Your cat rubs against you and you don't know why? Cats can be quite a mystery to their human companions. They are sleepyheads, they make a curious sound like purring and they do things that are sometimes inexplicable, like rubbing their body against you.
If you want to know everything about your pet and understand each of his behaviors, then you can't miss this article on our site about why your cat rubs his face against yours. Keep reading!
Why is my cat rubbing against me?
Imagine the following: you come home and the first thing that greets you is your cat rubbing his body against your legs. Does that scene sound familiar to you? Virtually every cat owner experiences something like this on an almost daily basis!
For felines, two of the most important elements are the delimitation of the territory and the identification of the companions who live with them. Therefore, when your cat rubs his body against your legs, what he is doing is spreading his scent on you to identify you as "his" and, at the same time, a member of his group.
Now, what happens when what you rub is his face? Well, something similar. On the face of felines there are glands responsible for releasing pheromones, specifically between each eye and each ear, and around the mouth. These same pheromones, in addition, are also secreted through the legs and flanks.
What are pheromones? They are chemical substances in the form of aromas that felines, among other animals, secrete to send certain signals to other individuals of the same species. In this sense, pheromones can indicate, for example, if the feline is in heat, what its mood is or serve as a kind of identification method, since they also allow different felines to recognize each other.
Because of this, when your cat rubs its face against yours or against your legs it is partlyto impregnate you with that smell , with its pheromones, and mark you as part of the things that belong to it. Think that, when you leave the house every day, all kinds of smells adhere to you that fade the scent of your cat when you return, so it is up to you to do the marking again so that yours stands out among all the others.
In this way, when you pet another animal outside the house, for example, it can smell your cat's scent and, in turn, your feline perceives that you have pampered another pet.
As if that weren't enough, this marking also serves to create a common smell, an identification signal that will point to you, to the other people living in the house and the cat as members of the same family.
Why is my cat headbutting me?
If your cat not only rubs against you, but also headbutts you a few times, feel lucky. When he repeatedly rubs the flanks of his head against you, he is not only marking you, but also expressing that he feels very comfortable by your side andhe trusts you On the other hand, if he gives you short little headbutts, one after another, it means he's waving at you.
All these signals are part of the cat's body language, the same language that he uses to communicate with other members of his species. That is why, when you see two cats gently butting each other's heads, this act usually ends with a mutual rubbing of the back and even with the gesture of intertwining their tails, as they feel very comfortable with each other.
When your cat headbutts you like this, you should Reciprocate his gesture with caresses on his head, he will understand that you feel the same way with him. This is a behavior that should always be rewarded and rewarded, as it can even help you bond with newly adopted felines.
Why does my cat rub his nose against mine?
Newborn cats develop their sense of smell much earlier than their sight, so they use their nose to find their mother and touch her. As they grow up, this act continues but with a different connotation, as they use the touch of the nose to greet each other and exchange information
When two cats touch and sniff each other's noses for the first time, they are passing information relevant to them and, at the same time, greeting each other. It's an act of acceptance Now, when two cats that already live together do it and, therefore, it's not the first time, it's still a friendly greeting, a sign that indicates that they are part of the same family, of the same territory. It should be noted that it is not a sign of affection or love, but rather of trust and kindness. Therefore, they can also do it with other household animals, such as dogs.
So if your cat rubs his nose against yours he is doing exactly the same thing, it is his way of greeting you and indicating that he trusts you, that you are part of his "turf" of the. Just say hello back the same way so he understands it's mutual.
Why does my cat rub on everything?
Your cat rubs his face against yours, rubs against your legs or any other part of your body, but also against furniture or other household objects. As we said at the beginning of the article, cats emit pheromones that allow them to delimit and mark their territory, so it is normal to observe that they rub all over the furniture, clothes or objects, especially if they just got home or there is something new.
Also, if your cat is nervous and starts rubbing himself on everything, it is possible that he is stressed for some reason and is looking for a way to stabilize emotionally. This is so because cats have pheromone-releasing glands in certain areas of their face, which allow them to change their mood. See the following article for more information on object rubbing: "Why Do Cats Rub Against Things?"
Why is my cat rubbing up against me and meowing?
Cats also rub and meow when you just got home, is another way of dialing you and calling at the same time your attention. She may be hungry and want you to attend to that urge before doing anything else, or her litter box needs cleaning, for example.
In this sense, the behavior of meowing and rubbing does not only occur when you get home, but can appear on other occasions as a way of getting your attention, because cats know, after many centuries of evolution, that human beings respond to their meows. And if you think that their meows are too constant or abnormal, don't hesitate to visit the vet in case it is a he alth problem, in this article we share the most frequent causes: "Why does your cat meow a lot?".
