"It's so hard to figure out what they like..." Don't cats have way too many preferences when it comes to the "strength of petting"?

When you have multiple cats, you really start to appreciate how unique each cat's personality is. Among them, what I found to be the most "overly individualistic" was the cats' preferred patting pressure.

This time, I'm going to openly reveal the patting methods favored by my three cats (who could even be respectfully called the "Three Great Houses" of our home), though this information might not be useful to everyone.

In the case of Jiji, the calico cat who is a "tsundere" (cold and prickly on the outside, warm and fuzzy on the inside)

Jiji, the oldest cat in our family, came from a pet shop. Perhaps because she grew up in an environment where she didn't even get her own food bowl, she was initially not good at physical interaction with humans when we brought her home.

When I approached her, she would tolerate my attention for a few minutes, but then she would leave as if to say, "I'm busy now." So, I tried a strategy of waiting for Jiji to approach me to deepen our bond, but that only made Jiji distance herself even more.

Hmm... Even in human relationships, they say to meet halfway. Maybe I should be more proactive if I want to get along!

Thinking this, about three years after we started living together, I started aggressively closing the distance between us, to an almost annoying degree.

As soon as I woke up, I would immediately pick up Jiji and pat her vigorously, saying, "Good morning! You're a princess again today!" During work breaks, I would approach Jiji, who was rolling in the corner of the room, give her a mischievous smile, and pat her vigorously, asking, "Hey, what are you doing? I want to know."

Before going to bed, I would take her to a room where we could be alone, saying, "It's a secret from everyone," and pat her vigorously. I presented her with an intensely heavy love that would undoubtedly warrant a police report if directed at a human.

However, surprisingly, Jiji didn't seem to dislike being approached so aggressively. She finally started purring during physical interactions.

Afterward, I saw how a friend caressed their cat, and I reflected, "Maybe I was petting too forcefully..." So, I tried to establish a habit of gently petting Jiji.

However, Jiji didn't seem to like that petting style. She gave me a dissatisfied look as if to say, "Huh? Are you really petting me? It's not enough," and then delivered a critical cat punch to my cheek.

Respecting her wishes, it has become a routine to still pat Jiji vigorously, with a bit of force.

In the case of Kotaro, who is timid and loves his owner

Kotaro is the cat in our house who requires the most delicate touch when it comes to petting. He's timid and only warms up to M-E (I want to emphasize how much of a boast that is), so reaching out your hand from above is a no-go.

If you don't extend your hand from the side of his cheek or under his face, or let him sniff your hand first, there's a 98% chance that strangers will get a cat punch or a bite.

He also changes his preferred petting style depending on who is petting him. If it's someone he doesn't know well or only sees occasionally, he seems to prefer gentle petting. However, if you pet him too gently, he might get surprised and even angry, as if saying, "Huh? Is something on my head?! Get it off me!" (His difficulty level is too high.)

However, when it comes to me, he likes vigorous petting, just like Jiji. I can touch his head, which gets easily startled, and his soft belly as much as I want. Yay!

What's amazing about Kotaro is his intelligence to instantly sniff and confirm "who's petting me?" when he's being petted. Even if I irregularly present a pen and my finger, he properly distinguishes the scent and never bites my finger.

ペンと指の区別がつく、うちの子賢い。 pic.twitter.com/TpIwEXK2w7

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) September 30, 2019

I guess because he has that kind of intense love, he accepts my excessive cat love in the form of vigorous petting. Today, I want to tell him "you're a good boy" and pet him vigorously to my heart's content.

In the case of Leon, the charismatic cat who welcomes everyone

It took the longest time to find Leon's preferred way of being petted. He has a charming, sociable personality, always welcoming everyone, but for some reason, I felt there was a wall between us.

He didn't dislike being petted, but he would quickly leave, and even when the other two cats were nearby, Leon would be in a corner of the room, lying on his back.

I thought, "He must just have a cat-like personality. If so, that's fine." But after I started living with my current partner, I felt conflicted... because Leon would snuggle up to my partner and seem to wait to be petted.

「いけ！でんこうせっかだ！」とか言ったら、応えてくれそうな相棒感。 pic.twitter.com/SBMTXoLT1M

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) April 12, 2024

Some people are just liked by cats, but why not me? Feeling quite sad, I started checking what it was about my partner that Leon liked.

Then one day, my partner said, "Isn't your petting too strong?" so I reevaluated how I petted Leon. I tried gently stroking his head with just my fingertips, as if handling something fragile. In Slam Dunk terms, it was like "just adding your fingertips."

Perhaps that pressure felt good, because, unusually, Leon didn't leave my side. Happy about this, I petted Leon many times that day with the "just adding your fingertips" method.

Then, as if Leon thought, "Finally, she understands how I like to be petted," he started coming to me, asking to be petted. And for the first time in eight years since I brought him home, he relaxed on my stomach for over five minutes!

一緒に暮らして8年、初めてお腹の上に5分以上乗ってくれた‥！🥹 pic.twitter.com/WaslN5xKV0

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) July 25, 2024

To think that our hearts could connect so deeply just by reevaluating how I petted him... It really is important to find the way your cat wants to be touched.

Once you discover the petting method that satisfies your cat's heart, the bond with your beloved cat deepens. I believe it's not just a dream to become an inseparable duo.

Without being constrained by the idea of "this is how you pet a cat," I want to continue studying how to pet them in a way that truly captures their hearts, while observing my cats' reactions.