Why won't Bella let me pick her up?

[berties mum]

There was me thinking I was the only one who has to wipe fluffy trousers now and again ... OH thinks it's gross but the alternative (when Bertie does that strange shuffling-across-the-floor-wiping-his-bum-on-the-carpet-pose-as-he-goes pose) is worse!!!  Ho ho 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Mosi loves being picked up and carried around, although he is a little less tolerant of it now that he's grown up.  When he was very little I would carry him around a lot.  Being long haired he occasionally gets poo on his fluffy trousers (not very often, thank goodness!) and lets me hold him upside down like a baby in one arm while I wipe his bum with a wipe held in the other hand    Rather fortunate that he likes being picked up!

[Jennbear]

also, if you pick Teddie up he almost goes limp, like he's playing dead in the hope you'll leave him alone. When he's not being picked up he loves to lay for a stroke and a fuss

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Zephnyr likes being picked up as long as he can hang over my shoulder ...like when you wind a baby.  He will NOT under any circumstance being turned over though.  Rossi hisses every time I pick her up ... once up she is fine but obviously much happier on the floor.  Foxy on the other hand is perfectly happy to be carried round constantly ... anything to save doing exercise! LOL

[berties mum]

All these stories make me feel so much better!  i thought Bella was the unusual one but maybe I'm just very lucky with Bertie, who loves being picked up and cuddled ... most of the time ...

[Jennbear]

Tabitha doesn't like being picked up. If you do manage to get hold of her (as soon as you look like you're thinking of picking her up, she's off) she's sits up, really still with a strange look in her eyes, as if to say "if I stay really still she might put me back down!"

hee hee funny moogle 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

My Lulu wont be picked up either.
She likes to stand on you for a little while and likes to give you a lick but thats it 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Lukey isn't overly keen on being picked up either, he will tolerate it now but he looks at me as if to say 'why are you doing this - we were having a lovely cuddle and you spoiled it  '  What I started doing a few months ago was to pick him up for a few seconds and then immediately put him down very gently and at the same time put some of his favourite milky flake um treats in front of him, he started to associate being picked up with a reward so tolerates it now.  Other than that he is ridiculously affectionate and would happily spend 24 hours a day having his tummy rubbed which is not a sign of a fearful cat so I just put it down to his personality.  By contrast his brother would spend most of his day (upside down) in my arms if you let him but it's hard to get much done with a cat in your arms all day 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Jaffa hates being picked up.  So I don't pick him up unless I need to put him in his carrier.  I think it probably has a lot to do with him not being picked up when he was little so he didn't get used to it, but I also think it's his personality as his brother tolerated being picked up much more.  Most cats hate being restrained and when we pick them up they aren't in control.  Jaffa is incredibly affectionate though and loves his cuddles.  So long as I don't try to lift him off the ground!

[Ela]

She loves to sit on laps, loves being stroked and loves to sleep in between me and OH in bed (he's not too keen though!), yet any attempt to pick her up off the ground results in utter panic - she struggles, puts her claws out and wails as if she's being strangled.

I think this is just typical cat behaviour, although I appreciate there will always be exceptions to the rule.

[blackcat]

Most cats hate being picked up. But there are always occasions when, for the cat's own safety you have to be able to do it. Try starting off with tiny lifts, just up and back but only a few inches. Esther was a bit uncomfortable with this when she first arrived, and still does not like it much, but lifts onto laps, then a bit higher, and a bit higher, slowly, calmly and with lots of support so her hind legs are not dangling... They are completely vulnerable when being lifted, so hate it happening until they get used to it.

[jetcleo]

My cat Cleo is like that she is so loving just like your cat but when you pick her up she pulls away from you and sticks claws in.  I can't pick Jet up either so i just let the two of them come to me when they want attention.   Don't think i will want to pick Ralph up when i get him or i'll have a bad back!!!

[Lesley Frankie]

My cat Buster was like that, very affectionate but loathed being held. He was always small enough that I could just do it anyway but he would wriggle and stick his paws in my face and looked very unhappy.  Over time he got better but it did take years and he never really loved it.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think its probably not natural to most cats to be picked up, you have to remember you are only a slave 

Misa hates being picked up and so does Franta...............Misa is too heavy to be picked up really!  I am quite happy for them to cuddle when and if they want, Misa is not a lap cat either but he is learning a bit. Well he walks on and then off 

[berties mum]

Does anyone else have a cat that hates being picked up, but is incredibly affectionate in every other way? Two years (to the day!) after adopting Bella, I still can't pick her up.  She loves to sit on laps, loves being stroked and loves to sleep in between me and OH in bed (he's not too keen though!), yet any attempt to pick her up off the ground results in utter panic - she struggles, puts her claws out and wails as if she's being strangled.  I would understand it better if she wasn't an affectionate or confident cat generally, but she really can't get enough love and attention until someone tries to pick her up.  She was found in a skip when she was three days old and passed from one home to another until I got her at 5 months, but was never abused to my knowledge.  Any ideas?  I always thought that she'd get used to being picked up if I tried it often enough, but I'm losing hope somewhat after 2 years!!!