August 20, 2024, 9:37 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Cats lick have a great fondness for grooming themselves for hours on end. They sometimes do this to their humans, too, which is why many people ask themselves: Why does my cat lick me? PETBOOK editor and cat owner Louisa Stoeffler knows there may be several reasons for this.
It is an activity that is as firmly integrated into a cat’s daily routine as eating or sleeping: long and extensive licking. Also known as “cat grooming,” a term that might suggest a quick or superficial clean, the grooming behavior of cats is anything but brief or cursory. Quite the opposite: cats attach great importance to their daily grooming and always wash themselves very thoroughly. In fact, some cats – including my cat Remo – habitually include their owners in their grooming routine. But why does my cat lick me? And when should you do something about the behavior?
Reasons why cats lick their humans
Several possible explanations exist for why a cat’s rough tongue suddenly runs over an owner’s hand, face, or hair. Cats are generally very social animals and want to express something specific by grooming us.
Affection
Grooming is a social act in feline communication. If you keep several cats that get along well, you can often see them grooming each other. Cats that feel comfortable with their humans often extend this activity to their humans, too. If cats lick your fingertips during stroking, this shows their affection for you and desire to express it.
Trust
In general, grooming is a moment of pure bliss for cats. They do this especially when they feel comfortable and trust that they will not be disturbed or have to defend themselves. If they also do this with their owners, it proves they feel safe and trust us.
Spreading pheromones
Cats frequently spread their pheromones by rubbing against objects or people, effectively marking them. They also do this by licking their owner. They don’t do this because they want to mark territory but rather because they are trying to mask other odors or create a community scent.
For example, if you have stroked another animal or brought strange smells into the home, the cat will want to remove or mask them. The close contact results in an exchange of pheromones, particularly intense for them if you have sweated a little. The pheromones and salts in our sweat provide a genuine source of enjoyment for cats to lick and sniff.
Food odors
Cats have a much finer sense of smell than taste. This means they can still smell some food odors, which are absorbed when cooking and eating, even when we no longer perceive them.
A fried steak still smells delicious to cats when it has long since been eaten. Reaching into a bag of potato chips can also trigger a sense of euphoria in many cats. Many are excited by the intense smells of fat and spices emanating from the bag and human fingers. When licking the hand, there is now a good chance of getting hold of a few crumbs. Therefore, this behavior is advantageous for the cat.
Comforting and reducing stress
Cats groom each other when they notice a social group member is sad or stressed. This behavior can also be transferred to humans. However, animals sometimes do this because they are stressed, which calms them down to groom someone else.
Attention
Cats learn a lot through positive reinforcement. Once they have licked their owners and received a reaction in return – be it just a laugh or a scratch – the behavior is rewarding for them, and they will show it more often. However, it can also signify that the animal generally wants more attention.
Why is the cat licking my hair?
When cats lick their owners’ hair, their own grooming routine is again behind it. The human’s head smells interesting, and many odors and pheromones are trapped in the hair throughout the day. However, many owners find it rather unpleasant when their cat cleans their hair.
This can also have health consequences for the animal. For example, suppose you regularly use hair products that contain chemicals. In that case, the animal may develop digestive problems or mild symptoms of poisoning as a result of intensive brushing of human hair.
There is also a risk, especially with long hair, that the animal will swallow loose hair. Cats then have to regurgitate this with their own hairballs. Or they end up in the litter tray. It’s not unusual for individual long hairs to be strung along the cat feces, which resembles a string of pearls. However, if the ingested hair is too long and the cat cannot dislodge it, this can sometimes result in an unpleasant surprise at the cat’s rear.
Why does the cat lick me first and then bite?
Sometimes, cats lick people first and then bite them. There can be various reasons for this. Small cats that their mother is grooming sometimes don’t feel like grooming and would rather play. In this case, the adult animal bites lightly to show the little one that it is now cleaning time and not playtime. Thus, twitching when the cat begins grooming may trigger this reflex in the animal.
Cats can also often be seen biting their fur lightly when grooming. Here, they use their small front teeth to loosen knots in their fur and then brush it smooth. This is another reflex that could explain why cats first lick and then bite people, especially when they lick hairy areas such as the arms.
Can cats transmit diseases by licking?
Many owners don’t mind if their cats sometimes lick them; others find it rather unhygienic. In fact, cats can carry parasites or other pathogens, especially if they are outdoor cats, but these are rarely harmful to humans. You should, therefore, have your pet dewormed and vaccinated regularly. If your cat tends to groom you frequently and you want to allow this, you can wash away the residual spit with soap and water afterward.
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Can I prevent the cat from licking me?
As a rule, cats lick your hands or hair to show they like and trust you. You can return the favor by brushing or stroking the animal. This signifies to the cat that its social behavior is desired and positively valued. As a rule, this is normal animal behavior and occurs less frequently than with dogs, for example.
But what steps can I take if the grooming becomes excessive and I prefer not to be licked by the cat? When does the behavior indicate a problem? Disturbances in cats’ cleaning behavior can occur, but these usually relate to the animal itself.
However, if you don’t want to encourage the cat’s behavior, you should distract the animal when it starts grooming the owner or simply move away. Sometimes, it is enough to take your hand away so that the cat understands that you do not want to be groomed. The behavior can also be positively reinforced by giving a treat instead of a cleaning routine.
If the animal constantly tries to lick you even in the most impossible situations, such as at night, you need to take action. Cats sometimes groom themselves and others compulsively until bald patches appear in their fur. In such cases, seeking guidance from a veterinarian or a feline behavior specialist is advisable.