Hug Your Cat Day falls on 4 June. It’s an unofficial day, and nobody quite knows who started it. It’s a lovely idea. But ask the cat, and the answer is often no thanks.
Being held tight, lifted off the ground and squeezed is how a cat would be caught by something that wants to eat it. Some cats love a cuddle. Many just put up with it. So here’s how to mark the day in a way cats actually enjoy.
Where cats like a stroke
In a 2015 study, researchers at the University of Lincoln stroked 34 cats on different parts of the body and watched how they reacted. The cats liked it most around the face: between the eyes and ears, the cheeks and the chin. They liked it least at the base of the tail.
Those face spots are where cats have scent glands. When a cat rubs its cheek on your leg, it’s marking you as one of its own. A stroke there feels like a friend doing the same.
The CAT rule
In 2021, researchers working with Battersea in London tested simple handling guidelines with 100 shelter cats. When people followed them, the cats were friendlier, and much less likely to hiss, swipe or look anxious. The guidelines spell CAT:
- C is for choice. Let the cat decide. Hold out a hand and let it come to you. If it walks away, that’s the answer.
- A is for attention. Watch its body. A tail up and a cat leaning in means more. A twitching tail, flattened ears or a turned head means stop.
- T is for touch. Keep it mostly to the face and head, unless the cat clearly enjoys more.
A good test: stroke for three seconds, then stop. If the cat pushes back into your hand, carry on. If not, it’s had enough. International Cat Care has more on cat-friendly ways to interact.
And street cats?
Don’t hug a street cat. Even a friendly one may panic, and a bite or scratch can get infected. Offer a hand, let it sniff, and follow the CAT rule. Our guide to approaching a shy cat shows how, including the slow blink, which is the closest thing to a hug a cat gives.
What to do on 4 June
- Swap the hug for a chin scratch, and see how your cat answers.
- Try a slow blink at a street cat. If it blinks back, that’s a hug.
- Thinking of adopting? June is the middle of kitten season. Read adopting a street cat.
Snap the street cats who come to say hello. They’re the ones who chose you.
