Why does my cat lick me?

How to read it

Grooming another cat is called allogrooming. Cats Protection lists it, with mutual rubbing and sleeping touching, among the behaviours of cats in the same social group. Blue Cross says cats lick each other partly to bond and partly to make a shared group smell that tells them who belongs, so a cat that licks a person may be counting them in. The rough feel comes from the tongue: International Cat Care says it is covered in backward-facing, hook-shaped barbs that comb the coat.

Also searched as: cat licking meaning, why do cats groom each other, why do cats lick you, why does my cat lick me.

Licking that means “enough”

Blue Cross says cats may also lick people when they are being held or stroked and don’t want to be, and a cat that isn’t left alone may go on to bite or scratch. Licking its lips or swallowing more often is one of the signs Blue Cross gives of a cat that wants to be left alone. See why cats bite for what can follow.

What a study of grooming found

Ruud van den Bos analysed 83 grooming interactions in a confined group of 25 adult cats, 14 neutered males and 11 females (Journal of Ethology, 1998). Higher-ranking cats groomed lower-ranking cats more often than the other way round, and aggressive behaviour occurred in 35% of the interactions, most often from the groomer after it had finished grooming. He concluded that allogrooming may be a way for cats to redirect aggression where an open fight would cost too much. The welfare charities describe grooming as bonding; this study found it can carry tension as well.

A cat licking itself too much

Cats spend between 30 and 50 percent of their day grooming themselves, according to Cornell’s Feline Health Center. Cornell’s vets say a cat licks where it is itchy or painful, that licking which causes hair loss or a lot of hairballs is abnormal, and that stress, such as a move or a new pet in the home, can also lead to overgrooming. Blue Cross names bald patches, scabs and red skin as signs to look for. If this is new or comes with other changes, check with your vet.