Let’s be honest. Cats are pretty freaking weird. Sometimes they do things that can leave even the best of us scratching our heads. One of our lovely furry friend’s weird quirks is the licking. Why do they do it? Turns out, there’s a bunch of possible reasons.
First off, different cats are bound to have different behaviors and personalities. Some may not be the licking kind while others, presumably yours, are.
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When a cat licks you – quick answer
If a cat licks you, it might mean that they are trying to teach you how you can groom yourself. Their mother licked them when they were kittens, and now they are showing you the same affection. Cats lick each other to create and strengthen a social bond. The same is the case when they lick you.
Might be more than one reason why cat licks you
For the most part, there’s really nothing to worry about when your cat licks you. As you may suspect, your cats are licking you because they love you! It’s a common gesture of affection among the kitties. When they’re young, their mama cat would always be licking them for grooming reasons and as her way of showing affection towards her young. In turn, cats learn to lick the things and beings that they like – it could be you, another human, or another animal – like another cat, for example.
It is also being suggested that cats lick you as a way to teach you how to groom yourself, as their mother taught. Think about it, they never see you lick yourself – even after the countless times they’ve shown you. How else are they going to make sure that you’re keeping yourself clean? Licking their fur is very important to them as it cleans their fur, deodorizes their fur (especially after a meal), and it maintains the shininess of their coat. They’re doing grooming you as a favor, savor it.
Cats are possessive and shows it by licking
Cats are also very possessive. If they want to claim something as theirs, your best bet that they will smother it with their scent. One of the best ways to do this, for them, is through their tongue. If your cat is licking their favorite toy – and this includes you, they’re basically marking them/you as their own – and all the other cats better know it!
You may think the opposite, as cats have been known to be quite aloof, but there has been evidence showing that they lick when they’re trying to get your attention. Or they taste something good on your skin. Maybe you spilled something they like on yourself or it could be that your cat just really likes the taste of the salt that naturally builds up on your skin.
However, if your four-legged roommate is taking their licking habits a bit too far, there may be cause for alarm. Aside from licking as an affectionate behavior, cats also lick when they are stressed. They lick as a self-soothing behavior. They’re basically trying to calm themselves down. It’s best if you look for what it could be that’s causing your cat distress so you can remove it – and do it quickly! If left unchecked, cats can over-groom themselves and result in feline alopecia. Alopecia simply means hair loss due to your cat pulling out their hair (though licking or biting), among other things. This could result in patchy fur, thinning fur, or worse, bald spots.
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Why does it feel rough when my cat licks me?
That sandpapery sensation you feel when your cat graces you with their tongue is due to the tiny little backward-facing keratin barbs on their tongue. These tiny things are called the filiform papillae.
Cats have multiple uses for these papillae. For one they use it for grooming – it’s like a tiny build-in comb inside their mouths to help them clean their fur thoroughly, two it’s to help them scrape the flesh from the bones of their prey. You don’t have to worry about that second part though.
Your cat’s just grooming you… probably.
How do I know if my cat is licking too much?
Grooming is very important to cats – otherwise, they wouldn’t do it multiple times in a day. It keeps them clean and smelling good. However, there is such a thing as over-grooming. Over-grooming can lead to hair loss – if not caught quickly enough, it can become severe without your notice.
The best course of action is to check your cats regularly. Look at their back, belly and inner legs to see if there are patches that are thinner or are shorter than usual. Be on a lookout for an unusually high number of hairballs your cat is spitting up.
How can I stop my cat from licking me?
As adorable as it is when your cat licks you, it’s can be quite uncomfortable – especially when they focus their sandpaper tongue repeatedly on one spot as they do. Here’s a way to discourage your cat from licking you without making them feel unwanted or underappreciated: distract them.
As previously discussed, cats sometimes lick to catch your attention. Give them that. Distract them with a toy and play with them for a bit. That may encourage them to stop licking any further because they’ll want to play instead. If that doesn’t work, as a last-ditch effort, distract your cat with a tasty treat – take care not to overindulge them with their treats, if not taken into moderation, could be bad for their health. Aside from that, giving your cats treats may teach them that if they lick you, they get the goods. Cats can be sneaky like that.
For the most part, when your cats lick you, it’s just another way of them saying I love you. However, if it’s getting a bit too irritating, or they are doing it too much to cause skin/fur problems, there are ways you can discourage it. If all else fails, visit your local vet.
