive. You arent in her home watching her man play with her cat.
Its this simple ...for over 20 years i rescued rehabilitated and rehomed more cats and kittens than i can count. No matter what each cat found a home. I never gave up on a cat ...i had 4 of my 5 kids in this time frame. I rescued this cat that was hell in fur and fangs. The instant my exhusband moved this cat went ape shit. My exhusband came away bloody and raw. I had been working with this cat for close to a year. I thought he had male aggression and wouldnt let my sins near him. I got into i dont know how many arguements with my exhusband to leave the cat alone. The cat came to my defense every single time. Yet my exhusband refused to leave him alone. It got to the point i was on the phone with the vet about rehoming to an all female family. My exhusband walks into the house...came home suck from work...he laid down on the couch. The cat from hell...that was his name i swear...went and laid on him cuddling and loving. This cat acted like a mother hen with one chick. After a day or two when he felt better but i made him stay home to sleep more...he started making these crazy noises. Cat came out of some hidden reassess and flew ...he was a frikkin blur... To my exhusband who gad him doing tricks like a dog would. When they were done Cat kept nipping at his hands. Cat never played harder than the exhusband was willing to go. The instant he gave Cat the all done signal Cat stopped.

Cats are going to let you know their boundaries. Cats are going to find a way to be in as rough a play situation as they want. Cats are going to have a tolerance limit. Cats are going to either play with you or rip apart your furniture because they have a high energy drive that needs to be saited. If you wont play with them the way they want they will find other outlets to expand their energy to. If that cat isnt tripping out on her man then you have no room to talk. Its NOT your cat!! The Cat from Hell had a high prey drive that for some reason only lit up when he was around adult human males. We matched him to a man who not only could handle it could also wear him out from it. That cat lived and died the happiest life i have ever seen...and for me having rescued hundreds ..thats saying something!! Leave her alone and leave off her cat and her man!

sons not sins....spell check sucks
Came home sick from work not suck
Who had him....not gad...god in heaven you fix them but they still get fubar