Because of her early days experiences, a kitten equates being provided for with her mother. As the human caregiver continues to provide for the now adult cat, the cat relates to their human caregiver as their mother.
Her true mom licked her kitten a lot during her earliest days to clean them, which is part of the normal mother-kitten relationship. The kitten regards being licked as coming from their mother. As a consequence, when stroked by a human she regards it as being licked by a giant ‘pseudo-maternal hand’ in the apt words of Dr Desmond Morris.
It is enjoyed and stroking becomes petting, a more varied form of tactile interaction between human and cat. The cat seeks out being petted.


Every cat has their favourite way of being petted so find and deliver it to make them happy

Do cats accept the touching or petting of their paws?

Has your cat been traumatised by a visit to the vet?

Gentle petting and speaking to shelter cats reduces stress, improves their health and adoptability

Do all domestic cats like to be petted?

Do cats dislike having their tails petted? Learn the opinion of a research team

‘Cat love bites’ – what do they mean and why do they happen?

Get your cat’s PURR-MISSION!
Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.
Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.
I welcome and value comments. Please share your thoughts. All comments are currently unmoderated.
This blog is seen in 199 of the world's country's according to Google Analytics which is pretty much the entire world.