Cat Lift Their Butt When Scratched? 4 Possible Explanations for This Habit

Cat lift their butt, as a cat owner, you have probably seen many weird things about your pet, but the way they often lift their butt in the air when you scratch them is one of the most funny. If you have seen your cat doing this behavior and want to know what causes it keep reading. We will explore several reasons your cat might be lifting its butt, and we’ll also talk about if it’s a good or a bad thing to help you understand your pet better.

The 4 Reasons Cat Lift Their Butt When Scratched

1. They’re Loving It

The most probable reason your cat lifts its butt when you scratch the base of its tail is that it loves it. Lifting the butt can help bring the nerves nearer to the surface, making the target easier to reach. Cats also tend to stay still when they do this, so you don’t have to run after them. Our cats also might start purring with the lifted butt, reinforcing the cat’s belief that it loves it.

2. Your Cat is in Heat

If you did not get your female cat spayed and is raising her butt, there is a good chance she is going into heat. Allowing your cat outdoors at this time will almost guarantee a litter on the way, but keeping her inside is likely to cause serious damage to your home. A female in heat will cover most surfaces with urine, and she might also resort to clawing the furniture.

3. Instinct

Kittens rely on their mothers for everything during their first few days, including grooming. One of the ways a kitten makes it easier on mom to keep them clean is by raising its butt in the air. Doing so makes it easier for the mother to clean them, and there is a good chance this behavior is a hold-over. Your hand may feel similar to its mother’s tongue when it was small, and it is engaging in the same behavior.

4. Communication

The Anal glands of a cat produce strong pheromones that let cats communicate with each other, and you have probably seen cats smelling each other’s butts as a way of saying hi when they are friendly with each other.

There is a good possibility that when your cat lifts its butt toward you, it is its way of greeting you, and it wants you to take a smell!

cat communication - japan animal hospital

My Cat Doesn’t Lift Their Butt

If your cat doesn’t lift its butt or only lifts it a little bit, there is no need to worry. Each cat is different, and there are sure to be cats that don’t lift their butts when you pet them.

Some cats will do everything they can to prevent you from petting them, and they may stay like this their whole life. Other cats will relax and let you pet them after they trust you, and you might see that they lift their butts like the other cats when they are comfortable.

Sadly, we can’t ask our pets why they act the way they do, so we have to make some informed guesses. We think the most probable reason your cat lifts its butt is to show you that it likes what you are doing.

It could be a leftover from childhood, and it might want you to smell its butt, but cats don’t usually do this position for other cats that often smell there. The only other time we see cats do this position (with the front of the body low to the ground and the butt in the air) is when they are scratching the carpet, which also seems to make them happy.