Agree with you. If you want to pet a cat you HAVE to learn their body language. You either would scare them away, or learn it the hard way. I've aways thought cats are actually pretty great way to teach consent.

And you have to respect the fact it's super unintuitive 😂. Community cat here would come running towards me the second I make eye contact. But once I tried petting it when it was resting on a scooter. Immediately got hissed at. Never did it again.

A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.

-Mark Twain

That's a good thought.