I always wondered about this too. Especially with Alex, since if you try to wipe his butt to get litter or other stuff off, he acts like he's going to start World War 3.
The spot at the base of a cats tail is very sensitive and it stimulates the cat when touched there. It's (excuse me)kind of a kitty G spot for both male and female cats. Bet you feel weird the next time you scratch your cat there huh?
That's exactly what I thought when I found out. No wonder they really like that spot. LOL. Anyway I still scratch my cats there. I think the only times the cats might think it's a sexual thing is if you scratch a female in heat, then you will really get her wound up. Other than that it's an instinctive response to stimulation of that area. But who really knows what the cats thinking! LOL.
The only problem with gratifying the "itch" on the butt-end of the back is that some cats get so excited that they start to knead you with their claws. Claws are also part of the mating ritual, as is latching onto some part of you with their teeth and hanging on for dear life. So be sure to withdraw after a few seconds of loving caresses if you have a cat who gets really excitable!
On the other hand, I have discovered that some of my cats just arch their backs with a moment's appreciation and then enter in to other kinds of pleasurable behavior -- like rubbing against my legs or rolling over on the floor to have their bellies rubbed. I would say that they have learned to come to terms with their neutering and have successfully sublimated the sexual urge to other parts of their body. Has anyone else found this to be true?
Cheek rubbing is something else they love when they come into the house and haven't see me for an hour or so. It is a way of marking and restoring scent recognition, but they particularly love it when I either come down to their level, or raise them up to mine and engage in a few moments of mutual cheek rubbing. This sets off loud purring and back arching, and two of the cats, end this greeting ritual with a hug around my neck and some licking behind my ear. Apparently this intimate contact gives them enormous satisfaction. The head butting type of greeting is another effort to bring my behavior more in line with satisfactory cat behavior... I realize they are training me to be polite and caring in cat terms, because there is sometimes a mutuality of learning here that shows that they also try to please me by altering their cat manners under certain circumstances.
With so many determined teachers, I will live up to my nickname in time !!
Ok answere as to why (I was told they do this) cats stick there butts in the air. Not all but most cats enjoy a good scratch there b/c it isn't a place they can reach. So it's kinda like having itch and not being able to scratch it then someone scratches it for you.
Actually, MaMaof, the "itch" is a sexual one, and I imagine male cats are as sensitive as females in the area at the base of the tail -- in the same way that humans enjoy a certain amount of stroking of their genetalia and nipples or in other erotic places peculiar to people.
Cats can reach the tail area easily -- as well as almost every part of their body with their paws -- and, unless it is around the very vulnerable eyes and nose area, claws as well. They can even delicately dig inside their ears to try to get insects out -- you will see them with their paws tightly tucked into a narrow shape, much like our hands look when we try to tuck our little finger, the index finger, and the thumb under the ring and middle fingers. Like the cats' pads, our palms are fairly flexible from side to side (but almost totally inflexible from wrist to finger bases).
The one place cats cannot get to when they groom themselves -- and would not dare to use their claws -- is the chin. You may have noticed -- especially if you have a cat with a white nose and chin area -- that when the chin gets dirty, it takes a long time for the dirt to go away. Because the cat cannot reach there to properly groom or to scratch, fleas choose that spot as the best place to put their egg nests, so the cat can get rashes or infections there as well. You can help the cat by scratching the chin gently with your fingernails. Put one hand on the top of the cat's head to keep it steady, and rub or scratch the chin and also along the nose bridge. Cats love it because it is the one itch they cannot scratch for themselves.
Every other part of their body, they can take care of very well.
I see that you are pretty new. I hope you enjoy this forum as much as I do.
First I'd like to welcome Mickey4Paws...I love that name!
Hope you stick around, it can become pretty fun here!
It's nice to visit over here...I haven't really been by this part of the site much, but now that I've been reading the posts I truly enjoy the behaviour fourms! I'm glad to have come on over here
I have gotten a good laugh out of this post. It's really funny, I have two cats that don't like that, however, I do have 4 others that love it. :laughing2 I don't think I'll quit rubbing their backs for them...unless they get a little frisky or something :laughing2, but I don't really see that happening
Bellabear hates it when people scratch her there...it is one thing guaranteed to make her whip around and snarl at you. It's not like she's in pain....more like its annoying. I took her to the vet about it and the vet said some cats are just extra sensitive there.