There may be several reasons for this behavior. Most often, this is how she shows her love for her owner. Females lick their kittens, thereby ridding them of foreign odors and taking care of them. Therefore, when a cat licks a person, it thus shows its affection for him and “helps” get rid of what it considers foreign odors. After all, for them this is a very important and intimate moment in hygiene. According to another theory, by licking the owner’s fingers, she tries to attract attention to herself and begs for the next portion of delicacy.
Reasons for the unusual cat habit
Any animal is attached to its owner. It is generally accepted that cats are loners by nature, loving to “stand their ground.” But not everyone should be considered that way. Cats, like people, have different personalities. Some animals absolutely cannot do without their owner and start licking him for an hour.
The main reasons why a cat licks a person are:
- thermoregulation;
- reaction to odors;
- expression of love;
- maternal instincts;
- dominant or passive behavior;
- lack of attention;
- diseases.
Everyone knows that a cat’s body temperature is much higher than a human’s. It is almost 39 degrees. Due to this, cats are extremely thermophilic and require large amounts of heat to warm their bodies. The human body emits a huge amount of heat, which is very attractive to your pet.
Many owners notice that cats prefer to lie down and start licking exactly the place where pain occurs in humans. This is explained by the fact that the diseased organ produces increased heat, which in turn is greatly preferred by representatives of the cat family.
Cats have always been attracted to different smells. For example, they love the smell coming from human hair. Especially after washing your hair. The cat perceives hair as “fur” on humans, so it licks it.
To avoid additional “washing” of your hair, it is recommended to use citrus-scented shampoos. You can also distract your pet from licking with food or toys.
The reason why a cat licks its owner can also be explained as follows . While being in close proximity to a person, the pet experiences such a pleasant feeling of comfort and calm.
If a pet shows an active interest in the child in the house, then it is likely that she perceives the human child as her own. The mother cat is always nearby and constantly licks her babies. For this reason, a “dose” of washing and sleeping in an embrace with a “furry mommy” in such a situation are provided to the child without fail.
In order to avoid some discomfort during sleep, the cat owner is not recommended to accustom her pet to sleep with people. It is important to note that if the animal has not undergone the procedure of castration or sterilization, but has not produced offspring, cats exhibit false maternal instincts. Cats may experience hormonal imbalances. Therefore, it is important for owners who do not plan to breed offspring to resolve this issue in a timely manner.
Persistent licking of the owner's hands or face can be a kind of signal for help for various diseases in the animal . For example, it may be bothered by parasites in its fur, so it becomes restless and licks not only itself, but also people. If you suspect any disease, it is better not to start self-medication, but to consult a specialist.
Licking a person due to lack of attention
Cats deprived of attention will strive to take out their anger on objects in the apartment, and repeated refusals can lead to a complete loss of trust, which will be very difficult to restore. Some aggressive cats may even bite their owner.
A sign of an invitation to groom a cat is:
- ears pressed to the back;
- nose pokes in the hand;
- and licking of hands and face.
Sometimes this causes the pet to lie flat on the floor or other surfaces. In addition, the cat can lick the face, demonstrating its affection for the owner. Usually the animal itself turns to the owner with a certain part of its body, showing exactly where it should be scratched.
The most pleasant areas for scratching in cats are the forehead and ears. It is more correct to scratch the forehead against the grain, and the ears at the base, gently pulling. Some animals allow their owner to scratch their belly, and many enjoy scratching during shedding. You should not make small intermittent movements, as the pet will receive greater pleasure from continuous combing - from head to tail.
Many animals begin to emit a gentle purr when scratched. Such sounds are confirmation that the pet is experiencing pleasure, and grooming should continue.
As a sign of affection, cats lick the owner's face and hands. You can start scratching your cat without calling him. You should extend your hand in his direction and scratch 10 centimeters from him. If your pet, with its ears flattened, approaches your hand and licks it, this is a good sign. It means the call for grooming has been accepted.
Dominant and passive behavior
Domestic cats are capricious animals; their wild ancestors lived in their natural habitat. Dominant behavior of a cat is shown by grooming (licking). Sometimes an animal licks another individual, this is how cats demonstrate their high position in the pack. Also, dominant cats can signal others to lick themselves, and in this case this is interpreted as a command. Therefore, when a pet uses signs to invite its owner for grooming, you should not ignore the pet’s demands.
Passive behavior, on the contrary, is characteristic of those animals that, for some reason, experience stress and anxiety. In this case, this behavior, when the cat licks the owner, occurs due to forced submission. Often, after such a seemingly calm licking of hands, unexpected bites from the pet may follow.
In general, licking the owner's hands or face is normal. An alarming factor may be the case when such loving behavior from a pet has not previously been observed. If all this is additionally accompanied by changes in behavior - refusal to eat or active games, you should consult a specialist.
