Why do cats and cats lick people?

The content of the article

1 Gratitude and affection
2 The likeness of maternal care
3 Begging
4 Self-affirmation
5 Low status
6 Boredom
7 Strong smell

Owners of cats and dogs are accustomed to the fact that the animal can often show affection for them. Cats purr, sometimes rub at their feet, sit on their hands, even come to sleep next to their beloved master. Sometimes they even lick people. We perceive this as an expression of love. But in fact, there can be several reasons for this. Cats are so mysterious creatures that no one doubts that they see the world at all like we do. Licking for these pets is a form of communication, as well as a way of knowing the world around them. Numerous studies have been conducted. It turned out that the motive for licking a cat may be different. We will examine in more detail in each of them.

Gratitude and affection

For dogs, this way of expressing devotion and love is familiar. But cats lick people for this reason much less often. They often resort to purring. But sometimes a cat can express love by licking the face or hands of the owner. This will be a short-term action, committed as if by stealth. This happens more often in castrated cats, because after such an operation, the animal's commitment to dominance decreases. They no longer so sharply see a competitor in a person, and can afford to show love.

The likeness of maternal care

When a kitten was just born, he communicates with his mother fondly. This is because he is deaf and blind. The cat licks the kitten's stomach. In this way, she soothes him. Another reason for licking a tummy kitten is to stimulate digestion. This action cuts into the cat’s memory for life. When it grows, it begins to ripen. The body is preparing to become able to bring offspring. If the animal has not been sterilized, but it does not have kittens, then the period comes when the cat seems to be pregnant or has kittens. In cats, this is manifested as a result of a malfunction in the level of hormones. When cats and cats experience various emotions as a result of such hormonal changes, they try to express them in every possible way. When an animal feels attachment to a person, for her the expression of feelings in this way becomes an alternative to caring for offspring. It may seem very sweet, but in fact, when there are manifestations of affection for this reason, it harms the health of the animal. Therefore, experts recommend sterilizing cats for up to a year if their reproduction is not planned.

Begging

If the cat often licks your hands, this may be a manifestation of begging. After all, hands for a cat are the main source of food. This is manifested to a greater extent, when from childhood you fed the kitten from your hands, and he got used to it. He will lick the palm from the back, and bite it. Also, a manifestation of what the pet asks for food will be a combination of licking hands along with crushing on the front legs. This is because for kittens this is a way to get milk from a cat.

Self-affirmation

This is due to the fact that during communication in the pack there are older and younger animals in the hierarchy. A cat that is higher in status may lick another animal. This may mean that she is indulgent in this way.

This can be understood by the behavior of the cat. She shows with her whole appearance that in this case, licking is not tenderness at all, but just condescension to you. This manifestation of feelings is more characteristic of adult pets, those who have undergone puberty. There is nothing dangerous in such a manifestation of dominance. The main thing is that the animal does not begin to show excessive aggressiveness on its part.

Low status

This is a situation when a cat, on the contrary, considers himself in a pack lower in status compared to others. This is manifested in the licking of the hands or neck.Here, the cause can also be determined by behavior.

Her behavior is neither arrogant nor tender. This is stiffness in movements and emotions. In a pack, the lowest-ranking animal usually falls on its back, and then licks the animal, which is the oldest in status in their pack. This is a way to say that the animal does not claim to be its place. This condition can say badly on the psyche of a cat. When your pet is constantly affected by a stressful situation, this leads to fears. A cat that is often stressed will get sick.

Boredom

Another reason for licking a person may simply be the boredom of the animal. This is a way to find some activity for yourself. Often the owners forget about the pet. It sits at home and does not receive affection and attention from anyone. Sometimes it happens that animals from boredom can constantly overeat. But some resort to another method - this is licking everyone around. At first, a cat can constantly lick its coat, and over time, it switches to everything that comes across to it. These are clothes, and skin, and human hair. In fact, this is not such a harmless symptom. Lack of attention to the pet can lead to the fact that the cat will lick itself until then, until her skin appears wetting wounds. And this will already be a problem. Therefore, it is necessary to give the pet proper attention and affection.

Strong smell

An animal that has a pungent odor is doomed to die in nature. This attracts predators. If the animal lives in a pack, then its smell can cause death not only for himself, but for everyone. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in animals the sense of smell works much better than ours. Therefore, when we come from the street, we emit various odors for the animal. When we come home and go to rest, the cat comes and begins to lick us, ridding us of odors in this way. It can lick the head, legs and other parts of the body that have absorbed the pungent odors of the street. The cat is sure that any pungent smell is dangerous, as it will attract other animals and people who can harm.

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