Honestly I think the cat is just being a cat, they let you know if something is bothering them or if they want something. Also cats don’t really have facial expressions so telling from looks is hard, but if you around a cat enough you can get a feel. Also you can trust a cat to get up and leave if the want to ( if they feel safe)

To be fair, cats are big on consent, and they make it clear when they do or do not want to be petted

That’s a wild bus factor though