Feet

[kehorner]

Why do my cats (Pat, especially) find it necessary to put their feet on my face? I know where those feet have been, and I don't want them on my face/lips/eyes/nose/ears!

Whenever he's sitting on my lap, he reaches up and gropes my face with his paws. Usually the front, but sometimes the back. It's sort of like those phone commercials... "reach out and touch someone." Sometimes he just taps, other times he'd like to just leave it there resting on my face.

I have no idea how to get him to stop, either. Pat never listens to anything I have to say. He's the only one in the house that won't use the scratching post. He's perfectly capable of using it, and he knows where they are, and he knows that he's not supposed to scratch the house. But he completely ignores me when I tell him no. He ignores me when I make loud noises. He runs when I grab the water bottle, but only when I go for it. He knows that he can run away before I can aim and shoot. He's really just a little stinker that knows what's right and wrong, then stares me directly in the face while he does it anyway.

I suppose I don't really care if he stops. But I'm curious as to why he does this.

[slvrwhispr]

At this point, kehorner, would you really want Pat any other way? I know he drives you up the wall, but if he suddenly became a perfectly well-behaved cat, I bet you'd miss his mischief. I know I'd miss Izzy's if she decided to be a feline role-model, even if my furniture and other household items would fare better in the long run.

If it makes you feel any better, every cat I've ever had has done the paw thing. I don't know what it means either. I've just accepted it as a Cat Thing.

[Traci]

I'm in total agreement with slvrwhispr, Pat's antics are what make him who he is. My Cody has antics that sometimes drive me insane, but if he were any other way, he wouldn't be so unique. He's only mellowed out slightly since he's grown older, but I don't want him to mellow out any further.

Appreciate the paw thing, Pat is bonding with you and showing his affection.

[Tina B and crew]

I have a cat or two who has done the paw thing...I love it, as long as they don't put their claws out. I find it comforting and a way of connecting. I know people think it's gross because their paws are in litter and such, but I've never gotten sick, even when one puts their paw on my mouth. I know so many people who have aloof kitties that I'm glad to take all the physical contact from my kitties that I can get. Of course with the two I have left it's in no shortage, they are both "love cats" to their humans...