If you are one of the people who lives with a feline at home, you will have noticed the variety of behaviors that our friend performs on a daily basis without really knowing why. One of these behaviors is walking between legs, either blocking our path when walking or even when we are motionless.
There are many people who give different explanations to the behavior of their feline. For example, some people interpret it as a nice greeting when they get home (similar to how we would understand it with a dog), others as a way of claiming their attention to be petted, but are these really the true intentions of the cat? ? Thanks to what we have learned about these animals, we can discover the reason that explains why cats walk between their legs If you are interested in better understanding your feline and, therefore, you want to know what is the meaning of this curious behavior, on our site we recommend that you read this article to the end.
Why do cats walk between legs?
When cats rub their legs we can believe that they are “petting” us because it is one of the ways that we humans express affection. For this reason, sometimes, from our human perspective, we can mistakenly believe that cats manifest themselves in the same way as us.
Now, what our cat is really doing in these situations is rubbing against our legs Specifically, the ritual he performs usually starts rubbing against our ankles with the side of its head, then its flank, and finally wrapping its tail around the leg. In addition, the action may be accompanied by some purring or tail shaking.
The importance of the action lies in the fact of rubbing, not walking, and it is that, surely, on one of the many occasions in which you have observed your cat, you will have noticed that this It usually rubs against objects, such as its bed, scratching post, wall corners… Therefore, it will not be a surprise to you to understand that the feline is performing the same behavior with you. But why exactly does it do this?
Why do cats rub their legs?
As we have already seen, when the cat rubs against something or someone tries to come into contact with the whole body. This is because felines have what we call pheromone-releasing glands on their cheeks, chin, soles of feet, back, root of tail, as well as anal and genital glands. In this way, when these glands are rubbed they secrete pheromones, molecules that, when adhered to the object, add their individual scent.
Although we cannot perceive anything with our sense of smell, cats use pheromones as a message to others of the same species, thanks to the fact that they have this much more developed sense. In fact, for these animals, smell represents from birth their first contact with the world, since the puppies in their first days of life are blind and deaf.
In this process, the so-called Jacobson or vomeronasal organ (because it is a tiny duct located between the roof of the palate and the nasal duct) plays a key role, present in few animal species and that it has cells specialized in capturing pheromones and chemical substances present in the environment, olfactory information that will later be transmitted to the brain. So when a cat rubs up against you, pacing between your legs, or nudging you with its head when you're holding it, it's actually marking you with the intention of communicating to other cats that you belong to their social group or in a way, that you are “theirs”.
If you want more information about why cats rub against objects, we invite you to read the following article: "Why do cats rub against things?"
Why do cats need to mark their territory?
Our feline companions are normally very meticulous when it comes to securing their land or home. They need to have everything under control to feel comfortable and protected, and for this reason they mark their territory with their scent -especially their favorite areas- and the members of the household, thus communicating to strange cats that they should not approach.
In the same way, when you come home from outside and the first thing he does is rub against your legs, your feline is re-infusing you with the smell that is so familiar to him. We also observed that in cat social groups, pheromones are shared among all members through behaviors such as mutual grooming, head rubbing, etc., to indicate group membership.
The marking is therefore a indicative of well-being, since it shows that the animal is safe in its environment and with those who are in it. If it were the case that he felt in a hostile environment, if you have made a change of furniture, a move or have received a new person or animal at home, your cat could stop marking and start showing behaviors that reflect that insecurity, trying to seek shelter, over-grooming to calm down, and even not eating. Conversely, a excessive marking could also be indicative of stress
Finally, we must always remain alert when we observe that the marking behavior is out of the ordinary and, in addition, presents other behaviors such as excessive meowing, urinating outside the litter box, irritable character… In In this situation, you should visit a veterinarian to rule out any pathology, and if not, consult an ethologist who will help us find the cause of your discomfort.
Isn't my cat rubbing against my legs as a sign of affection?
That a cat walks around our legs does not imply that it simply wants to mark us as "its property" according to how we humans understand it. Rather, is a clear indication that he loves you!, since for your feline friend you are the one who supplies his daily needs and provides physical security and affective. For this reason, he wants to tell all other unknown cats to stay away from you. Also, if you've ever been to a friend or relative's house to visit and they had a cat that has shown this behavior with you, it's clear that they like you and accept you in their territory.
Finally, it may be that many times you have associated this behavior with the animal wanting to “tell you something”, such as filling its food bowl or requesting that you pet it. In this situation, it's not unreasonable to think that the feline has learned through a cause-and-effect association that rubbing against your legs does indeed result in you filling her food bowl or petting her. So in the end it has become a habit and a form of communication between the two.
So, in short, your cat walks between your legs and rubs against them to leave its scent on you because by your side it feels safe, loved and safe. Likewise, it is possible that, as we have just said, he has learned that through this behavior he gets something, such as food or water. And if you want to know more signs that indicate that your cat loves you and trusts you, do not miss these other articles:
- How do I know if my cat trusts me?
- 10 signs that your cat loves you
