Why Does My Cat Lick Me When I pet Him – the full truth

Cats owners have ever been wondering why their cats licks them when they pet him/her.

Though there are many explanations to this feline behavior, we will bring you the consensus view from our research from multiple cats’ owner to help answer the ever-alluding question: Why does my cat lick me when I pet him.

According to Pumpkin care, the reason cat licks you is to...

Show you affection because petting is a form of affection.

Therefore, your cat is merely reciprocating your behavior toward him.

Cats and other pets learn this at the young age from their parents and carry it into adulthood.

Whereas Cuteness Argues that your cat licks you as a sign of social bonding

This explanation on why your cat licks you when you pet him is in line with the previous one.

We often witness cats partaking in social grooming on part of their bodies.

Though you are not a cat, the cat simply translates your petting him into a feeling he/she may remember from other feline interactions.

Mr. BossCat has a radically different explanation on your feline’s licking deviance

One reason for your cat licking you as a response to petting him/her is to mark his/her territory.

Animals in the wild are very protective of their area of dominance.

It is a known behavior for several animals to pee around the perimeter of their home ground.

The goal is to discourage any would-be intruder from trespassing.

In the case of the cat licking, he/she hopes that her scent on your body shall preclude others from approaching you.

In the video below, a behavioral scientist that specializes in cats provide insights into surprising territorial insights.

After my analysis of several forums and Quora, I found that the cat licking behavior may be due to anxiety!!

Just like humans, animals are subject to stress that needs to be analyzed and addressed.

Many factors could act as catalysts of such anxiety in your cat.

So do you best to understand the root cause as early as possible.

Most of the time, a visit to a vet may not be needed but still should be considered.

From my research I can conclude that the 3 most common reasons that your cat licks you when you pet him are:

Show of Affection

Social Grooming

Territory Marking