When it comes to kitty communication, their eyes, ears, and tails aren’t the only way they can tell us how they’re feeling—their bums can too! If your cat lowers their chest and arches their rear end up, it can sometimes be hard to interpret.
“A cat lifting their bum up is also known as lordosis, and it’s an instinctive behaviour many cats exhibit when petted or stroked,” explains Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS, founder of Petlearnia. “The behaviour tends to be more common in females, especially if they had one or more seasons before they were spayed.”
Here’s why cats stick their bum in your face—and what they’re trying to communicate.
Reasons for Cat Lordosis
What’s motivating your kitty’s enthusiastic bum-in-your-face action? More than you might think!
1. They want affection or pets, especially bum scratches
The area at the base of your cat’s tail has clusters of nerve endings. Some cats love how it feels to be petted in that area. It’s similar to cats who like rubbing their cheeks and chin onto their favourite humans—being touched in that area can trigger kitty bliss.
So why stick their bum up in the air? “It’s likely there’s some accidental reinforcement going on,” Dr. Woodnutt explains. “They stick their bums up, we stroke them a bit harder—ta dah! They’re more likely to respond this way next time.”
But not every cat is keen on an above-the-booty scratch. For some, the sensation can be annoying and trigger aggression. It can also cause pain in cats with the skin sensitivity condition feline hyperesthesia. So if your kitty pulls away when you offer a bum scratch, it’s best to let them be.
2. They want your attention on them (not your phone)
If they’re not getting their physical or mental needs met, some cats communicate that through attention-seeking behaviours like jumping onto keyboards, knocking things over, and shoving their bums in your face.
Cats are quick learners. If what they do is rewarded with a reaction from you—even if you’re trying to tell them to stop—they’ll probably keep doing it.
“Some cats might also enjoy the negative reaction they get when they leap up and shove their bums in human faces. We tend to squeal, a noise which many cats find interesting,” Dr. Woodnutt says. “They’ll repeat the behaviour to see if it has the same effect.”
Anna Gorbacheva via iStock
3. They’re in heat
If you have an unspayed female cat, you can expect to witness more enthusiastic displays of lordosis.
Cats are polyestrous, so they go into heat multiple times a year. While most cats have a heat cycle that lasts seven days, they can last for as long as twenty days. This hormone-fueled bum-raising behaviour is one of the hallmark signs of a female cat showing she’s ready to mate.
“When cats mate, the male scratches and bites at the female’s neck, and in return the female raises her bum, presenting it for mating,” Dr. Woodnutt says.
On top of shoving her bum into your face and up at the air, if your unspayed kitty is also erratically rolling around, yowling, and spraying, she’s likely in heat.
4. They trust you & feel safe
“Rear-raising behaviour in cats is a good sign that a cat trusts you,” according to Dr. Amanda Chambers, DVM, Veterinary Consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance. “Cats who do not trust you are going to keep their eyes on you and face you, not present their rear.”
Cats who were well-socialised with humans when they were young are more likely to put their bum in your face as a way to show they trust and love you.
This sign of affection and trust isn’t unique to the way cats interact with their humans, either. In healthy and stable multi-cat homes, Dr. Chambers says you might see your cats putting their bum in each other’s faces as a display of their mutual trust and bond.
5. They’re spreading scents
Cats are very territorial animals, and one of the ways they engage with their environment and communicate with other cats around them is through the pheromones released from the scent glands on their body. Feline scent glands and pheromones can also enhance bonding between cats by creating a community scent.
While your cat’s cheeks and chin are two of the most pheromone-heavy areas on your cat’s body, they’re not the only places they have scent glands. “Cats have lots of scent glands around their bottom, so presenting it is a way for them to recognise and speak to one another,” Dr. Woodnutt says.
So if you sometimes see cats putting their bum in each other’s faces, look out for other positive social and body language behaviours like bunting their heads and slow blinking at each other.
w-ings via iStock
Friendly Versus Wary Bum-Raising Behaviour
While cat lordosis is usually a positive behaviour, it can occasionally be a territorial behaviour, Dr. Chambers says. It can be a red flag that the cat is going to start spraying, or urine marking furniture, doorways, or walls around them.
If they start urine marking human family members, Dr. Chambers says that can actually be a symptom of a UTI or urinary crystals, which is cause for a vet visit.
Other signs that a medical issue, especially a urinary tract one, is causing your cat to stick their bum in your face are changes in litter box habits and energy levels. Look out for yowling, peeing outside of the litter box, straining in the litter box, fixation on licking at their genitals, and lethargy.
Can You Stop Cat Bum-Raising Behaviour?
Although lordosis is generally a positive sign, and it’s okay to give a cat who sticks their bum up a good scratch above their tail, if you’re not a fan of it, you have a few options.
“If it’s bothering you, the best thing you can do is remain neutral or teach a preferred behaviour. Squeals or moving your cat can still reinforce the behaviour, even if we don’t intend to!” Dr. Woodnutt says.
Another way to stop cats from raising their butts is to find out what exactly is motivating the behaviour.
If your cat is unspayed and keeps sticking her bum in your face, your best bet is to keep her inside and get her spayed as soon as possible. This will improve her physical health, like reducing her risks of developing certain types of reproductive system cancers, and help prevent the cat overpopulation crisis.
Suspect the behaviour is attention-seeking? Try adding more essential resources and enrichment to your cat’s environment and working with a feline behaviourist.
Are you noticing other red flags that a medical problem might be at play? A visit to your vet and helpful diagnostic testing can determine if your kitty has an illness that needs treatment.
If all else fails, there’s one final option. “If health issues are ruled out and environmental enrichment and training are not successful, medication can be prescribed to help manage this behaviour,” Dr. Chambers says.
