Would you mind if strangers stroked and petted your cat?

[lookingforwardtoautumn2]

I go for a lot of walks and love cats, so when I see one I can’t resist calling them over and giving them a fuss (if they come to me that is).

But is this something that would annoy the owners? I don’t feed them.

My DH has been "working" the cat that lives over the back, which refuses to be patted. We both adore cats and he loves a challenge. He finally got his hands on her a couple of nights ago.

JWs can be very persuasive ;)

My snooty, don't touch me unless I really want it cat.....loves going out the front and rolling around for the neighbours to pet like she is a cuddle monster!! She is a tart (in the voice of Ma Boswell. If you are old enough to get that reference!).

So sorry your cat was abducted. What a horrible thing for someone to do. 😢

I hope not. I love seeing strange cats and giving them some fuss.
However, I do feel really put out when I am rejected by a cat

I’d much prefer strangers be kind to my cat. Also; they should consider themselves most honoured should she approach them as she is VERY discerning.

My cat won't go to people he knows except for my niece and sister so flirting with strangers won't happen. He does go over to a neighbours house, sits in her garden most of the day, has snuck in her house and scoffed her cat's food and recently has perfected an I'm starving and feel sorry for me look. My neighbour isn't falling for that and grasses him up to me about everything he gets up to.

There are several cats that I make a detour to see on my walks. My favourite one lives a couple of miles out of my way. He is absolutely gorgeous and his owners once caught me cooing over him and seemed puzzled when I told them how much I love him.
I only ever kiss cats whose names I know though 😻

Cats won't be converted by JWs - they're all practicising Catholics...

Our cat won't even let us stroke him so good luck to anyone else who wants to try.

I love it when I see men petting cats. The harder looking the man the better.

Just look up roadmen and cats on socials for your daily serotonin boost!

YouTube is full of big men who ‘hated cats’, whose OH got a cat and now they are totally besotted with the least beasts… 😻

Both my cats are floozies and will drop, flop and roll for anyone. I watch people taking photos of them. I once thought there’s been a bicycle accident outside my house as there were 20 cyclists blocking the road…it was one of my cats.

one of my cats has chased people who won’t pet them!

They get loads of love and pets at home. Honest!

Not at all - providing that you are being a general nice human being to them - which I mean, you would like to think most are! - and respecting if they don’t want affection and not feeding them just in case owners don’t want them fed then not a problem. I like the thought of my cat being their own little part of the neighbourhood and other people taking care of and loving on them.

Oh it really lifts my day if I come across a friendly cat who lets me give them a stroke. And I'll always say hello to any cat when I'm out and about.

My cats wouldn’t go near a stranger and I’m glad that they don’t. While I don’t have a problem with friendly people petting them, there are weirdos about who will hurt a cat. It worries me when I see cats approach strangers. Humans, as a whole, are not to be trusted unfortunately.

This is mine on a walk with me looking for his adoring public. He demands scritches.

My ex DH worked in a quarry and brought home a tiny kitten, as did each of the other hard men who worked there, when feral mother cat ran in fear of blasting .
Kitten lived out her natural life with us.

No of course not. My cat makes up her own mind over who gets to pet her. Her policy is “safety first” so I doubt too many randoms get a look in. She has a very tiny VIP list which takes a long while to get on! 😀

You can fuss them all you like but you might get a smack for your troubles depending on which cat you’re fussing 🤣

Mine runs up to people and shouts at them until they pet him. I hear “what a beautiful cat” drifting through the window several times a day. Slightly worried someone might steal him but I’m fairly sure they would bring him back when they realise how annoying he is to live with, unless they were deaf. His favourite week of the year is our local festival when literally thousands of people wander round here (in his mind) to look at him.

Random cats on the pavement who let you make a fuss of them are a public health service - the mental health equivalent of the defibrillators that have appeared in public places.

I never pass up a chance to stroke a cat. I so much enjoy imagining that it is being affectionate rather than using me as an instrument of its hedonism

As a PP said, its the cat's decision whether to get involved. Not the owner's. If it was the owner's decision, then I think that, logically, the owner would have to acknowledge that it is also their decision when the cat poos in my garden.

There is a notoriously grumpy, tiny little cat who lives up the road from us. Touch her and you risk losing a finger. I had to move her out of the middle of the road three times last week when she was refusing to move for cars. She was not best pleased with me, I beat a hasty retreat before she went for my ankles.

My parents live half way up a hill that is a popular route to walk home for a local school kids. There used to be a cat that lived near the bottom, who would sit on the wall at school closing time and enjoy the fuss from the steady stream of kids.
Of course, after a while it would get overstimulated and would run off. Sometimes, it would stay and just smack the kids instead.
One time, my little brother came home crying. He had stopped to pet the cat, and it had grabbed him on his temples, and bitten his forehead. He didn't even need to explain much as you could tell by the scratches what had happened.

No, it wouldn’t bother me. Cats are independent, and if they don’t like someone they will soon run off.

One of my cats is hugely friendly and a big hit with local children. I don't mind him being fussed but I do worry it makes him vulnerable to people with ill intent.