Why do cats like to lick people?

Oct 28,2023
6Min

1. Help you clean your body. After the kitten is born, the mother cat will lick the kitten with a rough tongue. The kitten learns the skill of using the tongue to clean the body from the mother cat, so the cat may lick you to help you clean the body and groom the hair. Cats will help their trusted partners clean, which is a sign of trust in you.

2. Express love. Licking represents an act of caressing and intimacy. Cats not only learn to clean their bodies with their tongues from their mother cats, but also understand that licking is an expression of love. His licking behavior toward you is an intimate expression of affection.

3. Covering the smell and possessiveness. In order to show their ownership of cats, cats will let the people they are close to smell their own scent. For example, cats have glands on their cheeks, and they will rub against objects or people to leave behind their scent. The saliva left behind by licking people is also a scent mark. Cats mark their territory with scent on their tongues to warn others not to approach or invade.

4. Looking for memories. After kittens are weaned, they will look for memories of the comfort and security of sucking milk from their mother cat.

5. Maybe because of anxiety. When cats feel stressed or anxious, they will engage in uncontrollable and compulsive grooming behavior. They will lick cloth, plastic, and people to relieve stress. If the owner notices that the cat is licking excessively, the owner needs to find out the cause of the cat's anxiety and consult a veterinarian.

6. Maybe you really smell good. The salt, certain trace elements or oils in human sweat will make cats feel "scented". Some creams will also attract cats, but they are harmful to cats. Be careful not to let cats lick them.

7. A way of socializing. Cats will lick each other, such as the top of the head, ears and other places that are difficult for cats to lick themselves. This is a friendly interaction. Cat licking you is a way to deepen your connection and is an interactive form of social interaction.

8. I hope you will play with it. If the owner is too busy and ignores the cat, it will come over to lick you and rub you to attract your attention and want you to play with it.

9. Obtain information. Cats will lick the owner's scent to learn where the owner has been and what he has done today. The cat wants to know if you have hugged other cats outside. If so, the cat will smell it and may Angry at you.

10. It is sick. If your cat licks your hands and feet, it may be because he is sick. Because cats cannot speak, when they feel unwell, they will lick to attract your attention, hoping that you will notice something is wrong with them.

11. Comfort you. If you are unhappy or angry, a cat licking you means to express comfort. Cats hope to make you happy by licking them. You can pet the cat's head to relieve stress and relieve uneasiness.

12. The cat is hungry. If a cat licks you during meal time, it is trying to remind you that it is time to feed you. If your catIf he licks you very enthusiastically, you should check to see if the food bowl and water bowl are empty.

The meaning of cats licking different places:

1. Licking your hand. When a cat licks or bites the owner's hand, it is a sign that the cat is hungry or greedy and wants food from the owner. If the owner often feeds the cat delicious food with his hands, the cat will develop a conditioned reflex.

2. Licking your face. It is definitely not accidental for a cat to lick your face or even your lips. It is a way for the cat to express its love to you. When a cat is young, the female cat will often lick it like this. The cat feels very comfortable and surrounded by love when it is licked like this.

3. Frequently lick a certain part of yourself. If your cat licks a certain part frequently, the owner needs to check in time to see if that part of the cat is injured. If it is not injured, the cat is feeling scared and anxious.

4. Frequent licking of the vagina. If the cat licks for a long time and the vagina is abnormally colored or there is a large amount of discharge or pus, it means that the vagina may be inflamed.

5. Licking excrement. If your cat likes to lick its excrement, it is likely that it is suffering from pica due to a lack of trace elements. The urine contains nutrients such as minerals, proteins, and sugars.

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