How to pet a Kitty

1:

Start with a soft chin-scratch.

Use your fingertips or fingernails to gently rub the chin, particularly where the jawbone connects to the skull. It's possible the cat will push into your stroke or jut out her chin, both signs of enjoyment.

2:

Focus on the area between or behind the ears.

Use the pads of your fingers and apply gentle pressure. The base of the ears is another scent-marking spot for cats. If she bumps her head against you (called "bunting"), she's marking you as hers.

3:

Pet the cat's cheeks just behind the whiskers.

If the cat likes this, she may rotate her whiskers forward, effectively asking for more.

4:

Gently run the back of your hand along the side of face.

Once the cat is warmed up, use your middle finger to stroke the cat's "mustache" (just above the upper lips) while encircling her whole face and stroking the top of head with your thumb. The cat is yours.

5:

Stroke the cat from forehead to tail.

Pet the forehead, then run your hand from forehead to the base of tail, going from head to tail repeatedly. Massage her neck muscles by pinching gently. Apply gentle pressure and make it a continuous, slow motion. Work only in one direction (forehead to tail), as some cats do not like back-to-front strokes.

How not to pet a Kitty

1:

Keep your petting from the head to the tail and don't switch directions.

Some cats do not like getting stroked from tail to head. The cute fluff balls will usually flee or become irritated from this motion.

2:

Don't pat the cat.

Some cats enjoy it, but some don't, and if you're not used to being around cats, you're better off not experimenting unless you want to risk a bite or scratch.

3:

Stay away from the tummy!.

When cats are relaxed, they might roll onto their back and expose their belly. Don't always take this as an invitation to rub their tummy, as many cats don't like that at all. This is because in nature cats must be careful to protect themselves from potential predators (as opposed to pups, who are more confident in this regard and love having their bellies scratched). The stomach is a vulnerable area where all the vital organs are located, so lots of cats will instinctively bare teeth and claws if touched here.
Some cats do like it , but they interpret it as an invitation to play rough or wrestle with claw-grabbing and scratching. They'll wrap their claws around your hand or arm, bite it, and scratch at it vigorously with their front and back paws. This is not always an attack; it's how some cats "wrestle."
If a cat grabs you with its paws, hold still and let the cat disengage her claws. If necessary, reach over with your other hand and gently pull the paw back to unhook the claws. Cats often scratch deep when they don't intend to if their claws get stuck. They use claws to hold and grab, so when the message is for you to stop moving your hand, they'll stop if you stop.

4:

Approach the feet with caution.

Don't play with a cat's feet unless you know the cat well and know she likes having her feet played with. Start just by petting the cat to get her relaxed, then ask permission to stroke her feet by touching one foot once with your finger.
If the cat doesn't object, lightly pet that foot with one finger in the direction the fur flows (from wrist toward toes). At any point the cat pulls her foot away, hisses, flattens her ears or walks away, stop.
Many cats don't like their feet handled at all.