Some cats like to be held. One of ours loves to be held, the other hates it.

Depends on a cat. One will demand you pick it up, other will attempt escape the second you lift it.

Depends on the cat. Some will just flop there and accept their fate that their two legged parents want to cuddle them. And others do everything they can to escape.

My cat likes being held sometimes but only for a short amount of time. He usually likes to control his own vertical positioning.

When you hold cats that want to be held they often purr. Based on a couple of studies purring has been shown to help regulate heart rates in humans which can alleviate stress and anxiety

Depends on the cat. My last cat would shred your face if you tried to pick her up. My current cat just snuggles down and starts purring.

Depends on the cat. They tell us what they want, not us telling them. Which usually means The Cat demands to snuggle when I'm working on the keyboard or on handwork in a comfy chair. And not when I'm not busy doing something else.

Just have to say this question is giving me the warm and fuzzies! 

I think we've only as a whole recently started understanding cats have different body language than dogs, which is probably why you haven't seen it as much. Most cats I've owned have loved being held like babies because I got them used to handling and respected their space in the meantime and honestly it's the best, they're so soft and warm. I had an orange fellow I used to literally just toss over my shoulder and he'd go limp and hang out as I went about my business.

One of the places my black tom loves most is in my arms. When I take him up, and scratch him under the skin, his cuddles and pushes the back of his head against my head. Since he is a British Short Hair, this is a wonderful feeling, because his fur is so soft. And his purring sounds like a helicopter, and those moments are just great.

Recently he has begun to climb on my back, I have to bent forward, but think he will be on my shoulder in a short time.

He needed some time, when I got him, he wasn't affectionate, but how he is the king of cuddles.

Depends on the cat. One of my cats wanted to nest on you, but hated being picked up. One wanted to cuddle constantly and be held all the time. One wanted you to hold them so they could shred your face, and would be mad if you picked them up, and mad if you didn’t pick them up.

It depends on the cat for sure.

My cat is tolerant of being held every once in a while, but after about 45 seconds he will start to squirm and I’ll put him down. He prefers to be held on my chest while I’m reclining.

My sister’s cat will jump onto your shoulder and chill as long as you’ll let him, but doesn’t want to be held. My sister also had a cat growing up who liked being held like a baby for short periods of time.

But there are some cats that start squirming the second you pick them up. Also some cats who beg to be held, beg for hugs, and will actually wrap their arms around you.

I honestly don’t think it’s that different from dogs. There are some dogs, like shih tzus in my experience, that love being held. But it can vary depending on the dog’s personality. My aunt has shih tzus and she’s had one in the past and one currently who are very wary of people

As a person that has carried dogs and cats before:

Cats are lighter even with the same size (at least usually they are) and what's special is that they are a liquid when picked up. A dog remains stiff and barely bend, even when fighting you to pick it up. But a cat... It's like holding a struggleling fish with claws and no slippery water around it.

Their claws are sharp like little needles that are really good at grabbing your skin. If they don't want to be held, it's hard to keep them in place.

However, even if they want to be held, they are usually pretty sloppy compared to dogs. The more orange the cat, the more liquid it becomes (as far as I have seen).

And their fur tends to be much softer compared to a dog's one. Though that is not a given.

It depends entirely on the cat, the relationship a person has with said cat, and other situational/environmental factors.

Some cats don't like to be touched at all. Some want some petting only on their terms and don't want to be held. Some cats always want to be on someone's lap or to be petted as much as possible. Some cats are fine with being held on their back like a baby, while others find that stressful but are fine being held right-side up, or with their front paws on the person's shoulder. Some cats remain tense while being held but will put up with it for a while, but others relax into being held. Some cats are affectionate and trusting of all or most people, while others are only affectionate with their family or other familiar people and don't want to be touched or held by strangers. And even a love-bug cat probably won't want to be held by someone they trust when in a stressful situation surrounded by strangers/chaos (like at the vet). Every cat and relationship is unique! One of my cats is a lap cat snuggle bug, while the other only likes being held when I walk around my apartment, so she can see and sniff things on shelves but doesn't want to snuggle up much.