There may be several reasons for this behavior. Most often, this is how she shows her love for her owner. Females lick their kittens, thereby ridding them of foreign odors and taking care of them. Therefore, when a cat licks a person, it thus shows its affection for him and “helps” get rid of what it considers foreign odors. After all, for them this is a very important and intimate moment in hygiene. According to another theory, by licking the owner’s fingers, she tries to attract attention to herself and begs for the next portion of delicacy.
What to do if your cat is constantly licking
Having noticed that the cat has begun to lick and scratch almost all the time, and this is no longer simple self-care, the owner first of all needs to examine his pet for fleas. If fleas are not found, you need to remember whether one cat food was changed to another, whether a new shampoo was used, and whether any plant bloomed in the house.
A cat that scratches itself until it bleeds, licks itself and shakes its head frequently is most likely suffering from one of the skin diseases. You need to take her to the vet immediately. It will not be possible to make a diagnosis on your own, since scratching can be accompanied by many pathologies.
At the veterinary clinic, scrapings will be taken from the cat and microscopic and bacteriological studies will be carried out on their basis. They will allow you to identify fungal spores (if microsporia and trichophytosis occur) or mites (if demodicosis, sarcoptic mange or notoedrosis are present).
If the veterinarian suspects hormonal disorders, he may refer you for a blood test and, based on the results, will conduct an examination of the cat’s endocrine system.
How to break your pet's habit
When an owner is annoyed by such excessive attention from his cat, there are several ways to try to get rid of this habit:
- A game. By switching attention to entertainment and giving your pet an outlet for energy, you can relieve her for a while from the desire to lick something or someone.
- Weasel. If the problem is stress or lack of attention, you need to pet and hug the animal more often, and the problem will disappear soon.
- Change of interests. Apply a special solution – catnip – to your pet’s toys. It is sold in pet stores. Its scent will attract the cat's attention.
- Refusal. If your pet's behavior becomes overly intrusive, every time he tries to lick him, you need to gently but decisively push him away and make it clear that this is not worth doing. After some time, the method will work and the cat will stop trying.
- Substitution for another item. Buy a fur mitten and put it on your hand every time you try to lick your fingers. After time, attention will switch to the object, and the owner will no longer be needed.
It is worth remembering that such behavior of a pet can be due to a whole range of different reasons and there is no need to get angry or scold him for it. After all, with such behavior the cat does not want to cause harm, but is simply trying to attract the owner’s attention to his person or show love.
Symptoms of diseases
There are cases when licking people is a desire to draw attention to the pet’s health problems, and not a show of love or a request for affection. These may be diseases or conditions such as:
- Skin parasites, including fleas. The cat worries not only about itself, but also about the people around it, and is trying to get rid of the problem.
- Allergy. If feeding is incorrect or the food is changed, skin problems can occur, which leads to excessive licking of yourself and those around you.
- Disturbances in general health. By licking frequently, the animal tries to signal that something is wrong with it. It is important to notice changes in behavior and contact a veterinarian promptly.
- Infectious diseases. Some of them cause itching and rashes on the skin, which irritates the pet and he tries to get rid of it in this way.
Cat licks after sterilization
Cats always take special care to lick any slightest damage to the skin, be it a sore, wound or suppuration. And sterilization is a full-fledged operation, so the pet will definitely try to lick this wound, even through a blanket. As the postoperative scar heals, it begins to itch very much, and you want to scratch it furiously. All this can be disastrous for the cat and lead to serious complications. Therefore, it is recommended that the cat be given a surgical collar for ten days after surgery.
Main reasons
Cats are one of the most independent and self-sufficient pets you can keep at home. Some people periodically feel like they are the ones living with their animal, and not the other way around, they behave so proudly. Therefore, when pets start licking their hands, many people want to think that this is only because of strong love and affection. However, this is not entirely true; there are also other reasons for this.
Expressing affection and care
This behavior is one of the main reasons for licking the head, hands, face, and hair of its owner. A cat avoids people who, for one reason or another, are unpleasant to them. This could be a smell, a neglectful or rude attitude towards an animal, and many others. Therefore, if a pet shows sympathy in this way, there is no need to scold or drive him away. This behavior will cause the animal to lose trust. When it becomes uncomfortable from prolonged licking with a rough and wet tongue, you should not drive the cat away, but divert his attention to a treat or toy.
Treatment
The veterinarian prescribes treatment not that concerns the itching, but that concerns the very cause of the disease. The course of treatment consists of taking medications and includes both local and internal medications. Depending on the cause of the disease, the veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics, antihistamines (to eliminate allergies), and antifungals.
If scabies and redness of the skin are caused by an allergy to food or hygiene products, their use will have to be stopped and the food replaced with another, in general, to get rid of all allergens.
Taking care of hygiene
Well, of course, when licking a person, a cat tries to clean his “skin”, just as she is used to caring for her kittens. In the wild, a strong smell can give away an animal and attract an enemy. To destroy it, the cat will carefully lick hands washed with scented soap or neck or hair scented with shampoo.
Cleansing a person from sharp, unpleasant or alien aromas, the cat exchanges its pheromones with the owner, so that the person, even at a distance, feels an emotional connection with his pet and does not forget about him.
