My kitty, Kintla, is not a snuggle bug whatsoever. She is one of those independent females and all her attention revolves around Kintla time and heaven forbid I try to snuggle her when I feel like it. However, she will crawl between my legs or lay on my side and arm to groom herself. Does your cat ever try to groom herself on you? To my surprise, there is actually a reason why cats choose to groom themselves on their humans. Here is why.
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Bonding
Cats groom each other and around each other to bond with other cats. Cats that groom their owners or groom on their owners do this as a bonding method with their owners. This is your cat’s time to spend valuable time with you. Now, if your cat is like mine, I would take this grooming time as valuable one-on-one time with your cat. As a matter of fact, this makes total sense when it comes to Kintla. Grooming herself on me is her way of bonding and spending time with me. In Kintla terms, “Hey Mom, thanks for feeding me, but just so you know, you are my human and I do love you… most of the time.” This is great because I thought she only loved me when it was feeding time.
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Some cats, not my independent fluffy cheeks, of course, will actually take the time to groom their owners. Going to the extent of grooming their owner’s arms and even hair. If your cat licks you a lot, they are not trying to taste you, but actually grooming you. Your cat might be a carnivore at heart but need not worry, this isn’t intended to “taste” you. Understand that the licking is more like a sandpaper feeling than a welcoming feeling, but in their mind, it is normal. Cats that groom their owners or housemates will even produce a group scent so they know who belongs and who doesn’t, according to this by Dr. Fowler in TX. Think of this as your cat accepting you into their group. Congratulations, you are officially a part of the Cool Cats Club!
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Stress Relief
Cats will groom themselves because it is a stress reliever, it is soothing to them. Pair grooming while having the best seat in the house – your lap, chest, arm, or face, the experience for your cat is even better than the feeling they get from the best catnip sold on the block!
Grooming is a completely natural behavior in cats. However, sometimes it can get a bit out of hand. If your cat is taking their grooming to the extreme, see ” Why Is My Cat Overgrooming? “ for more information about why cats overgroom themselves and what it can mean.
If your cat has a nice healthy hair coat and just enjoy the evening spent by your side or laying on top of you, it is normal. Pretty awesome actually. If your cat was a lion, it would mean that you were part of a pride. Small domesticated lions – groom on!
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Have you ever had a cat that tried to groom or chew your hair? Find out why some cats choose to do this here on cattitudedaily.com.
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