When your cat does this to you, it is like giving a hug and kiss in greeting a friend. I know this behavior all too well. One is to recognize when your cat is reaching that point. He absolutely continues to lick my hand sometimes, simultaneously while I’m petting him, and in these instances I wholeheartedly believe it’s a part of how he socializes with me and shows me affection. Check out how to calm down a kitten when they’re hyper. If so, that's adorably cute. Your cat may be sniffing your face to greet you just as they would sniff the faces of their fellow cats. When they sniff you, it means they are very much interested in your scent, and like what they are smelling. I have no idea if this is a common thread at all with cats who like to lick, however. Sometimes the licking with Bjorn got to be a little too much for me to be happy. What she really enjoys is leaning on me where ever I ‘am, my vet said this is how she shows affection. Cats (and dogs) operate of their sense of smell. Older cats may be particularly prone to this action. It's cute anyway. What Can I Do? I’d recommend having a “trigger word” like I’ve used “Thank you” to tell your cat what he or she’s doing isn’t naughty, but you’re ready for him or her to stop. While different cultures prefer a hand shake, cheek kisses or even a bow, cats use nose touching to say hello. They vocalize their feelings with meows, purrs, and trills. If you have a kitten and they’re teething, they’ll feel the need to gnaw on something. According to Applied Animal Behavior Science, cats have scent receptor proteins that help them identify different scents. The less dominant cat will sometimes reciprocate, and begin to groom back, but also sometimes will not. Hope it makes some sense, but if it is irrelevant, asinine, and a ridiculously absurd notion, then I’m right on track. If you like the posts on KittyClysm, please take a moment to subscribe to the email newsletter! If your finger happens to be the most accessible thing at that time, that’s what they’ll use. Actually, he’s also a big biter. She grooms it for at least 15 to 30 minutes every day – just lick, lick, lick. I've heard it's do with checking your overall health. In terms of why cats sometimes lick their owners’ hands and fingers, I honestly think there are so many different reasons, it’s hard to come up with a short list. Some cats will get stressed by changes to their daily routines. “Allogroom”: what a terrific — and useful — word. There are two sides to changing or avoiding a nibble from over-stimulation. We learned this fact about him quite early on, ages before we even took him in, and his obsession hasn’t subsided yet. There are loads of cat toys that are gloves with long fingernails like this one on Amazon; If you have really long nails, your hand is basically a live cat toy. In the same way that you show affection to your cat by petting it, your cat may attempt to return the favor by licking you. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn the texture of skin on hands and fingers is really appealing to some cats. April 25, 2019 by Elise Xavier | Updated: November 13, 2020 - 7 Comments. A cat’s sense of smell then detects food. Such as a new arrival to the home, different food, a trip to the vets, and so on. A compulsive disorder is categorized as; any abnormal or recurring actions that are out of context with the situation. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. – Standards & Colors, Do Cats Have Ankles? Enter your email address and hit "Go" to be notified each time a new post is published on KittyClysm. When cats are comfortable with humans, they lick human hands to indicate and reinforce their feelings. Some cats seem to use licking as a way of telling their pet parents they’re hungry or want to play. - Answered by a verified Cat Vet. Cats with severe liver disease or an intestinal blockage may have breath that smells like feces. Bjorn I do find prefers licking while some positive bonding time and socialization is taking place between the two of us, so with him I know it’s not just a matter of my hands smelling of food! Kittens are blind at birth but their noses still carry fully developed touch receptors! Why Does My Dog Sniff Me So Much? He did this for a while after we adopted him. They often can be found allogrooming – licking & cleaning – felines they co-exist with, and as a result, it would make sense if they also lick human hands and fingers because they are treating you as though you were one of the clowder. They Are Being Over-Stimulated (Too Much Petting), They Need Something to Gnaw on (Teething?). By finding out why they feel the need to nibble on your fingers, you can do something to stop and change their behavior. He loves to nibble and gnaw on things so much we invested in a slew of cat chew toys to try out so he’d stay away from our poor fingers as well as dangerous things like wires, and keep his gnaw game for the fang-approved objects in the household. My male cat does this often when I’m petting him in pretty sure it’s their way of showing affection to their owners in my opinion he’s spoiled as has my only cat but I love him! This is why you may notice your cat approaching a new object with caution. It largely revolves around the following factors: Pure instinct. Fond of my fluffies? I had no idea cats could do that. Lyndsay Gamber from California on September 19, 2013: This is a really great Hub! Your cat's action is a backhanded compliment and kitty-correct. I imagined this was kind of like what his mom would do. As soon as he starts, I