As a cat owner, you may have experienced your feline friend licking your hands, legs or even face. While it might seem like an affectionate gesture, have you ever wondered why cats lick us? In this blog post, we will explore the reasons behind this behavior.
Grooming
One of the primary reasons why cats lick humans is to groom them. Cats are known for their exceptional grooming habits and spend a significant amount of time cleaning themselves daily. When they groom us, they perceive us as part of their family and want to ensure that we are clean too.
Affection
Cats also show their love and affection through licking. If your cat licks you frequently on the face or head, it’s likely that they’re trying to display fondness towards you. It’s a sign that they trust and feel comfortable around you.
Marking Territory
Another reason why cats’ lick is due to scent marking behavior. Cats possess scent glands in their paw pads, cheeks, chin and anus which secrete pheromones – chemical signals used by animals to communicate with one another. By licking humans (or other pets), cats transfer these pheromones onto our skin as if claiming ownership over us.
Stress Reduction
Licking has been found to have calming effects in both humans and animals alike; so when our furry friends start licking themselves or us excessively when apprehensive or anxious – similar behaviors can be seen with dogs regarding separation anxiety from owners – it could be interpreted as self-soothing behavior.
Attention Seeking
Lastly but not limitedly – especially true for kittens! – excessive licking at times can indicate attention-seeking behaviors such as hunger pangs while waiting for feeding time.
In conclusion…
So there we have it: some possible explanations behind why cats lick people! Whether grooming us out of familial concern or displaying affection towards those whom they deem worthy enough just like any animal would do… rest assured that all in all, it’s a sign of the bond between cat and person!