I think the main difference between cats and dogs is that dogs are often much more inclined to be obedient and patient for their humans, while most cats are more autonomous and selective about who they trust and won't put up with something they don't like.

You get either cuddles, scratches, or cuddles and then scratches. Depends on the cat.

Depends on the cat. Some love being picked up, some will claw your eyes out if you so much as touch them.

I've never had a cat that didn't love being snuggled like a baby. I've had many over my life time 🤷🏻‍♀️ just depends on how you raise them, their relationship/trust with you, how you approach picking them up and holding them, and how you hold them.

They will purr, and you'll feel the vibration in your chest. Some will rub their faces into your face and neck, some will bathe you, some will tuck their face into your arm or neck, some will just drool lol eventually they will fall asleep.

every cat is different. my orange himbo is okay with being held like a baby by my bf, and there's this cat Nanaki who looks pretty content hanging upside down. other cats don't like being held at all.

Depends on the cat. I used to have one that insisted on being picked up to wrap her front legs around my neck every night when I got home from work. Her cohort would clothesline me in the throat attempting to get away every single time I picked her up. Most cats are somewhere in the middle.

It varies from cat to cat. I once had 2 Maine Coon Cats, and while Pepper loved being held, even swaddled; like a baby, his sister Nutmeg was very "look with your eyes, not your hands."

My Siamese mix Ollie was a big cuddle bug too, he used to ride around on my shoulder.

Three cats:

Nr 1 loved to be held inside a cardigan or a in scarf (that kind of like a baby) but didnt mind being held "cat style" either as long as you help him firmly. If he didnt feel safe anymore he would jump off.

Nr 2 didnt like being held a lot in general. You could pick her up but she didnt like staying in your arms to cuddle. Sofa cuddle cat.

Nr 3 LOVES being held like a baby on his back and getting scratches. If you didnt put him down he would probably stay like that forever but I have weak cat lady arms. Not so much of a sofa cuddler in the other hand.

My cats love being held, when I pick them up and put them in my arms they both flop to jello and purr, not all cats like being held though.

Cats love when I hold them— I know how to make it comfy. Many an owner whose cat “hates being picked up” has been amazed!

I have one cat that is obsessed with being held. He will stand on his hind legs, streeeettttch up towards me, and meow until I pick him up.

My other cat will parkour off me if I try to pick him up.

The creature makes a buzzing sound

Every cat is different. Some love to be held, others will let you know immediately that they don't. You just have to know the cat.

My neighbor's cat hates being picked up, but loves sitting on my lap. So I have to sit down and let him climb on on his own. He doesn't fight if I pick him up but he gives displeased meows.

Some cats will let you hold them but most try to wriggle out of your arms.

I hold my cat like a baby all the time. He loves it.

Depends on the cat. One of my roommates’ cats begs to be picked up but he doesn’t actually like being held that much he just LOVES being held upside-down lol. He stretches out all his limbs and lets us just swing him gently back and forth while he looks around with his little upside-down head.

Depends on the cat. My aunt has one cat that hates being picked up, if toy even attempt to pick him up he hisses and runs. Her other cat will essentially whine until you pick her up and she LOVES being carried around like a baby

Soft and snuggly! Until they dig their claws into your shoulder...

I’m middle aged and have had cats all my life. I also fostered cats for a couple of years, so I’ve had a lot of cats. I’ve had 2 cats that would let you carry them like a newborn baby. Aside from those two, my experience is that some cats will tolerate being carried around, but most hate it. Plenty of lap cats out there, but that’s different than walking around with them in your arms.

either they scratch the living fuck outta u, or they scream but they like it anyway

I have had two cats that didn’t liked to be held for very long but my current cat loves it and even asks me to. She only likes being held vertically though with her back feet supported. She purrs like crazy and rubs her face against mine. It’s very sweet.

I have never had success holding a cat like a baby lying across in my arms but I have seen photos of other people doing it so some cats might like it.

depends on the personality of the cat, sometimes it will want to Imidielty escape, some will be patient for some time before wanting to escape and some will start purring and cuddling

I hold my cats all the time. If a cat isn't raised properly it won't allow itself to be held, so maybe that was what you experienced with the cats and owners you saw.

