By Maria Azzurra VolpeShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberIn a viral Reddit video, a gray cat slaps his owner for not petting him right—then he shows him exactly what to do instead.
The hilarious video shared on Wednesday under the username u/macks10, shows the poster trying to pet his cat when he suddenly slaps him on the hand because he doesn’t like the way he is petting him.
Immediately after, the kitty gets down on the floor, rubbing his head on the ground while looking at his owner, as if showing him exactly how to do it.
“My cat hits me when i don’t pet him the exact way he wants it," the caption says. “At least he allows me to keep trying, my fault [little] man, I’m not fluent in nonverbalkittylanguage yet (going on month two).”
...Pet MD says that petting a cat can strengthen your bond and even reduce your stress, but only when done right.
You need to watch for signs the cat actually wants to be touched—like relaxed body language, forward ears, a high tail, or rubbing its face on you—otherwise you should stop.
Start by offering your hand for the cat to sniff, then use gentle strokes on its chin, cheeks, back and near the tail base, avoiding hard pats.
Pay close attention to its reactions: purring, leaning in, or rubbing indicates enjoyment, while stiff posture or aggression suggests overstimulation.
Also, avoid petting sore or vulnerable areas like the belly or neck if the cat might be in pain. There are specific spots cats usually like (cheeks, chin, forehead, base of tail) and some they dislike (stomach, legs, paws, tail).
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The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 4,100 upvotes and 218 comments on the platform.
One user, clivedelgreco, commented: “Honestly I’ve never had a cat, but I react the same exact way when my boyfriend rubs my back or scratches it and stays in one spot. The overstimulation peaks and the batting away is almost involuntary.”
PoetryWriting said: “He’s just communicating with you, there are more subtle body language signs that you aren’t seeing so he’s advancing to the next step of communication as hitting.”
Moddy123 added: “Human training.”
Newsweek reached out to u/macks10 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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