Why does a cat lick its owner's hands: reasons

When is there nothing to worry about?

By studying the behavior of cats of different breeds and ages, animal psychologists were able to identify several factors that explain feline tenderness.

Declaration of love. Licking is one of the main means of communication for cats. The first thing a newly born kitten feels is the touch of its mother’s tongue on its fur. A cat and a cat that have reached puberty lick each other, showing tenderness. So, if a cat licks its owner, it recognizes that he is dear to her. She feels comfortable and safe next to him.
Striving for purity. Cats are one of the cleanest animals. They constantly wash themselves, clean their fur and claws. This behavior is determined by instinct, which was formed back in the days when their wild ancestors lived and hunted in the wild. A foreign smell can attract the enemy and also scare away prey. The smells of soap or cream are unnatural for your pet, which means you need to help the person get rid of them. Thus, by licking their owners, cats try to make him clean according to their cat concepts and at the same time take care of his safety.

Hygiene

Begging for food. This reason is more typical for animals that were bottle-fed from an early age. For them, human hands are associated with receiving food, and licking and biting the palm or fingers is a common way to ask for a treat.
False maternal instinct. Usually manifests itself in individuals who have reached sexual maturity, but are deprived of sexual contact. The cat needs to somehow realize its maternal instinct, and it repeats the behavior of its mother, who showed love and care by licking the kittens. If measures are not taken, then in the future an excess of hormones can provoke a dangerous condition - a false pregnancy. Hormonal imbalance can also affect an uncastrated adult male. To prevent health problems, it is necessary to either find a partner for your pet, or have them spayed or neutered.
Dominant behavior. By licking his hands, the pet may not be asking for a favor, but, on the contrary, condescendingly doing a favor. This is how he shows his dominance in relationships, transferring a person to a level below himself. You can allow your pet to assert itself until it begins to show aggression.
Stress can cause ingratiating behavior in a cat. By licking the owner, the animal recognizes its subordinate position, inability and unwillingness to defend itself. It is necessary to help your pet get rid of oppressive anxiety, otherwise constant fears and complexes can lead to health problems.

Video “How do cats show their love?”

In this video you will learn how a cat shows its love for its owner, how it tries to attract his attention in order to get the affection and care it needs.

Begging

If a domestic cat prefers to lick exclusively the hands of its owner, then this can be regarded as begging. This is how the animal begs for a treat. Most often, this behavior appears in kittens that were artificially fed. Usually babies lick the back of their hand. They may also chew it lightly during the process.

Showing love

Very often, a pet will begin to lick a person's hands and face to demonstrate its love. It is love that can explain similar behavior in dogs. These animals also show their humility and trust in this way.

Cats usually show their love by purring and rubbing against the owner's legs or arms. They also often perch on a person's chest. But in rare cases they can also “kiss.” This is how the animal simply shows its positive emotions.

Such love manifests itself episodically and does not have a permanent basis. Usually “kisses” are performed after feeding or when the pet is let into a warm house from a cold street.

False maternal instinct

Another explanation is the development of a false maternal instinct. As a child, the kitten saw manifestations of maternal love in the form of licking its back or tummy. In this way, the cat stimulates digestion in its offspring or lulls it to sleep.

False maternal instinct manifests itself if the pet has reached puberty, but is limited in sexual intercourse. Because of this, he looks for other ways to express his untapped emotions. Sterilization or castration will help correct the situation.

If you do not deal with this condition of the animal, then an excess of sex hormones in its body can provoke the development of a false pregnancy. Therefore, veterinarians advise spaying or neutering to protect the physical and mental health of your pet.

Sign of illness

Sometimes furry pets begin to lick the owner’s hands or head when they are feeling unwell. A cat cannot directly tell a person that something hurts. That's why they use intrusive affection.

If your pet begins to show strong love, it should be shown to a specialist just in case. Only a veterinarian, after a detailed examination of the animal, can accurately remove the disease from the list of causes of unusual behavior.

Strong odor from the owner

Cats have a very developed sense of smell. Therefore, they are able to sense smells better than humans. Due to this physiological feature, animals may begin to lick the neck or other parts of the owner’s body after he returns home from work. In this case, the pet will be attracted to the smell of sweat. The animal perceives sweat as a bait for other animals. By licking sweat, the pet tries to protect its owner from the harassment of strangers.

Symptoms of diseases

In some cases, while licking the owner, the cat does not ask for attention and does not provide it. This behavior signals existing health problems.

Ectoparasites (in particular fleas). A pet who is plagued by blood-sucking insects tries not only to get rid of them himself, but also to protect the rest of the household.
Skin irritation due to an allergic reaction. A cat, by licking itself, solves the problem of itching, and does the same for a person.
Infectious diseases are often accompanied by skin rashes that itch and hurt. To protect itself from discomfort, the cat licks itself, and sometimes, getting carried away, licks the owner and objects within reach.

Perhaps the pet is sick.
It also happens that while licking the owner, the pet reports that he is unwell and asks for help. If such behavior was not typical for the animal, you should pay more attention to its health and contact a veterinarian.

Having figured out why cats lick people, it is worth learning about methods for weaning from this habit.

Why do cats lick their owners' hands and fingers?

Your cat just loves the licking process

I think this is so obvious that this version will either come to your mind first or not at all.

Some cats—like my first cat, Avery—just weren't into any of that stuff. And he began to lick his fingers only in one case...

Your fingers or hands smell like food

It was the only thing that could get Avery into his arms. And it had to be something really attractive, because he wouldn't lick his fingers if the smell was weak or if it wasn't his favorite food.

Your cat may like what you put on your hands: soap or lotion.

Last month I discovered that Bjorn liked to lick soap off my hands, which partly explained his obsession.

Soap is part animal fat, and the same can be said for many lotions, so I think he'd enjoy licking it.

The cat tries to attract attention by licking

If Bjorn suddenly starts licking me, although before that he was just lying next to me, I am surprised that this is the reason.

I understand that this is a hint, and I begin to stroke him, and in response he either licks me even more actively, or happily accepts the affection.

The cat wants to say that he wants something else

Sometimes cats lick their hands to say they are hungry or want to play.

Mine is not one of those, but if this is about your pet, tell us how you understood this and in what cases the cat does this.

Cats lick your hands when they communicate with you and show affection.

Once Bjorn has my attention and I'm petting him, he continues to lick my fingers. In this case, I am inclined to believe that this is how he communicates and expresses tenderness.

They may treat you like part of the cat family - grooming you and cleaning you

Cats usually wash their friends and feline family members. They often engage in allogrooming - this is when cats lick other cats with whom they live. So, cats probably lick their owner because they consider him to be one of them.

Cats may lick you to mark territory and show other cats that you are their owner.

When a cat licks something or someone, it leaves a special smell, which is why licking is common among cats.

The sense of smell helps a cat tell other cats that a thing, place or person belongs to them, so your cat may mark you as his property by licking his fingers and hand.

By licking your fingers, your cat may be showing that he dominates you.

When cats groom each other's fur, it is usually the dominant cat who begins the process. A less dominant cat may or may not begin to reciprocate.

In any case, allogrooming seems to be about dominance and not really about showing affection to another cat. So, your cat's licking of you may be partly because she is showing dominance over you.

Cats love the taste of leather

I think this is absolutely true of Bjorn. Considering that he likes soap because it contains animal fat, and human skin also contains secretions, everything fits.

Cats love the texture of their skin

Some cats simply like the texture of certain objects.

For example, some people chew and lick plastic bags and are generally partial to such materials. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that someone likes the texture of their skin.

Licking may be a residual behavior from childhood

Just as children sometimes suck their thumb, subconsciously remembering their childhood, cats can also return to this habit.

Cats lick their hands to calm them down

When cats lick you or knead you, they may be trying to calm themselves down, like children sucking their thumb, although they are past that age. This action gives a feeling of security and, therefore, reduces stress.

Photo: pethelpful.com

How to wean it off?

Sometimes showing affection, cats get too carried away. And the owner is not always inclined to accept signs of attention. Under no circumstances should you scold your pet or react negatively, this can ruin your relationship with him forever. But it is quite possible to wean someone off annoying harassment.

Active play will distract the animal. A cat that has turned its attention to a running mechanical mouse or a rustling candy wrapper on a string is unlikely to quickly return to its owner with expressions of love.
Catnip will help to interest your pet in a toy or draw his attention to a scratching post. It is enough to treat the item with a spray or rub it with dry leaves. You can buy a ready-made toy stuffed with fragrant grass.

Cat mint

Another option is to leave your pet and walk away without allowing yourself to be licked. And in order not to offend the animal, you need to pretend to be very busy.
If your cat is licking your palms, wearing a fur glove on your hand will help. Over time, the pet will get used to licking the glove and will look for it, leaving the owner’s hands alone.
If there is a suspicion that the cat is licking because it is nervous, it should be picked up, held close and hugged. You can say something kind in a low voice. It has long been noted that hugs have a calming effect not only on people, but also on animals.

What other reasons for licking?

Another option is if the cat is licking itself just to keep itself busy. Let's say it's raining outside or the owner is constantly busy. In the second case, try to pay attention to your pet, because a cat can lick itself if it wants to feel calm. For large or small pets, the care and affection of the owner is extremely important. You can replace a family for kittens and therefore you should try not to offend them.

We have looked at the most common reasons why a cat licks its owner. This behavior expresses natural instincts, as well as the predator’s care for herself and her younger kittens. If a pet licks its owner, it trusts him. You need to maintain communication with your pet as often as possible. Otherwise, small predators may lick themselves out of boredom.

The pet can also lick its hair. The reasons may be the desire to give or receive attention, the desire for care or dominance. Some owners of furry cats say that the cat may begin to zealously wash away the “dangerous” smell of shampoo, trying to save the owner. As you can see, even toxic substances on the hair sometimes do not become an obstacle.

Pay attention to whether you have recently eaten meat, fish or other tasty food. If the smell remains on your hands, the cat will feel it and lick it off. But here there are two explanations. In the first case, the animal wants to eat. In the second, she hides you and herself from danger. In nature, such a smell could be smelled by predators.