CATDOLL : Why do cats like to lick people?

1. Help you clean your body. After a kitten is born, its mother will lick it with her rough tongue. The kitten has learned the skill of using her tongue to clean its body from her mother, so the cat may lick you to help you clean your body and comb your hair. Cats will help a trusted companion to clean themselves, which is a sign of trust in you.

2. Expressing love. Licking is a form of affection and caressing. In addition to learning to clean their bodies with their tongues, cats also understand from their mothers that licking is a form of expression of love. Licking you is a form of intimate emotional expression.

3. Covering the smell, possessiveness. In order to show the cat's ownership, the cat will let the object close to it be stained with its own smell. For example, the cat has glands on its cheeks, and it will rub objects or people to leave its own smell. Licking the saliva left by people is also a kind of scent marking. Cats will use the smell on their tongues to mark their territory to warn others not to approach and invade.

4. Looking for memories. After being weaned, kittens will look for the memory of the comfort and security they felt when they suckled milk from their mother.

5. It may be due to anxiety. When cats feel stressed or anxious, they will engage in uncontrolled compulsive grooming behaviors. They will lick fabrics, plastics, and people to relieve stress. If the owner finds that the cat has excessive licking behavior, the owner needs to find out the cause of the cat's anxiety and consult a veterinarian.

6. Maybe you really smell good. The salt, certain trace elements or oils in human sweat will make cats feel very "smell good". Some creams will also attract cats, but they are harmful to cats. Be careful not to let cats lick you.

7. A social method. Cats will lick each other, such as the top of the head, ears and other places that are difficult for cats to lick themselves. This is a friendly interaction. Cats licking you is a way to deepen the connection and an interactive social method.

8. Wants you to play with it. If the owner is too busy and ignores the cat, it will come over to lick you, rub against you, and attract your attention, wanting you to play with it.

9. Get information. Cats will lick their owners to find out where they went and what they did today. Cats want to know if you have hugged other cats outside. If so, cats can smell it and may get angry with you.

10. It is sick. If a cat licks your hands and feet, it may be because it is sick. Because cats cannot speak, they feel unwell and will lick to attract your attention, hoping that you can find its abnormality.

11. Comfort you. If you are unhappy or angry, cats lick you to comfort you. Cats hope to make you happy by licking you. You can touch the cat's head to relieve stress and ease your uneasy mood.

12. The cat is hungry. If the cat licks you at mealtime, it is to remind you that it is time to feed. If your cat licks you particularly enthusiastically, you should check whether the food and water bowls are empty.

What does it mean when a cat licks different spots?

1. Licking your hand. When a cat licks or nibbles the owner's hand, it means that the cat is hungry or greedy and is asking the owner for food. If the owner often feeds the cat delicious food with his hands, the cat will form a conditioned reflex.

2. Licking your face. It is definitely not accidental for a cat to lick your face or even your lips. This is a way for a cat to express its love for you. When a cat is young, its mother cat will often lick it like this. The cat feels very comfortable and surrounded by love when being licked like this.

3. Frequent licking of a certain part of the body. If your cat frequently licks a certain part of the body, the owner needs to check whether the cat is injured in that part. If it is not injured, it means that the cat is afraid and anxious.

4. Frequent licking of the vulva. If a cat licks the vulva for a long time and the color of the vulva is abnormal or there is a lot of secretion or pus, it means that the vulva may be inflamed.

5. Licking excrement. If your cat likes to lick excrement, it is very likely that it is suffering from pica due to a lack of trace elements. Urine contains nutrients such as minerals, protein, and sugar.