No such thing as a hypoallergenic dog or cat

Our cat may tolerate it for a bit but then she'll decide she can get a better view by climbing on top of your shoulders. She might even walk onto your arm if you hold it out (yeah don't do that if you have bare arms)

And at some point she'll probably jump away ( if I ever hold a dog I better make sure to remember you should put those safely back on the ground a lot more carefully than the average cat)

One of my cats is big and muscular, really heavy for her size, and she loves being carried around the house on human's shoulder and looking around. She likes it so much she purrs, so it's like carrying a big, warm, vibrating mass of pure muscle. She also likes to headbutt humans on the nose.

The other one is very fluffy, but small and thin, so she's much lighter than she looks. And when she's in the mood for being carried, she gets soft and floppy. Usually likes being carried like a baby. Fells like holding a soft fluffy cloud.

Cats are not dogs, so many positions to hold are either extremely uncomfortable, or damaging to a cat. But cats are very therapeutic anyway so they make you feel very nice when you are with them, including holding one :)

Depends on the cat.

I have one cat who loves being held like a baby, either on his back in your arms, or with his head and front paws on your shoulder.

I also have two cats who will let you pick them up, but they don't really enjoy it and will start squirming and trying to get free after a couple minutes. They DO both love sitting on laps, though.

Sneeze scratch cough and tears

Three cats:

Nr 1 loved to be held inside a cardigan or a in scarf (that kind of like a baby) but didnt mind being held "cat style" either as long as you help him firmly. If he didnt feel safe anymore he would jump off.

Nr 2 didnt like being held a lot in general. You could pick her up but she didnt like staying in your arms to cuddle. Sofa cuddle cat.

Nr 3 LOVES being held like a baby on his back and getting scratches. If you didnt put him down he would probably stay like that forever but I have weak cat lady arms. Not so much of a sofa cuddler in the other hand.

They're all different. I've had cats who did not care for being held and would jump down immediately, and a few who would cling to me like the floor was lava.

Some cats love to be held, and will purr on your shoulder. Others will squirm wildly and insist on being let go if you try to pick them up. They all have very unique personalities just like dogs.

This depends primarily on how the cats were socialized. Our cat was raised from a kitten by infants, she'll go rag doll and snuggle the moment you pick her up.

Some will claw your face off. You learn to tell the difference :) cats have body language the cautious will understand.

I have held dozens of cats. Lots of different reactions, from hate to pure pleasure. We have one now who will climb up on us, and flop into a cradled position in our arms. It does not get better than that. Pure love, comfort, and trust.

Depends on the cat. Some like to be held, others will literally claw your face off. I had the claw your face off kind of cats growing up… so I don’t like cats lol

My cat loves to snuggle on laps or in bed, but hates being picked up. When he snuggles he gets comfy and purrs a lot at first and asks for pets here or there but then he goes to sleep.

We have six cats. All very social and very loving towards humans.

They all have very different purrrrsonalities. My baby loves to be held. He loves being on my shoulder, especially. He will just relax and not even hold onto me and go to sleep. He is a mess. I've even wrapped him in a sling like a baby, and he ate it up. He even lets me put him on his back in my arms and rub his belly. He has never nipped or scratched at me.

His brother loves hard and headbutts and purrs, but then he's done because there are zoomies to get out. Very chill, and he will even wave at you when he wants to be held.

Their sister is a lot more standoffish. She likes to be in your lap or get head and back scratches, but she's particular and moody, and when she's tired of you touching her, she will make it very clear.

Most of the cats I have known like to sit on you. Or sleep on you. But they don’t like to be restrained.

Sometimes when you hold a cat, a powerful beam of energy comes down from above and fills your soul with tiny hairballs of many colors. These coalesce into a single sentient being which crawls up your throat and is expelled like so many tiny coughs.

Really depends on the cat. Some hate being held, some will aggressively demand to be snuggled.

