Why Do Cats Roll Over Onto Their Backs But Don’t Let You Touch Their Tummies?

My sibling’s Golden Retriever solicits belly rubs by sitting on my lap and then rolling over on her hindquarters. She stays in this posture until I agree with her. Some cats have bared their stomachs in front of my face, but not as many of the dogs I’ve met. When cats lay on their backs, it isn’t always a sign that they’re seeking a belly rub. Why do cats do it?

A signal of confidence

If you ask a feline behaviorist why cats lie down and show their belly, they’ll most likely respond that it’s an indication of confidence. It is indeed. However, could it also be an opportunity to massage their belly? If your cat reveals her stomach to you, it’s a sign she’s trusting you, but it doesn’t mean she’s willing to have her belly massaged. You might have noticed that just one or two tummy rubs could make her reverse her position.

Some cats don’t roll on their backs, exposing their stomachs. This is because cats are at risk in this position. They could do it for a couple of seconds and allow you to take some pets on their sides, and then immediately straighten themselves.

The cat I have Sophie has never rolled on her back to be able to see my husband or me, even when she begs for us to groom her numerous times every day. Sometimes, she is so excited about brushing that she will fall on her back and let us clean her side. Sophie is often seated next to us as we read or watch TV, however, she is always hiding when someone arrives at the door. My husband and I appear as the one and only ones she can trust.

Our pet, Maddie, greets everyone who enters our house and is a confident and friendly cat. Even she’s not rolling over onto the back. As with Sophie, her littermate Sophie she’ll lay on her back and let us stroke her exposed sides. If she’s exhausted on the one hand, she frequently will turn over and let us massage the opposite side. Even my cats that are the most outgoing haven’t ever requested Tummy rubs like the sister of my Golden Retriever.

Petting zones with preferred petting

Cats protect their bellies and this is for a reason. In the first place, the organs that are vital to them are in their bellies. In addition, they’re more prone to injury in this situation. They’re still able to bite and scratch but with much greater difficulty. They cannot sprint or leap from this place and this is their primary instinct when it comes to their fight or flight response.

The position of rolling onto their backs is quite the opposite of their defensive position. Standing on all fours with their backs elevated the tail straight, and their fur hanging on their ends is a posture cats adopt when they’re scared and want to frighten off potential dangers.

Cats tend to sleep on their backs and let you rub their sides. They are also more likely to flail their chins because they are fond of having their chins and cheeks massaged. A lot of cats will put their chins on their backs because they are fond of having the tail’s base scratched. In my experience, only a few cats will lay on their backs, and those that do will turn around in just a few seconds if you attempt to rub their stomachs.

What does rolling behavior really mean?

The rolling of the eyes is an instinctive behavior that cats exhibit to other cats under certain conditions. That’s the conclusion of a study from 1994 and later studies have confirmed. Hilary N. Feldman of Cambridge University’s Sub-Department for Animal Behaviour authored the study, “Domestic Cats and Passive Submission,” which is published in Animal Behaviour. She examined reproductively intact felines from two colonies of semi-feral cats within an outdoor enclosure that was large and took data over 18 months.

In the course of the study, researchers believed that rolling behavior to an instinctive response of cats in the event of the threat of attack, or counterattack. However, Hilary found that rolling plays multiple social roles in cats.

She spoke of it as a “cat rolling onto its back, with forepaws held cocked, often with the legs splayed and abdomen exposed.” The position reminded her of a dog’s behavior, and she noted that the posture was maintained for a long time. For 79% of roll behavior, the position was performed by a cat in front of the other. The cat who was rolling would often approach the other cat quickly before rolling, which led the researcher to think that this was an initiating behavior, not an aversion to an earlier behavior. The cats, however, didn’t vocalize while rolling.

Hilary noted that females rolled when they were in heat in front of male adult cats, however, 61% of these rolling actions were performed by males before males. In most cases, the younger males would roll before the older males. However, older males did not seem to notice or even tolerated the presence of the kittens which led the researcher to conclude that the rolling behavior could be a form of passive submission in order to avoid the occurrence of aggressive acts.

Hilary found that female cats roll in order to indicate their willingness to get married, as the behavior took place while they were showing other indicators of estrus. Males would roll as a sign of subordinate behavior, to avoid conflicts.

Be aware of your cat

Cats transmit certain cat-to-cat behaviors to their humans. As humans, they also can be a bit different in showing and receiving affection while also maintaining peace.

Some cats lie on laps. They often give their owners head bumps. Some prefer to be near their favorite people or pet, while others shout and beg for petted or brushed. Some may lie on their backs and give the belly to rub, but you should look for signs that indicate your cat is not comfortable. It might take some time to comprehend their signals and when they do, we should be respectful of them.

If your cat is prone to rolling on his back and gives an abdominal rub, look for these signs to tell your pet that he is uneasy and get it out of the way immediately: