Why does a cat lick a person, his face, hands, armpits?

The sense of smell is the main organ

Animals, unlike people, don’t just smell – they read it. The sense of smell for cats is known to be extremely important. Thanks to this organ, cats find a partner for mating, hunt, and receive information. It is also an organ of communication. The main task of the sense of smell is to notify the cat for a lightning-fast reaction: with its help, she finds out what the smell carries - a threat or unpleasant sensations or, conversely, pleasure. Thanks to smells, animals navigate the environment, delimit territory, etc. Traces of memory about various aromas are never erased or dulled in the cat’s brain, but are forever fixed in the center of long-term memory, as if in a bank of smells. Aromas that are seductive and attractive to our smaller brothers can be repulsive to humans. Just like a neutral smell that is not memorable for a person can be extremely important for his beloved pets.

What else is attractive about sweat for cats?

• It's all about pheromones (ancient Greek φέρω - I carry + ὁρμάω - I excite, encourage). Pheromones are chemical compounds of natural origin that play almost the main role in the interaction of animals of the same species. The power of pheromones over our smaller brothers is powerful, since they are responsible for reactions that ensure the survival of the species: reproduction, caring for offspring, etc. In particular, only pheromones allow the males and females of all animals that reproduce sexually to identify each other and mate.
• Salty sweat . Cats are partial to salty foods, and sweat, as you know, is an aqueous solution of salts and organic substances secreted by the sweat glands. Sweat plays a significant role in the socio-biological processes of information transfer between mammals. In addition to pheromones, a large number of biologically active substances are also transferred with sweat. By the way, human sweat emits a specific smell. It can be both unpleasant and magnetic, depending on the gender of the subject and his readiness to mate. However, fresh sweat has no odor. It begins to be felt after some time, when bacteria activate reproduction on the skin.
• New range of scents . As soon as the owner enters the house, the cat begins to explore his feet and shoes. After all, they contain so much information from the places he visited! These are unknown and endlessly entertaining smells, especially for those cats for whom access to the street is prohibited. They rub, as if securing their rights to objects, enveloping them with their smell. Cats learn and remember smell thanks to scent glands located on their faces.
• “Tame” the smell .
  The lucky ones who can freely walk in the fresh air on their own, when returning home, try to replace the foreign smell with their own, family, or rather the owner’s, and that’s why they rub against people’s things. However, this does not apply to all cats. One fourth of the cat family is completely indifferent to the smell of human sweat, valerian or catnip. Maybe because their sense of smell is less developed? Smells also do not affect small kittens. A new scent is another reason for them to have fun.

Why do cats lick their owner's face?

When a cat licks its owner's face, this may indicate two things. Firstly, that she looks after the owner, considering him a large cat who does not know how to take care of himself and provide proper care. Animal psychologists, figuring out why cats lick people, found another reason - the desire to mark the owner as property. In a cat group, licking is known to help create a common scent that allows group members to be recognized.

Read also: Why does a dog drink its own urine?

Cats know their owners by smell

To a cat, what you look like doesn't matter much. Your cat identifies you through your scent when sniffing you and sometimes through your voice.

This is why cats may react differently or negatively to their owners when they smell a scent that is unfamiliar to them. If you use a new scent with notes of citrus or spice, there's a good chance your cat will stay away.

Your cat may also keep a safe distance from you if it recognizes the scent of another animal on you. This could be after visiting a veterinary clinic, a farm, or after petting your friend's dog or cat. This is temporary behavior.

Causes of odor

Human sweat glands are divided into two types: apocrine and eccrine. With any increase in body temperature, the eccrine glands begin to work intensively, trying to normalize the temperature in order to prevent the body from overheating. When these glands operate, a substance consisting of water and various salts is released. Eccrine glands are located virtually throughout the body and have access to the surface of the skin.

The largest concentration of these glands is on the palms and soles of a person’s feet. Apocrine glands are associated with the hair of the body, therefore they are located mostly in the armpits and in the genital area. When working, these glands secrete a cloudy liquid that is odorless until it encounters bacteria on the skin surface.

How does the process of smell recognition occur?

When inhaled, air flows into the sinuses. The odors contained in it are deposited in the mucous secretion on the olfactory epithelium and, with the help of nerve endings, are transmitted directly to the cerebral cortex, where they are interpreted.

The human sense of smell operates in a similar way, so differences in this process are of greater interest. The cat's body is able to recognize certain odorous substances when they are injected directly into the blood, as well as through the Jacobson's organ, which is present in humans as a rudiment.

World of cat scents

By the way, cats also have unloved odors:

• Cats are not fond of citrus scents. If you put the skins of oranges or lemons in the pot of a flower that your pussy is nibbling on, it will ignore that place.
• You can spray the area where you don't want a cat's presence with acetic acid. Cats cannot stand this smell. It will seem to a person that it has disappeared within just a few minutes, but your mustachioed friend will feel it for a very long time.
• Lavender, mint, and rue are suitable as natural “horror stories.” They can be placed in a garden area where there is no place for cats.
• You can buy cat repellent spray in specialized stores. The method of application is simple: where the cat has adapted to walk “big”, you need to spray the spray. Animals avoid such places; they don’t like them.

A person in modern society is simply obliged to observe the rules of personal hygiene, smell nice and look neat.
But what to do if all the rules are followed, but an unpleasant odor still emanates from the body? Every person, under certain conditions, tends to sweat. The smell of sweat is different for everyone, but it happens that the sweat takes on a sour smell, the smell of ammonia, vinegar, or even worse - the sweat smells like cat urine. Human sweat consists of 99% water, and 1% urea, salts, acids and other chemical compounds. If he starts to smell like cat urine, this indicates an increased secretion of urea and uric acid. These substances settle on the hairs in the form of crystals and cause unpleasant odors. Moreover, a similar phenomenon is observed in both women and men. People’s first reaction: what will others think of me, will they judge me, criticize me. But in this situation, you need to think not about the gossip around you, but about your own health, since any unpleasant body odor can be a symptom of very serious diseases of vital organs. In this case, get tested as soon as possible.

Frequently asked questions about cats

Often cat owners ask questions: why does their pet perform certain actions and what is the reason for this? Here are the answers to some of them.

Why doesn't my pet eat from a bowl, but drags pieces of food onto the floor?

The animal has very sensitive whiskers, and he does not like it when they come into contact with dishes. You can offer your pet a low, wide bowl or accept that he eats from the floor.

Why does an animal crouch when it notices a bird or a mouse?

The main goal of a hunter is to catch prey. To prevent the victim from noticing that they are about to attack her, the cat tries to behave as quietly as possible. She crouches to the ground, camouflages herself in the tall grass and prepares to jump. The muscles are tense, one jump must be enough for her, otherwise the prey will have time to escape.

Why does the mustachioed creature “interrupt” you when you are talking on the phone?

The pet simply does not understand that you are communicating with someone else. He does not see your interlocutor and therefore believes that since you paid attention to him, then you need to say something in response.

Why does a cat sharpen its claws on wallpaper and upholstered furniture?

Firstly, the cat needs to sharpen its claws, and secondly, there are glands between the toes that emit a special aroma. This is how a cat marks its territory.

Why does a sick animal want to hide in a dark corner?

This is due to natural instincts. Sick animals can become easy prey for larger predators. To avoid potential danger, the cat hides as far as possible.

Why does a cat lightly bite its owner?

This is how she shows her love.

Why does a pet love to lick its fur so much?

Because he is clean. But there is another reason - this is how a cat calms its nerves when something has thrown it off balance.

Why does an animal raise its upper lip when it smells something?

In the mouth of cats there is a special Jacobson's organ, which is responsible for the additional sense of smell. If your pet is interested in something, he will want to inhale the exciting aroma as deeply as possible.

Why doesn't the furry beauty like to swim?

Animals usually respond calmly to water, and some may even enjoy taking a bath. However, we must take into account that cats are very sensitive to their freedom. And when they are shoved into a basin or bathtub and forcibly soaped, this “causes outrage.”

If you pet a cat for too long, it may bite. Why?

Every cat has very sensitive areas. Mainly tail, mustache, nose, ears. When a person begins to show increased attention to them, the cat may be patient, but not for long. Then the animal makes it clear that it does not like this kind of treatment.

Why does my pet drink tap water?

Like most animals, cats prefer fresh water. Therefore, tap water attracts them much more than water poured into a bowl.

The cat hides its toys near the feeding area. Why is she doing this?

There are several places in your home that your cat considers his own. Favorite toys should be hidden where, in her opinion, no one will touch them. Encroachment on personal territory can greatly offend a pet.

The cat turns away if you don't pay attention to it for a long time. What is the reason?

The pet perfectly reads your body signals. As soon as you move out of his sight or stop paying attention to him, he loses interest in you and turns away.

The cat brings dead mice and moles to the doorstep. How can I wean her off this?

Perhaps the pet believes that you need to be fed, and gives its prey as a sign of love. Or hides the mouse for the future. Humble yourself and just throw away the “gift” every time it appears in your home. And of course, be proud of your talented hunter.

Why does a cat lick inedible things, such as plastic bags?

This is another way to “taste” smells.

The animal actively buries the food bowl and scratches the floor around it. Why?

Either your pet is trying to hide the food for later, or she is showing you that the food has spoiled or she simply doesn’t like it.

Why does a cat attack a person's legs and bite their heels?

This is due to the desire to hunt. At home, instinct is expressed in harmless play. If the kitten starts biting too hard, let him know that he shouldn't do that.

Why does a cat rub against furniture and legs?

It’s very simple: this is how she marks her personal territory so that a stranger does not encroach on it. At the base of the tail, near the whiskers and between the front paws there are glands, thanks to which the pet leaves its scent on what it considers its property.

Why does a pet “trample” its owner and things?

It has to do with instincts. In early childhood, kittens use similar movements to stimulate an abundant supply of milk. An adult cat expresses its love and satisfaction in this way.

Why does an animal go into the arms of those who don’t really love them?

If a person behaves calmly and does not grab the cat in his arms as soon as he sees it, then she believes that this is a sign of attention. A freedom-loving animal can choose as its idol a person who treats her more than coolly. When a cat comes up to you and lightly bumps its head against your legs, it is showing its love and affection.

Why does a cat lick a person's hair and face?

The love and devotion of a pet is a well-deserved reward for warmth and care.
It is a form of expression of devotion and care. In early childhood, the kitten receives similar signs of attention from its mother. For him, this is normal behavior, an expression of great love.

Why is my cat sniffing my armpits?

Before you, dear readers, is another article from the “cat oddities” series. Surely many of you have noticed how furry pets show an unhealthy interest in their armpits, intently sniffing for something. What might be of interest to cats there? Let's try to figure it out.

A little about a cat's sense of smell.

Read also: Sore throat without fever

Most likely, you have already tried to find an explanation for another cat’s quirk. And they came to the conclusion that tailed animals have a special passion for everything that emits a deep (and not entirely pleasant) aroma. In principle, you were not far from the truth: cats really have a sensitive sense of smell. More recently, information has circulated in the world of science that barbels can even “sniff out” cancer in people in the early stages. Be sure to check out the article on the topic on ilike.pet.

No one knows for sure what the reasons for this behavior are

Genetics plays a certain role (most cats that demonstrate this behavior are oriental breeds (Siamese, Burmese, etc.) or their crosses), as well as early weaning of the kitten from the mother's breast. Young kittens have a very strong sucking instinct, and early weaning upsets cats' natural instincts and promotes this behavior.

Early weaning leads to kittens sucking their owners' earlobes, their fingers, or trying to suckle other pets. Kittens should never be taken away from their mothers before 8 weeks of age, and should ideally remain with them until at least 12 weeks of age.

How to break your pet's habit

When an owner is annoyed by such excessive attention from his cat, there are several ways to try to get rid of this habit:

• A game. By switching attention to entertainment and giving your pet an outlet for energy, you can relieve her for a while from the desire to lick something or someone.
• Weasel. If the problem is stress or lack of attention, you need to pet and hug the animal more often, and the problem will disappear soon.
• Change of interests. Apply a special solution – catnip – to your pet’s toys. It is sold in pet stores. Its scent will attract the cat's attention.
• Refusal. If your pet's behavior becomes overly intrusive, every time he tries to lick him, you need to gently but decisively push him away and make it clear that this is not worth doing. After some time, the method will work and the cat will stop trying.
• Substitution for another item. Buy a fur mitten and put it on your hand every time you try to lick your fingers. After time, attention will switch to the object, and the owner will no longer be needed.

It is worth remembering that such behavior of a pet can be due to a whole range of different reasons and there is no need to get angry or scold him for it. After all, with such behavior the cat does not want to cause harm, but is simply trying to attract the owner’s attention to his person or show love.

Pheromones

Continuing the theme of the special predilection of cats for the armpits of the owner, we can say that pheromones are to blame. Especially if furry girls are in heat. They simply begin to “live” with their nose hidden in the armpits of the owner. After all, the owner’s smell becomes simply incredibly pleasant.

A cat's sense of smell is much more sensitive. And therefore, the cat family is able to distinguish not only pheromones, but even such subtleties as the hormonal background of the owner. In this case, pregnant women get active sniffing. Sometimes, based on the behavior of animals, hormonal disorders of the host’s body begin to be suspected. There is even a theory that cats can tell by their behavior when girls are ovulating. But, since animals do not write dissertations, there is no 100% evidence yet.

To maintain cleanliness

Self-licking is a natural and very common mechanism for caring for one's own body in the animal kingdom.

Kittens begin to lick themselves from the age of four weeks, and before that, all manipulations regarding the infant toilet are performed by the parent.

