If you know two velvet paws who particularly like each other, with a little luck you can watch them grooming each other. Then the cats lick each other devotedly. But what does it mean when cats lick their humans?
Why do cats lick each other?
To understand why cats lick people off, let's take a look at the social relationships between our velvet paws. This helps us to better understand the role the tongue plays in the social interactions of fur noses.
The reasons cats lick each other are:
- Grooming: already small Kittens enjoy their mother's wet grooming.
- Strengthening the bond: Based on the kitten memories, grooming between adult cats is also an expression of affection and mutual trust.
- Absorbing fur smells: By licking the cat, the smell of its fellow cat is better perceived.
- Change fur smells: The cat covers the unfamiliar smells of its fellow species with its scent molecules. For example, after this from a visit to the vet comes back.
Three reasons cats lick people off
In humans, the fur noses apply what they know from social interaction with other dogs. This explains why your cat likes to lick you.
Show affection with your tongue
The most beautiful and most important reason for licking people with pleasure: the cat wants to express its great affection. If you stroke your cat and she purrs and licks your hand, consider yourself lucky: your cat likes you and enjoys togetherness. But don't be sad if your cat never licks your hand. Because velvet paws do this much less often than dogs. In the literal sense, the following applies: Licking loved ones is a matter of taste.
Licking to mark the territory
Affection goes hand in hand with the next reason to use the tongue. Because the cat likes you so much, it would like to label you accordingly: “This person belongs to me!” . What we don't notice when our cats lick off our skin: They leave tiny fragrance particles behind. These signal to conspecifics or dogs that they belong to the cat's territory. Licking off thus expresses a claim to ownership. It is very similar if you petted another cat or dog before meeting your cat. The velvet paw smells the potential competition. By licking you not only remove their scent molecules but also cover them up with your own.
The cat is licking the sweat from your skin
Are you lying on a lounger at 30 degrees Celsius and your cat is licking your hand? Maybe you just value your taste for sweat. Even if you have eaten something tasty beforehand, it is very possible that the cat can smell it on your hand. So it's no wonder that she doesn't miss this.
What should I do if the cat licks me?
If your cat licks you off out of affection, you may want to give something back. Stroke it with your free hand. Many cats also like grooming with a soft brush or massage glove. If your velvet paw is one of them, pamper it with additional strokes via a brush. This is how you strengthen the bond with your furry friend.
Can cats transmit disease by licking?
Not only parents of young children ask themselves: Can the cat's tongue also transmit diseases? It is best to follow a few hygiene rules: If your cat has licked your hands, you should wash them afterward. But when small children live in the house, the hand ends up in the mouth very quickly. Regardless of licking, the following applies: If you have outdoor children and small children in one household, you should dewormer your velvet paw regularly. If cat saliva hits small wounds, it can in very rare cases lead to an infection with the pathogen Bartonella henselae and with income to "cat scratch disease". However, this - the name makes it clear - is mainly transmitted through scratches. The risk that the cat will transmit disease by licking is small. For hygienic reasons, do not let the cat lick the face of its favorite human.