will typically take the hint and start petting him, to which he either starts licking more or stops, happily accepting the cuddles. Just put them down and walk away. Stopping them and redirecting their behavior will get the point across. The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. When a cat smells our nose or mouth, they are extracting information from its most potent source. Have you ever wondered why cats do this? If you can honestly say you’re giving your cat enough attention and playtime, or you’re too busy, you can say “no”. If your cat is stressed and has become less tolerant of petting or irritable this could be the reason. See more of this duo on my personal blog, E&T. It’s a frustrating cat behavior because no one wants their fingers bitten, gnawed, or licked. I managed to stop one of my cats doing this by saying “Ouch” and moving my hand away. Congrats on Hub of the day! The kinds of signs to look out for that your cat is reaching the point of being annoyed are: If you see any of these signs or any other signs that your cat is getting restless, stop petting them immediately. Grooming helps cats to relax and exchange scents with each other, cementing their acceptance into the colony. You may not recognize these subtle ways that your cat is showing affection. Does your cat lick your fingers and/or lick the palms of  your hands at times? The nose touch is an even social exchange that puts both cats in an equally vulnerable position. When Bjorn’s already got my attention, and is already getting the cuddles he wants out of me, there’s technically no reason for him to continue to lick if the only reason he was doing so was to flag my attention so that I would pet him. The good news is that you don't have to sniff your cat's … Welcome to KittyClysm - a blog for cat lovers & kitty keepers. Why can’t a cat recognise us while we sleep if they want to make sure that we are there? Cats have a good sense of smell, thanks to the more or less 45 to 200 million olfactory receptors. By, Oct 06, 2020 / Have two pet cats, Avery & Bjorn, whom I love to bits. Maybe that’s the reason why your cat gets so creeped-out! One of the most frustrating problems I’ve had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats’ desire to play. Which is why it’s important you say “No” and make it very clear to your kitty that they can’t bite your fingers. However, a main reason a cat smells our face or sniffs our nose is simply to greet us. Human noses can't smell it, but if another kitty comes nearby, he'll smell Tom's unique essence on you. So maybe salt-loving is part of it! Every so often, he got carried away and continued licking after I took away my hand, so I’d say, “Okay, okay, enough” gently, then pick him up and move him, or block the spot he was licking with my arm. Voted up-across and shared. This is because cat tongues have backward-facing hooks that are meant to pull and clean their fur the way a comb would. 15 Cute Catnip Toys I’d Love Even More Than My Cat Would. You’ll find a connection. He also licks things like plastic bags and hard plastic in general. Picture this: Your cat is sitting peacefully, minding his own business, when suddenly the family dog comes bounding up to him and goes in for a playful sniff. I have seven cats. Copyright 2020 by Upgrade Your Cat. I had no idea cats could do that. For example, lots of cats chew thin plastic shopping bags, lick those plastic bags, or even bite and chew on things made out of plastic in general. That was the 2nd thing that came to mind after my cat began the habitual licking of my hands… First, being a sign of affection, of course. I don’t know if you want to take this as a compliment or not, but there’s a good chance they just can’t resist the taste. When a cat sniffs your face, they’re simply trying to commit your scent to memory. 20 Hilarious Cat Mugs. Some cats are OK with snuggling, but many do not like to confined in any way, including in your arms. Sniffing and smelling is a form of communication that cats … Whether cats are meeting for the first time or longtime housemates are catching up after three-hour catnaps, they usually greet each other by touching and sniffing each others' noses. Here’s one you can pick up on Amazon very similar to what I used a few years ago that became a chewing companion for one of my kitties. My own cat, Tara, headbutts me constantly when she’s sitting on top of me, and half the time she knocks my glasses off my face when she does it. Give your hands a good scrub before petting kitty and see if this makes a difference. Some cats may bite after licking us as a warning sign so that we stop petting them, others may do it as a sign of affection and a third group could do it as another sequence that leads to grooming, i.e they think that biting is part of the process of grooming. That being said, I can definitely list my hands smelling as food as a reason he’s likely to lick, as well as a slew of other reasons, which we’ll get into later. Think about the “sniffing” sound (if loud) can be very similar to a cat “hissing”. Gotta love them. Either way, allogrooming seems to be about dominance, and not really all or even mostly about showing affection to another cat. She will literally hold me down in her paws and clean me. Tom is pressing his face into your neck, he had a build up saliva! And reinforce their feelings a hug and kiss in greeting a friend means it would some... As to why your cat is different and will be affected in different ways to the! 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