Question Of The Day - Tuesday, June 13

[cassiopea]

Hello hello! Hope everyone is having a pleasant Tuesday



What are your kitties views on being picked up and held?



Camelot: He can pretty much live in someone's arms or shoulders full time any arms, he loves being carried around.

Morgana: She has to make the first move. She isn't the type where you can just grab her and pick her up any time. It's her call! Which makes it tricky since when she is in your arms, you don't have the heart to disturb her since it feels so special that she made the choice to come to you. She is fine with me and my family, but no strangers. Same when she wants to go on your lap for loves or to snooze, always her call first. Can't just pick her up and bring her to your lap anytime!

Liffey: She likes being picked up, but only for a short time. Plus, so far, I am the only one that can pick her up. Anyone else is a definite no go.

Tippy Toes: Another little cuddle monkey and can settle just fine, she is comfortable with being picked and remains quite content. At least until of course she feels like playing, eating and exploring, she is still a baby

 

[sivyaleah]

Cocoabean enjoys being held although we haven't tested that with anyone else but us. She'll stretch full out for us so that we can pet her belly too. She's pretty cuddly but, once she's had enough she's off like lightening.

Casper used to be ok with being held and was more physically affectionate when younger. Now, at 16, he doesn't appreciate being held at all. Sometimes he'll allow us but he gets antsy fast. I'm sure it's because he isn't feeling well (he has kidney disease) and perhaps that position makes him feel worse. That's fine though, he's always rubbing up on us and head bunting if we are at eye level.

My feeling about others handling our cats is hands off the cats unless they solicit you for attention or if you're extremely well versed in cat behaviors. There's no reason for anyone else to lift them just because they feel like hugging a cat.

 

[Kieka]

Nightfury would prefer to be held probably 80% of the time. Laps are a necessity for a happy life with him. Air kneading is a common.

Link will tolerate it, if he must, and you will understand his displeasure as he becomes a lead weight in your arms. Laps are to be explored sometimes but nothing to be settled on more than twice a year.

Rocket is pretty sure holding is human code for "kill the cat" and will scream bloody murder for the attempt. Which then leads to the boys charging to their sisters rescue. Although Rocket does love a good lap when she wants it.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Mooch is a lap cat; but not a fan of being picked up at all. You can tell it makes her nervous and uncomfortable. She used to sit up on my shoulders, wrapped around my neck. But she still doesn't like being carried.

Noodles isn't a fan either. I do try to pick her up from time to time and make it a positive experience because she is difficult to handle at the vet and things when she's needed medical treatment. She is more likely to tolerate it if she's hungry and wanting food.

 

[Boris Diamond]

Leo loves being picked up and will sometimes stay for hours, though after fifteen - twenty minutes I have to lower him to my lap, as my arms get tired. He is still a bit of a kitten at thirteen months, and sometimes there are distracting things going on and he has to leave immediately and be a part of the kitty scene.

Seal, the ex-feral, will nuzzle and snuggle when I pick him up, but he wants down in a couple of minutes. I encourage him to stay, but when he wants to go, I let him.

Diamond is OK with being picked up, but I think he just likes being seen in alpha's (My) arms. If I try to carry him anywhere, he wants down.

 

[denice]

Patches will tolerate being picked up but he would prefer not to be. Alice does not like being picked up at all. Alice also has that stocky cobby build which makes it difficult when she has to be picked up. Both of them will lay down on me or next to me though and be perfectly content. I think it is the old 'it has to be their idea' thing.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Hekitty's view on being picked up and held? VERY dim, indeed. She loves to get in my lap and snuggle down, but she does NOT want to be restricted in any way, shape or form. And she has ten pointy ends to enforce that.

 

[verna davies]

Pickle just freezes when I pick her up. She doesn't move a muscle and when I release her she slinks away.

Kiwi starts complaining as soon as I hold her, doesn't stop grizzling until I put her down.

Buzz wrigges until he gets free.
My two previous cats loved being held so I miss the contact

 

[muffy]

I used to have 8 cats that were born feral. I don't know if it has anything to be with being feral when they were kittens but none of them would let me pick them up and hold them. They would snuggle up to me in bed. That was even better.

Muffy

 

[jcat]

Mowgli likes us to pick him up and carry him, but is wary of others doing it. He doesn't normally sit on laps, but likes to lie up against legs. What he really likes is hugs.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

our Dude is fine with me picking him up and holding him, for a short time. he prefers to snuggle on my lap, in my arms, next to me of his own choice.

little DeeDee lives to be held, and loves to be picked up and held, cuddled, snuggled on a regular basis.

our Punky has become much more comfortable with being picked up and held, but is comfortable being held only in ways that aren't restrictive-feeling to her. i've found ways to hold her that she enjoys. Punky loves being pet and scritchins.

 

[Winchester]

One cannot hold our cats long enough. I'm serious. They love to be held; they dearly love laps and bellies. Your butt hits the couch and their butt will hit your lap. Just that quickly. They just love attention.

For some reason, it took Mollipop a while to jump up on me when I would lie on the couch. Now? I'm not there a full minute before she's all stretched out on my belly. I'll lie down with my Nook. She'll walk over and meow at me, "Put the book down!" "Fine!" And I'll put the book down, she'll jump up, circle a time or two, then flop. And there we are.

Tabby likes the attention, too, but it has to be strictly on her terms; if she's not in the mood, she'll walk away from you.

 

[AbbysMom]

Abby allows me to briefly pick her up and carry her around, but it's very brief. My husband is not allowed ot pick her up at all.

 

[Norachan]

I can pick up most of them, but I have to be quite careful about it. I have to put one hand on their chest and another under their belly and wait and see if they freak out or not. If they start to move away from me I let them go, no point trying to force things with them.

I can't pick up Button Moon, Albert, Freya, Marley or Sadie at all. They're the most feral of the lot. I don't pick up Little Boy if I can help it. He doesn't mind, but he's over 8 kilos and I just don't have the strength.

 

[amysuen]

Laelia hates being picked up and will only let you pet her if she's in one of her "safe" places (our bed and our 18 yr old's bed) or if she deigns to sit by you.

Snickers is OK with it as long as he's belly-down, or up on your shoulder. He likes it when I hold him on my forearm like a football.

Toothless likes being picked up but only belly-down too. He's smacked me a couple of times when I held him like a baby.

Cinder hates being picked up too, but is more tolerant than Laelia. She'll tolerate being held for up to a minute if I rub her cheek and tell her what a good girl she is.

 

[misty8723]

Cricket: How dare you pick me up! Put me down right this instant! Actually, occasionally, she will like it for a minute, but then she has to get down. She is not a lap cat and doesn't like to snuggle either, but is very friendly and loves being petted and hanging around me.
Swanie: He used to like it, maybe still would, but he's 25 pounds and not an easy cat to pick up. I'm actually afraid I will hurt him, so I don't try anymore. He's a total lap cat and snuggle bunny, and always has been.

 

[rubysmama]

Ruby hates being picked up. Her little body stiffens and she kicks and squirms until I put her down. I think she just hates being restrained, because she is a total lap cat and will come from another room to hop up on my lap when I sit down on the sofa. She also will snuggle beside me in bed.