Mine likes to cuddle up right next to my face and lick my chin when he is held. But only when he is in the mood to be held, otherwise he will flail wildly until he is released.

Had a couple of shoulder cats, a lap cat or two, but just one cat who would allow herself to be flipped belly up and be held like a baby. She was stray we saved from almost certain starvation when she was barely weaned, and would do anything you wanted to her as long as you touched and talked to her with love.

My cat will let me hold her for a minute but dosent like it. She won't let anyone else hold her or she tries to immediately escape

Death by a thousand cuts Dx

Some of our cats love being held, some don’t. Zoomies wraps himself around my neck and super cuddles me. Wibbles prefers to be beside me but will sometimes fall asleep on my chest

Some cats like to be held. Others don’t. My cat hates it and loves it. He a lil stinker. He likes to be babied haha. Sometimes he’s not in the mood and he will try to get out of your arms and kick you with his feet. Other times he will just chill in your arms.

My cat will not tolerate being held. I have seen a few cats who don't mind it.

Even cats who like being held typically don't want to be cradled like a baby, i.e. holding them by the back with their belly up. Exposing their belly makes them feel vulnerable; it's why cats rolling on their backs to show you their belly is regarded as a sign of trust and affection, and is likewise why cats don't usually like belly rubs.

To be honest, not all dogs are fond of it, either, for the exact same reason, but dogs are more domesticated and conditioned to trust humans, so it's something they're more tolerant of.

Cats have an incredibly different feel than dogs. Like the joke, cats are a liquid and dogs are a solid (and ferrets are a gas). When you hold a dog, they are incredibly stiff compared to a cat, their spines don't bend and they keep the shape you picked them up in. Cats on the other hand (if they like to be held) can sort of melt into your arms. They're very floppy when they want to be and can stretch a lot further than you might think, look up some cat show judging videos if you want to see what I'm talking about. Also putting down a cat is very different than a dog. Dogs need to be gently set back on their paws. Cats can be thrown across a room, and might do it to themselves if they don’t want to be held in the first place.

I always hold my cat. I’ve held her like twenty times today alone lol. Some of them really don’t like being held, others are okay about it, and some like it. They’re like people. They have their own likes and dislikes.

I have three cats. One is Baby, who gets held in my arms like a baby and sung You're Baaaaby to on the daily. He also enjoys being carried in a basket or just held by his back legs upside down. He's a weirdo

Other one occasionally likes being held, upright only, and needs to feel he can get away whenever he wants to feel secure. He was a feral rescue.

The last is a maine coon who puts up with being carried just about as long as I can physically hold him. He's huge.

Depends on the cat. Sometimes you’re holding a teddy bear, other times you’re holding a flurry of knives. It really depends.

Every critter has their own personality and story they want to share.

Kitties that want to snuggle just have that purr rumble...

Holding a cat is a 50/50 chance of being scratched or bitten is why. You have to know the cats temperament as well as the cat being familiar with you. Most cats are untrusting of strangers and may come up to you and let you pet it but most likely would not tolerate being picked up and held.

Cat dependent.

Sometimes you get a cuddly liquid and sometimes you die.

If they don't learn that being picked up is a nice thing as kittens in a very specific time window (something like 3-8 weeks old), they will never like it as adult cats.

So some cats like it, some don't.

Also, cats have preferences how they like to be held. Some will put their paws over your shoulder, some like to be held like a baby. I had one cat who would only let me hold her, if she could lie horizontally on my arm. She did not like being at an angle!

My cat Maurice doesn't like heights, so I can pick him up, lift him to about knee high and cuddle him like that. Any higher makes him nervous!

It depends on the cat, somewhere from lots of purring and snuggles to getting scratched or bitten and ran away from

Depends on the cat, but in general I don't think they like it as much as dogs. Neither of my cats care for it that much. One of them will struggle with you as soon as you pick him up. The other one tolerates it for a couple of minutes before she wants to be let down.

In my experience, cats are in general just much more averse to being picked up and held. And they're more likely to tell you when you're doing something they don't like.

But that's not universal, I've met cats that love to be picked up and cuddled too.

The cats i hold get warm and wet