While some cats can’t stand being touched in the lower back, others love it. Indeed, it is enough to scratch their buttocks a little to make them completely hammer. But why? What can do them so much good? And does this gesture have a sexual character for them? Answers!
Cats also need love
Before trying to understand what cats can feel when they are stroked at the base of the tail, it is necessary to clarify one point.
Contrary to what we often hear, our feline friends are not the independent and asocial creatures that we think. Indeed, they actually need interactions with their masters and affection just as much as dogs.
Thus, when a cat is left alone for several hours locked up in an apartment, it is good to know that it is not indifferent to them. And this even if, on the return of its owner, it does not show outpourings of joy. That doesn’t mean it’s not happy to see them again. Indeed, felines have a very particular language, much more subtle than that of dogs.
And for good reason, a cat can show their affection to their human simply by rubbing against them, by gently blinking their eyes or even by sleeping at their side.
A gesture that releases pheromones
Now that the basics are laid, it is necessary to understand what lies at the base of the cats tail. There are scent glands that release pheromones when stimulated. However, pheromones are the most common means used by cats to communicate.
Indeed, these substances give off an odor that only animals can perceive. And which give a lot of information about the cat that issued them. When sniffed by another cat, they can indicate several things. It can be their age, their sex, their state of health or their sexual state (if it is in heat).
These are the pheromones that cats use to mark their territory. Indeed, since the smell of these pheromones is specific to each cat, it is an excellent way for them to recognize each other, even from a distance. All it takes is for a cat to rub against a tree to release pheromones and tell the cat who will pass by that spot several hours after that tree has already been marked.
So when you stroke your cat at the base of its tail, you release its pheromones. As a result, you cover yourself in its scent. However, for cats, it is very important that all the elements of their territory (furniture, humans, animals, etc.) have the same smell. This allows them to immediately recognize the members of their group. Plus, it gives them a sense of security.
Note that cats also have pheromones behind their ears, on their cheeks or even between their pads.
A gesture that reminds them of their mother
There is another reason that could explain why many cats love to have their bottoms stroked. When they were kittens, their mother used to lick their anus regularly. Why? To help them evacuate their stools, quite simply.
Therefore, instinctively, when you stroke your cat’s bottom, it recalls the soothing sensations it experienced when it was small. And this even if now it is completely autonomous in terms of cleanliness!
In addition, your tomcat has a much more developed nervous system than yours. Which makes them more sensitive to caresses. Indeed, felines have no less than 19 million nerve endings, located all over the body. Against 5 million for humans!
It is also for this reason that the sensations caused by caresses can quickly become unpleasant for them, pushing them to bite or suddenly scratch the hand of their human.
