She grooms it for at least 15 to 30 minutes every day – just lick, lick, lick. Then petting her without letting her nibble me again. Why Does My Cat Bite My Fingers When I Pet Him? I know this worked after a while because she stopped doing it with me – but did it with my wife. This is their social way to share scents from all their adventures and this action places both cats on equal footing and a vulnerable position. I feel this is absolutely true of Bjorn. When cats are comfortable with humans, they lick human hands to indicate and reinforce their feelings. Remember, to your cat being licked feels good, it doesn't know it is hurting you. Fond of my fluffies? Also if it is a female cat there are certain places that tend to set her off.Let the cat sniff you before you pet him/her, so he/she can become comfortable with you. I’ve written about why some cats bite, then lick you before, but I do feel the act of licking by itself is quite a bit different from biting then licking your hands and fingers. That defensive vocalisation sound a cat makes when they are reacting to something they’re not happy with. You may not recognize these subtle ways that your cat is showing affection. Dig KittyClysm? So, it’s probably the most welcome reason why your cat took a nibble – but you may want to stop them. Some cats are OK with snuggling, but many do not like to confined in any way, including in your arms. It’s called the flehmen response, a.k.a. I think it’s just a behavior that gives her pleasure. Guess they all have their quirks. My own cat, Tara, headbutts me constantly when she’s sitting on top of me, and half the time she knocks my glasses off my face when she does it. I had no idea cats could do that. There are loads of cat toys that are gloves with long fingernails like this one on Amazon; If you have really long nails, your hand is basically a live cat toy. Let’s get into the theories, and if you think of ones I missed, or feel your cat is more or less likely to lick your fingered hands for one reason over others – please share in the comments down below! When it comes to licking in particular, Bjorn more often than not licks the fingers on the hand I’m using to pet him. If your cat’s breath is particularly bad, it could indicate that your cat is suffering from some sort of dental issue that could affect its overall health. The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. If a cat walks off after sniffing you, it … Obsessed with cats. Perhaps it’s the salt from your skin they crave. Older cats may be particularly prone to this action. A compulsive disorder is categorized as; any abnormal or recurring actions that are out of context with the situation. When anyone would pet Licky, he had to lick them. Cats need to gnaw on things, just like dogs do. My own article on cats tells how the purr is actually a healing mechanism. However, when a cat is anxious, it may compulsively lick its owner's hands in order to soothe itself. $\begingroup$ Searching for an answer, because our cat does the same thing, she goes crazy for my hands if I've gotten plain Clorox bleach (sodium hypochlorite) on them. He loves to nibble and gnaw on things so much we invested in a slew of cat chew toys to try out so he’d stay away from our poor fingers as well as dangerous things like wires, and keep his gnaw game for the fang-approved objects in the household. Why does a cat smell something and then keep its mouth open for what seems like an abnormally long amount of time? If you wanted to pet a cat with your big toe, your elbow, or anything else, they would sniff that too, especially when it is conveniently located near their head, where, guess what? Older cats like to chew on certain materials too. Cats Are Farsighted. They vocalize their feelings with meows, purrs, and trills. Lol. Cats.org list some of the signs that a cat is stressed. Gotta love them. UpgradeYourCat.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Some cats really love the texture of specific objects. Stopping them and redirecting their behavior will get the point across. Nowadays, I tell him, “Thank you!” and move my hand out of the way once I’m done, and he stops trying to lick. It’s just a little more painful than those other signs of affection. I loved your article, and the happy-ending stories. Remember, cats have a very powerful and sensitive sense of smell, so don’t use strong-smelling soap. Therefore it does seem a little strange that a cat should sniff us while we sleep. He did this for a while after we adopted him. Check out how to calm down a kitten when they’re hyper. In terms of why cats sometimes lick their owners’ hands and fingers, I honestly think there are so many different reasons, it’s hard to come up with a short list. Why does my cat sniff my face? She is marking you with her scent but, sometimes cats smell our hands and fingers to decide whether we smell ok to touch them. Does your cat nibble on your fingers when you’re petting or playing with them? This is almost certainly going to be the case if you have a kitten or a playful younger cat. She may also sniff your face to smell you and commit your scent to memory to help build trust and familiarity. Cats have a good sense of smell, thanks to the more or less 45 to 200 million olfactory receptors. A lot of cats form compulsive behaviors when they are bored, so keep that in mind. When your cat does this to you, it is like giving a hug and kiss in greeting a friend. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. Why does my cat nibble my fingers when I’m trying to pet her? It helps them build trust and familiarity, so let your cat sniff away! Cats can develop compulsive behaviors, just as we can. Have you ever wondered why cats do this? I know this behavior all too well. April 25, 2019 by Elise Xavier | Updated: November 13, 2020 - 7 Comments. According to Applied Animal Behavior Science, cats have scent receptor proteins that help them identify different scents. Many of these reasons overlap, and while some may be more true than others in the moment, I do think they all do quite well at explaining away this pretty common cat behaviour altogether. Either way, allogrooming seems to be about dominance, and not really all or even mostly about showing affection to another cat. If your hand is in a resting position after handling food, the cat will smell this and explore. This is an honest mistake. Most people aren’t aware of this but cats are actually farsighted creatures. By finding out why they feel the need to nibble on your fingers, you can do something to stop and change their behavior. Would be interesting to find out. Actually, he’s also a big biter. It depends how long the nails are, but it’s really no surprise. Picture this: Your cat is sitting peacefully, minding his own business, when suddenly the family dog comes bounding up to him and goes in for a playful sniff. Another of my kitties, a former feral, licks our couch every morning. Sniffing … I always talk to my cats, so I’d speak to them in a soft voice to reassure them too. Cats clean their feline friends and family members. Learn more here. By, Oct 06, 2020 / So much so that I named him Licky. It helps if you stimulate them more other areas, such as more playtime or toys and furniture to explore. Some cats are OK with snuggling, but many do not like to confined in any way, including in your arms. Kittens especially will use licking as a way to ease anxiety the way a human might use hugs. When a cat sniffs your face, they’re simply trying to commit your scent to memory. While different cultures prefer a hand shake, cheek kisses or even a bow, cats use nose touching to say hello. Soap is made in part with animal fat, and the same is true of many lotions, so I’m convinced he absolutely would like to lick lotions off my hands if given the chance as well. Your cat may be sniffing your face to greet you just as they would sniff the faces of their fellow cats. – Standards & Colors, Do Cats Have Ankles? If I let him continue to lick for half an hour, he likely would. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. Cat Barbering: Why Cats Excessively Lick & Over-Groom ‘Til They Bald, “My Cat Won’t Let Me Cut Her Nails!” Why Cats Hate Claw Trims & How To Do It, 17 Techniques You Can Try to Encourage Your Cat to Play with You. That was the 2nd thing that came to mind after my cat began the habitual licking of my hands… First, being a sign of affection, of course. They Are Being Over-Stimulated (Too Much Petting), They Need Something to Gnaw on (Teething?). At night, the young male (he’s about four), gets locked in the bedroom with me because he occasionally attacks the other kitties and we don’t want that. His major thing is the kneading or “making bread”, goes on and on. Just fill in the form below and hit "Subscribe"! Some cats may bite after licking us as a warning sign so that we stop petting them, others may do it as a sign of affection and a third group could do it as another sequence that leads to grooming, i.e they think that biting is part of the process of grooming. Every so often, he got carried away and continued licking after I took away my hand, so I’d say, “Okay, okay, enough” gently, then pick him up and move him, or block the spot he was licking with my arm. By, Sep 19, 2020 / Which is why it’s important you say “No” and make it very clear to your kitty that they can’t bite your fingers. It gives them information about their world. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; learn more here. Did anything on this list strike you as a potential secondary explanation you hadn’t thought of before or is it more likely your first guess was still the most solid reason? So when your cat sniffs your hand, he has an idea of … Congrats on Hub of the day! Give your hands a good scrub before petting kitty and see if this makes a difference. Congrats on Hub of the day! As well as nudging us, staring and blinking, weave between our legs, and even have a nip to get their point across. Sometimes the licking with Bjorn got to be a little too much for me to be happy. I have no idea if this is a common thread at all with cats who like to lick, however. A raised tail signals another cat that your cat feels secure and is graciously offering the