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Why do cats lick their owner's hands?
11.03.2023 02:30
Updated: 14.04.2023 14:33
A cat's tongue is a powerful "instrument" with which it licks its fur, spending a lot of time on this activity every day.
But why does the animal switch to a person and start licking his hands, and sometimes other parts of the body?
Like all questions about cats, this one has multiple possible answers.
Option one: love and care
People who have several cats know that these animals lick each other if they are on friendly terms.
This behavior begins in infancy, when the mother cat licked the kittens.
Many animals have retained this behavior pattern in adulthood and transferred it to humans. It has been noted that mutual licking is only possible if two animals are on friendly terms. This is a kind of tenderness and care. And since a cat loves its owner, it shows care for him, demonstrating its love in this way.
Note: Cats also lick other animals, including dogs, horses, rabbits, etc.
Option two: cleaning
Cats lick themselves and other cats to clean their fur. The pet does the same with its owner. After all, these people are so stupid and unkempt! They don’t even know how to lick themselves.
Option three: label
Cats mark their territory and objects, leaving their scent on them. When an animal rubs against its owner and licks his hands, it declares its rights to him. Like, this is my person and other cats cannot lay claim to him. This is a warning to other individuals who, in the pet's opinion, are just waiting to steal its owner or declare their rights to him.
This is why many cats use shoes instead of a toilet. They simply mark an object that has a lot of foreign smells, including cat smells.
Option four: new taste
Sometimes cats (and other animals) lick a person's hands or feet because it has a slightly salty taste. The animal just likes it.
Option five: nervous breakdown
Licking for cats is something akin to meditation or a monotonous calming action, which is often resorted to by people with mental disorders. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness characterized by compulsive (repetitive) actions.
Most often, cats with this disorder constantly lick themselves, to the point of bald spots, and also lick the owner or some objects, such as a pillow.
If the licking is manic in nature, it is clear that the animal is clearly suffering, but cannot do anything about it, you should contact a veterinarian.
