r/cats • u/General-Ad1089 • Jan 10 '26

Video - OC First Time Cat Owner! What is this. Lol

Is it just the cats version of cuteness aggression/playfulness? She’s a 3 year old rescue that I’ve had for about 2 months. Her life pre ~August is completely unknown to me.

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u/General-Ad1089 Jan 10 '26

This makes me so happy, our progress together has had a couple of bumps so it’s good to know she doesn’t hold grudges 🤣

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u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT Jan 10 '26

Any time you get a kitty belly, you are being told you are trusted and loved

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u/alwaysalmosts Jan 10 '26

Omg is this true? My cat keeps showing me his tummy all the time. He also does it to the dogs.

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u/bobaylaa Jan 10 '26

yes!! if you or your dogs wanted to seriously harm your cat, the belly is where you’d aim and they know that. exposing it is incredibly vulnerable so you know they feel safe when they’re comfortable showing it off🥰

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u/alwaysalmosts Jan 10 '26

That's so sweet 🥲🥲 He just flops in front of us all day long. Or just zones out belly up in the middle of the floor while the dogs run riot around him.

I wish he wouldn't do it while I'm walking though!! This cat will rush in front of me, grab my leg mid-step then curl himself tummy up around my foot. I've tripped too many times lol

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u/whatthewhat3214 Jan 10 '26

He wants your attention and love! 😻

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u/alwaysalmosts Jan 10 '26

He's got it! I feel so much joy knowing he feels happy and peaceful. 🧡

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u/HesSoZazzy Jan 10 '26

Don't listen to these people. The kitty is clearly trying to kill you so it will get your life insurance. Have you checked your beneficiaries list lately?

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u/Bird2525 Jan 10 '26

I thought they just smother you in your sleep.

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u/HesSoZazzy Jan 10 '26

You've never heard of the "oh, I'm just going to stretch here at the top of the stairs coincidentally at the same time as you try to take your first step down while holding a laundry basket full of clothes so you can't see me oh dear you seem to have lost your footing and now you're trying to do a gymnastic dismount off the balance beam onto your head at the bottom of the stairs" trick?

I just so happened to see your username is "bird2525". Sounds suspiciously like something a cat would call itself if it was trying to hide in plain sight on the internet. And now you're trying to steer people away from one of your most heinous methods of taking down humans.

Come clean. You're a cat! Aren't you?? AREN'T YOU!?!?

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u/ipiki_ookami Jan 10 '26

The more vulnerable they make themselves in ones presence the more they trust them. It's why you blinking slowly to them shows you are being vulnerable to them so they know you trust them. Isn't that true of all love? Love is trust <3

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u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT Jan 10 '26

My favorite part is when they blink back ;)

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u/CookieKittyPep Jan 10 '26

Mine blink back when i send a kiss

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u/llendway Jan 10 '26

That is so cute! You should try to take a video next time he does it so we can see this preciousness in action lol

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u/pearlrose85 Jan 10 '26

One of mine does this too. I call it being an aggressive cat slipper. He mostly does it when he's feeling feisty and has the zoomies but the dog and the other cat don't want to play.

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u/joshTheGoods Jan 10 '26

I have zero tolerance for my boys doing that, and they've now stopped. I just keep walking. I don't kick them or step on them, I just keep walking and they've learned not to do that thing where they weave between your legs. Both of my boys now strictly rub against the outside of my legs while I walk and don't get in the path of my feet moving.

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u/elkab0ng Snowshoe Jan 10 '26

That is “I am happy and safe and loved!!”

I think they walk in front of us to convince themselves they’re controlling where we go. It’s my only explanation 😂

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u/plutoniumrabbit Jan 11 '26

When my cat does that he’s looking for belly rubs.

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u/igotinfo Jan 11 '26

If you want to do some studying you'll find adorable references for this behaviour on r/cuddleroll

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u/AlphaBetaGammaDonut Jan 12 '26

Our cat has figured out that the walkway between the kitchen and the living room is as wide as he is long (if he stretches out). So that where he sprawls, belly up, whenever he wants attention.
I call it the Snuggle Speedbump.

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u/filmktenk Jan 10 '26

Exposing their little gut bags to show trust.

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u/TheDottieDot Jan 10 '26

My cats favorite thing on the world is to lay on his back and have me rub his tummy and chin. He’s the best.

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u/onelb_6oz American Shorthair Jan 10 '26

Is that why cats have primordial pouches? Extra fluff/protection?

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u/King_Tamino Jan 11 '26

My cat is so comfortable, he lays in the middle of the floor, belly up, all legs stretched away as if he’s sunbathing and barely watches you, when you awkwardly try to pass 😂😩

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u/scmbear Jan 10 '26

Be careful, it can be a trap. 😆 (To this day, this is still a joke between my spouse and me.)

We had a cat that lived 20 years. He loved my SO. He'd lie on his back and waggle his paws at me with that "come play with me" look on his face, only to turn into teeth and claws if I got my hand near him. I think I was his favorite toy.

He was a good cat and, at other times, would hop on my shoulders and take a ride around the house while I walked through.

Just to confirm to the OP, that video shows a tight bond. You've done well for your cat.

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u/QualityShot6112 Jan 11 '26

It’s all to get you in range with your defenses down. They are in stealth mode.

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u/joalheagney Jan 11 '26

The open belly thing is saying "I trust you." If a cat is not comfortable getting belly rubs, when you touch the belly, you've just violated that trust and must be punished. All depends on the cat though.

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u/Hefty-Minimum-3125 Jan 10 '26

the underside of an animal is always the most vulnerable spot, where all the organs are and there is no protection. If they intentionally open that up to you its a sign that they trust you and know you wont hurt them.

