Becoming predictable is very appealing to your cat!

Humans are naturally huggers. As group animals, we like to pet, stroke and hug each other - that's important for our survival as humans in a group.

For cats, the opposite is true, which can sometimes be hard for owners to understand. Cats don't always like being petted and picked up, and kittens need to learn from a young age how to deal with people and being touched, otherwise this can become a potential stress factor later on.

So, ignore your cat:

TIP 1 - When you can't look into her eyes

When your cat can't see you, she thinks you can't see her. This gives us the simple rule that you should leave your cats completely alone if you can't look into their eyes. This way you stay predictable and don't startle your cats.

TIP 2 - When your cat is showing natural behaviour

Cats like to do everything on their own: eating, drinking, grooming, visiting the litter box, looking around, hiding, and so on. Do you see your cat is busy? Then don't pet or hug her, but let her carry on.

TIP 3 - When your cat is unhappy

Do you notice subtle stress signals such as whiskers pointed backward, a tail hanging low against the ground, twitches in the fur, a quick lick of the tongue over the upper lip, or does she even show clear stress signals such as hissing and growling?

Then there's one rule: actively ignore your cat, which means effectively walking away, away from the cat. This way you at least won't make it worse, and she can calm down. Of course, first check where she might be feeling uncomfortable, and try to remove that stress factor.