opportunity of a butt sniff. By, how to calm down a kitten when they’re hyper. The less dominant cat will sometimes reciprocate, and begin to groom back, but also sometimes will not. She will literally hold me down in her paws and clean me. However, a main reason a cat smells our face or sniffs our nose is simply to greet us. If Bjorn starts licking out of the blue while he’s been napping in close proximity to me, I’m convinced this is why. While this is typically hard to do, toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves make the job one heck of a lot easier. I have seven cats. Does your cat typically like to lick in general, or just when it comes to your fingers & hands at times? What Can I Do? She does not seek you out to lick you. As soon as he starts, I will typically take the hint and start petting him, to which he either starts licking more or stops, happily accepting the cuddles. Some cats – like my first cat, Avery for instance – just don’t really seem to enjoy licking all that much, so you’ll rarely ever catch him licking fingers. We learned this fact about him quite early on, ages before we even took him in, and his obsession hasn’t subsided yet. (It’s Not as Obvious as It Seems! It’s a potentially serious health concern that might not improve without seeking the advice of your vet. I’ve seen this topic come up in discussions loads of times, it’s a pretty common cat behavior. Check out all the other blogs I pen & photograph. That being said, I can definitely list my hands smelling as food as a reason he’s likely to lick, as well as a slew of other reasons, which we’ll get into later. Anyways, that’s my 2 cents. My eldest cat Cheska does it fairly regularly. You'll get notified each time there's a new post on the blog. So the fact that your cat is grooming you may be in part because he or she is showing dominance over you. Filed Under: Behaviour, Cat Facts, Pet Care, Stress & Anxiety. If they smell another animal on our hands, they may chose not to let us touch them at all. When cats are comfortable with humans, they lick human hands to indicate and reinforce their feelings. Nibbling, chewing, licking, and biting your hand or fingers are all one and the same thing for the most part. My male cat does this often when I’m petting him in pretty sure it’s their way of showing affection to their owners in my opinion he’s spoiled as has my only cat but I love him! Sniffing and smelling is a form of communication that cats … I don’t know if you want to take this as a compliment or not, but there’s a good chance they just can’t resist the taste. Grooming helps cats to relax and exchange scents with each other, cementing their acceptance into the colony. You want to tread the line between letting them know that you appreciate signs of affection, but you don’t appreciate being bitten. Struggling to keep up with an energetic kitten? If you like the posts on KittyClysm, please take a moment to subscribe to the email newsletter! As in, if he licked my fingers, he wanted me to rub his head or ears then give him the fingers back so he could lick some more. If your finger happens to be the most accessible thing at that time, that’s what they’ll use. I can smell the difference on my hand even after thorough washing, and she licks, gently bites, grabs with her paws, rubs my hand across her mouth/face, etc. Nibbling, chewing, licking, and biting your hand or fingers are all one and the same thing for the most part. Why Does My Cat Bite My Fingers When I Pet Him? I’d recommend having a “trigger word” like I’ve used “Thank you” to tell your cat what he or she’s doing isn’t naughty, but you’re ready for him or her to stop. Can a Maine Coon Be Orange? Cats have thirty of these receptor proteins, dogs have nine and humans have two. I know how enjoyable it is petting and fussing a cat, but we have to remember that they might not want to be petted. Whatever the reason, you don’t want your finger to become their chewing toy. When cats allogroom, it’s typically the dominant cat who begins licking & grooming a second, less dominant cat. Your cat thought that your hand was food. For example, lots of cats chew thin plastic shopping bags, lick those plastic bags, or even bite and chew on things made out of plastic in general. Two cats living in the same house may smell each other when one comes in from the outside or comes back from the vet to confirm information about the cat's state including diet, stress, availability for mating, and mood." According to Dr. The act of licking, like the act of kneading, is likely to be self-soothing and stress reducing, just like sucking on a thumb is for kids who still do it well past the age where it’s technically needed or useful. If you have a playful cat, long fingernails are going to be fun to chase and bite. I have two female cats, one is a very licky cat, but she only does it if you start to pet her. My own cat, Tara, headbutts me constantly when she’s sitting on top of me, and half the time she knocks my glasses off my face when she does it. Nibbling on fingers falls under this description. 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