Belphie is in constant need of mental stimulation, so there's not really a wrong way to interact with him. you can pick him up, flip him about, and put down him down facing the opposite direction, and he'll just go "hey, that was novel!" and approach you for it again.
meanwhile I have to tell people "if you approach Pangur respectfully and hold out your hand for her to sniff, she will scratch you and draw blood. please just let her lurk in the corner and stare at you."
We have Tinkerbell, and Tinkerbell has a psychological problem. She truly, desperately, wildly wants you to pet her and if she realizes you're about to pet her, the anticipation of the act overwhelms her tiny mind, causing a display of petting aggression that involves teeth as soon as she is touched.
Tinkerbell is also very soft. Petting her is a gift from the gods. It's just that you have to disregard her boundaries and all rules about petting cats. Just walk up and get the hell in there, no warnings, no offering her your hand. Don't give her the time to psych herself up.


















