How Does Your Cat Request A Hug?
This charming black-and-white cat requests a hug from one of her human caretakers in the most delightful way, which you can see in the video:
This got me thinking about how my cat, Charlie, asks for a hug. Then I realised that he doesn’t ask me for a hug but he does ask me for a bit of a cuddle which is not quite the same thing. Perhaps he thinks that requesting a hug is not macho enough 😉
So, he’ll simply come up to me when I’m in bed and rest on me or lie close to me. He is clearly happy when I then stroke him and show him some affection. He is not requesting anything. He is just doing what he wants and what he knows he can do. One of the things he wants is to lie next to me; be close to me. Domestic cats like contact from time to time, on their terms.
One of my late cats, Missie, used to come to bed with me too. She was young at the time. She’d lie next to me, very close, on my arm, under the covers until she got too hot. Sheer delight for both of us. Once again their was no request. She behaved quite correctly as an equal and took up her rightful place beside me if she felt like some affection and close contact.
I guess each cat has his/her own way of requesting affection. My guess is that typically a cat will simply sit on your lap (but even that is shunned by lots of cats). That is not requesting a hug or affection – it is taking it with both paws. But we love it nonetheless.
A lot of cats are not that extrovert or forward in their behavior. They tend not to foist themselves on us requesting affection. They are independent minded.
Rubbing up against you and head butting is a classic initiating contact behavior. You have to respond in kind.
Note: sometimes videos go blank for all kinds of reasons. If that happens – sorry. I don’t have control over that.