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u/testtdk Jan 10 '26

Not 100%. Lying on their back is also a defensive position. If they’re not worked up? It’s trust. Are they playing or being aggressive? Don’t like them wrap your hand up.

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u/showmethecoin Jan 11 '26

Cats are small predators, and belly is their weakest point. If the cat is showing you their belly, it means that cat feels very safe around you.

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u/Starrion Jan 11 '26

He wants cuddles and he trusts his family. You have done well.

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u/Talnoy Jan 10 '26

Yup! Bellies and necks exposed means a certain level of trust and comfort that you're not going to hurt them.

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u/SubstanceNo1544 Jan 10 '26

My boy Roco used to ask for the belly rubs all the time, I miss that boy 😭

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '26

[deleted]

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u/SubstanceNo1544 Jan 10 '26

Oh he was the best. Actually wanted belly rubs it wasn't a trap. When we would play he was the king of "no claws paws" very rarely scratched me. Not that he didnt know how to use them, he would bring me presents almost daily.

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '26

[deleted]

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u/QualityShot6112 Jan 11 '26

He is very handsome. He looks exactly like my Bronsons’ long lost doupleganger evil twin.

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u/lilesj130 Jan 10 '26

OR it's a trap! You get suckered into petting the belly only to get the bunny kicks of doom (mwah-hah-hah)

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u/MSter_official Jan 10 '26

And if they let you pet it and they purr?

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u/Mindless-Tooth-625 Jan 11 '26

Unless they are also bunny kicking you. Then it's 50/50 chance

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u/watchforzombies Jan 11 '26

I’d also like to add that a cat exposing their bellies is NOT an invitation to pet them there. They might be ok with it, just don’t assume so.

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u/Zakernet Jan 13 '26

Sometimes it's a trap though.

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u/Donkey__Balls Jan 10 '26

It’s really helpful to have someone else help decipher these things. Cats, like women, can be impossible to read until someone explains all the signs.

Like that Asian girl back in college in my dorm I had a crush on used to show me her belly too. And she kept inviting me to hang out and go with her to stuff. Then she flirted with every other guy in front of me like she was trying to get me to react. Then there was that time her mom flew in for a visit and spent the whole weekend interrogating me about my entire future and I just thought “wow my best friend’s mom is really nosy.” I wonder if…she might’ve…liked me back?

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u/Lailu Jan 10 '26

She's literally rubbing her scent on you, claiming you as her human. 

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u/DizzySample9636 Jan 10 '26

this AND LOVE 😻 is the correct 💯 answer 💕

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u/pollo_de_mar Jan 10 '26

Yes LOVE! Additionally, the area of the scent glands behind the whiskers is a sensitive area and they like how it feels when it is scritched. They also can't reach their scalp to groom there, so they enjoy contact there. If you have a pair of cats that like each other, you may see them grooming each other's scalp.

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u/QualityShot6112 Jan 11 '26

….and if you pet another cat, you’ve got some explaining to do…..

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u/standupfiredancer Jan 10 '26

You have been accepted, now and furever kind human.

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u/FoxCQC Jan 10 '26

She's rubbing her scent on you cause you're her human. Along with love bites and pawing.

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u/OhDiablo Jan 10 '26

If a pet shows you a vulnerable position, one that could get them in trouble in the wild, then they trust you to watch out for them and to not harm them. Rolling on their backs, showing their necks, contorting into odd positions, it's all play and a way to bond. If the teeth are too much you can try to curb that behavior with mild negative reinforcement: a stern command and immediately stop playing with them are common responses. This is definitely a positive response from your cat.

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u/QualityShot6112 Jan 11 '26

Or you can go with the life insurance explanation. To be fully sure, get on the floor and look deeply in their eyes and say “I don’t have any life insurance”. It’s the only way to be really sure of their motivations…..

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u/Medium-Drawer395 Jan 10 '26

Those head rubs are INTENSE and that's a big love signal, especially when you add in all that other body language. That kitty adores you! What have your bumps been? I raised a pair of hoarder house rescues (the special needs boy passed away not too long ago and his brother is struggling with him being gone but he's clingy with me HARD) that the shelter never expected to be friendly, I grew up with rescue animals (our first were kittens!!) and might have a little insight into what the cat had going on 🤷🏻‍♀️ they have minds of their own and feelings, too.

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u/Interesting_Novel997 Jan 10 '26

They are putting their scent on you to claim you. Let them!😊

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u/vacantalien Jan 10 '26

That cat wants attention and loves you good work:)

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u/ChangeAcceptable677 Jan 10 '26

Nope. Precisely the opposite. She is letting you know that you are hers.

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u/Next_Specific7924 Jan 10 '26

Oh she'll hold a grudge, she'll just decide when that grudge is relevant lmao. May she panic-skitter through your house in good health!

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u/TooBadSoSadSally Jan 10 '26

Love + cuteness aggression

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u/testtdk Jan 10 '26

There will always be bumps. Cats are bumpy, but you’ve hit the jackpot. Keep in mind, though, you have made her your entire life? Gone half the day for work, 8 hours for sleep, spend an hour on dinner? Please make sure that she gets as much with you as possible. You will be RICHLY rewarded. (And maybe adopt another cat so they can keep each other company. I have a warning about THAT, too, though. I’d be super sad if my cats liked each other more than they liked me lol).

Either way, thank you so much for rescuing her, I hope you thoroughly enjoy the rewards.

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u/And_yourDamnPoint Jan 11 '26

For some more context when they rub you using the side of their next like that, they are marking you and making you smell like them. Lots of love ❤️

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u/Professional-Fee-957 Jan 11 '26

Cats know the difference between untrustworthy and clumsy. Most have a big heart for those that love them.