We tend to believe that when cats lick us, they display their fondness. Cat kisses can be endearing and cute. Your feline can lick you for a variety of causes. Sometimes it’s to display affection and love, and at other times it is because of an underlying clinical problem. But is that truly accurate, particularly when being constantly licked by your cat’s tongue that feels irritating and uncomfortable to your skin? To correct this disturbing behavior, it’s crucial to know exactly why your feline is continuously licking you. Below are the 6 most common causes why your cat licks your face.
Your cat is fearful
Licking may symbolize a banishment behavior, which is an attitude that a cat conducts to relieve anxiety. Anxiety more commonly directs to exaggerated self-grooming, but the cat’s licking may be honest toward you, too. Specify if there are any motives for licking you, like loud noises or guests in your residence. If your feline’s distress is left untreated, the licking may move forward to an obsessional attitude, at which level the licking controls your cat’s life. When a cat is particularly anxious, it may start licking you compulsively. That’s a nice indication that it wants to be cuddled or petted to lessen your cat’s anxiety. If your feline seems to lick you incessantly, begin giving it more affection and attention to calm her.
Territorial marking
Cats utilize feline facial pheromone or FFP to signify their territory. At the same time, most individuals believe that cats conduct scent marking by peeing on things. But they also can mark their area in other manners. Rubbing their heads and licking are ways for kitties to mark you as a member of their territory affectionately. Mother felines lick their kitties to define her kittens as belonging to her, and your feline does the same to warn the world that you are hers. When your feline rubs or licks against you, it restates that they consider you an important part of their life and prefer all the other kitties to know. You may see that sometimes other felines try to avoid you because they sense that you belong to another feline.
When the kitty accepts you as a part of its family
When your feline licks you, it can indicate that they are trying to acquaint you to groom yourself. It’s a recollection your kitty had from being licked by his mother and is a true indication of fondness. Felines also lick each other to tranquilize them. They are very conscious of the mood of their owner, so you might discover your cat is more cheerful when you’re sick or stressed. Cats are trying to calm your distress the exact way you would please your feline if they looked anxious.
Cat’s behavior |
Reason |
| Sniffing owner’s face | They do it to commit your fragrance to memory. It enables them to build familiarity and trust, |
| Rubbing cheeks on everything | When a feline rubs its cheeks on the door, furniture, etc., it means it is marking its area. |
| Slow blink | By blinking, your cat shows you that they are enjoying your company and happy in your presence. |
| Head-butts | It is a loving and friendly gesture between human and cat and means your feline is in the manner to be social. |
Your cat is seeking attention
If your feline is feeling lonely or bored, it may begin licking you to get your attention. Periodically, the licking implies that it just wants to play or to be touched. Nonetheless, in other cases, the compulsive skin licking could be an indication of separation stress. Unnecessary stress-induced licking, whether it’s cleaning your face or cleaning yourself, may imply that your cat is stressed. If it’s given to the fact that the licking is different from day-to-day life, you must plan a health exam with your veterinarian.
Your feline has a medical problem
Your feline may lick you due to a clinical issue. Discomfort, pain, or nausea can direct to licking. It also may be a sign of a medical issue such as a digestive or oral disorder. Or, the skin of your cat might itch because of grass pollen or trees. They may also lick if they are in discomfort from a circumstance dubbed anal sac impaction, an infection, or swelling of their anal glands. Pests, like tapeworms or fleas, may direct to licking as well. If you notice any fleas or tapeworms in your cat’s skin, use Rolf Club 3D FLEA Collar for Cats to get rid of these pests.
Your cat likes your taste.
Your feline may lick your face or hair to analyze interesting odors or scents, like a shampoo, appetizing lotion, or another topical item. You may come in touch with something or drop something that leaves a remainder on your skin, and your feline loves the way it smells. Our perspiration also contains salts and sugar that your feline may find interesting. The spill on your arm or the salt of your sweat, your feline, maybe licking you because it likes the taste.
Signs of affection
In a similar way that you display love to your feline by massaging it, your feline may try to give back the service by licking you. Cats particularly will utilize licking as a way to reduce the tension the way we might utilize hugs. If your cat companion likes to lick you, it possibly signifies it would want some tenderness in return. Which, certainly, is one of the nicest parts of having a feline. Both licking and petting are forms of tenderness to her. Since your cat can’t massage you, it licks you instead. The cat is clueless that its tongue might hurt you.
The bottom line
While the causes behind your cat licking you are gladsome, and its checkered past as a kitty deprived of sufficient suckling is awful, none of that can make your face feel any nicer if it begins to truly move to town on it. When your cat’s licking gets to be too much, offer it a little cat rub to get deeper than fur rubbing. Or, if any other part of your body can utilize some exfoliation, divert your kitty there. But don’t punish or reprimand your cat for committing what comes normally. Throwing a balled-up paper or distracting it with a catnip toy across the space is a much nicer way of handling her. Your cat needs to understand that you know.
