Cats have been living with humans for several centuries, and in this time, they have lost many of the skills they used to survive in the wild, and developed new behaviors. One of these newfound traits in the feline character was human licking. Let’s take a closer look at why does my cat lick my face.
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Why do cats lick their owner’s face?
When a cat licks its owner’s face, it can indicate two things. Firstly, she looks after the owner, considering him a big cat who does not know how to take care of herself and provide proper care. Another reason – the desire to mark the owner as property. In a group of cats, licking is known to help create a shared scent that allows group members to be recognized.
Top main reasons why cat licks their owner
Identification & communication
In the first place why cats lick people, there is a communication factor. Their body has special glands that produce odorous substances. At the same time, the tail glands are responsible for substances that carry group information, and the head glands are more individual. Thus, by licking the owner, they leave fresh marks identified by special odors.
Expression of affection
The theme of pheromones continues. Animal psychologists attribute our attachment to furry creatures to the presence of these substances. Licking the owner, and then, wiping his muzzle, the animal applies its own smell, thereby designating the person as “its own”. This is how a caring mother cat takes care of the children she takes care of.
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Hygiene
This reason follows logically from the previous one – obviously, the cat is interested in the fact that the creature that she loves so much would be like her as clean and tidy. In addition, this helps cats to protect the owner from a potential enemy.
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Manipulation
In some cases, licking a person with a cat may indicate a desire to play, or an attempt to hint that it would be nice to treat her with something tasty.
The remedy for boredom is a lack of impressions, a way to have fun. This is why cats lick their lips when touching people – it turns out they expect an emotional reaction!
Cure for stress
Fluffy tongue massages the skin and promotes the production of endorphins. And the cat’s coat contains a substance that normalizes mental balance. Licking its skin, the cat also takes care of the person when he feels that he urgently needs to calm down.
