Why does cat pace while being petted?

He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:50:50 -0500, "Karen"
wrote:

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?




If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:50:50 -0500, "Karen"
wrote:

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?




If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:46:24 -0600, all of a sudden, m. L. Briggs
exclaimed:

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:50:50 -0500, "Karen"
wrote:

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?




If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

Yea. Meep will do this. If I even think about following, she's off
like a shot to the door - she doesn't want anything but to be let out
(She's an outdoor-only-under-supervision cat, due to the large
number of outdoor neighborhood cats).

jmc
jmc
usenet [at] jodi [dit] ws
Any day you learn something isn't a total waste.

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:46:24 -0600, all of a sudden, m. L. Briggs
exclaimed:

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:50:50 -0500, "Karen"
wrote:

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?




If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

Yea. Meep will do this. If I even think about following, she's off
like a shot to the door - she doesn't want anything but to be let out
(She's an outdoor-only-under-supervision cat, due to the large
number of outdoor neighborhood cats).

jmc
jmc
usenet [at] jodi [dit] ws
Any day you learn something isn't a total waste.

"m. L. Briggs" wrote:


If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

Ha! True!

"m. L. Briggs" wrote:


If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

Ha! True!

In article ,
m. L. Briggs wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:50:50 -0500, "Karen"
wrote:

Don't know what it is but I have a "pacer" too. She will often not settle
down for petting but loves it. SOemtiems she will stretchout for belly rubs
or lay down for petting but by and large she paces. Most do this somewhat
and others more than some.


"Mike S." wrote in message
...


He approaches me. He WANTS it. I start petting him. He starts purring ....
and then starts walking. Once he is out of reach ... the petting stops. He
looks back at me (what happened?) and stares. I wiggle my fingers to
remind him where the petting hand _is_. He walks back, positions himself
to be petted, and a few seconds later starts pacing again. I'm tempted to
think "Stupid cat" but I realize there must be some instinctual or
habitual behavior here that I'm ignorant of. Anyone?




If you follow him, perhaps he will show you what is on his mind. MLB

Tried that. He just walks in circles in the general area.