Cat licking rituals like these are a demonstration of love for cleanliness:

1. The cleanest . Sometimes it seems that keeping oneself clean is the main task of a feline brother. Taking the most graceful poses, Murka licks herself for hours, touchingly washes her face with her paws and rubs her ears. She does this many times a day: after sleeping, feeding, taking care of her natural needs, and even stroking her. A cat's tongue, covered with miniature hooks and therefore rough to the touch, combs and arranges hairs like a brush, removing dirt and foreign odors. During this massage, blood flow is stimulated and the skin glands intensify the production of an oily secretion, which lubricates the hair and protects it from moisture.
2. “No” to foreign odors . The desire to lick a person may be motivated by the desire to destroy unusual scent marks. According to the cat's understanding, all perfumes, including perfumes, soaps, shampoos and creams, have unnatural and even unpleasant odors, which must be urgently gotten rid of. This is why the cat spends so much time and carefully licking its own area of ​​the body with medicinal ointment applied to it.
3. Tempting aromas . Some cosmetics, on the contrary, can be very attractive to mustachios. Such, for example, is a hand and nail cream with an extract of medicinal valerian, which has a magical effect on cats and activates the owner’s obsessive licking. Some cats love the smell of peony tincture and therefore tend to lick the hands or lips of a person who has taken this sedative. Cats are also attracted to human sweat, which contains odorous substances similar to animal pheromones. So the owner, returning from a morning jog or after a hard work shift, smells very attractive to the murka.

Health risks

First, breathe a sigh of relief. Because your armpits don't smell bad enough to make your cat sick. She just loves doing it for all the reasons described above.

But problems may arise if you use deodorant. Deodorants contain toxic substances that can harm your pet's health. This may cause itching. So keep your cat away from you if you apply too much deodorant.

As for your cat loving the taste of salt, it's not a bad thing for your pet. It's normal for cats to crave the taste of salt.

And don't worry, this doesn't necessarily mean your cat has a mineral deficiency.

Cats greet each other by sniffing their butts

Butt sniffing is a socially acceptable and healthy form of communication between cats. The smell of a cat's butt can provide a lot of information.

The cat's rectum contains the anal glands. These are two small sacs, through two holes that release an unpleasant-smelling substance into the rectum. A cat's anal glands empty each time her rectal sphincter contracts during bowel movements.

However, it can be difficult for owners to detect the odor of the anal glands because the odor is overwhelmed by the smell of your cat's feces. Cats have a more acute sense of smell and can therefore tell them apart.

Why do cats sniff butts?

Even though the butt greeting rituals are weird, felines have a purpose. A cat gets enough information from the smell of another cat's butt to tell whether it is friend or foe, a good companion or a nuisance. Is the new cat young and a threat to the other cat's territory?

Each cat has its own unique butt smell. This smell serves as identification of the cat. Butt sniffing helps cats determine if they've met before.

This helps establish dominance between the two cats. A cat that starts sniffing ass is often the dominant cat. A dominant cat will stop sniffing and become aggressive by hissing to complete the introduction.

Keep in mind that not all cats greet the same way. Some cats are shy and limit the amount of information they provide. So they sit down, cover their rectum with their tail, and limit the scent they emit.

Anti-stress therapy

Animal psychologists know that an agitated animal increases the production of saliva and develops a desire to lick itself or surrounding objects:

1. Cat auto training . Any monotonous action in an alarming situation leads to a decrease in arousal. Prolonged self-licking of fur, in turn, additionally stimulates sensitive skin receptors and activates the pleasure center in the brain. Thus, a cat experiencing stress turns on its mental defense mechanisms and “withdraws into itself.” With repeated exposure to adverse factors, self-licking can turn into mania, leading to weeping eczema and granuloma.
2. Owner-psychotherapist. In an attempt to relieve stress, cats may lick a person's hand. This is exactly how an animal behaves on a trip or during a visit to the veterinarian, provided there is a trusting relationship with the owner. Contact with a familiar palm and pleasant reciprocal stroking of the fur shifts the pet’s attention and has a calming effect.

Raising cats - how to wean cats from “bad” habits?

With their legendary curiosity, cats can cause a lot of trouble. But tailed pets are difficult to train; you need a lot of patience. For those who do not want to bother themselves with such difficulties, you can take into account the dislike of cats for certain smells. This will help scare away the mustachioed striped ones from those areas where they do not belong. What smell do cats not like?

• Cats hate citrus scents. If you crumble the skins of oranges or lemons into a flower pot that your cat has gotten into the habit of nibbling, she will no longer come near it.
• You can spray the area where you don't want a cat's presence with vinegar. Cats hate him. For humans, the vinegar smell will become invisible after a few minutes, but cats will smell it for much longer.
• Lavender, mint, and rue can also act as natural scarecrows. They can be planted in a garden area where the presence of cats is undesirable.
• You can buy cat repellent spray at pet stores. The method of using it is simple: where the cat has become accustomed to shitting, you need to spray it with a spray. Cats avoid such places; they don’t like them.
• Cats are also repelled by essential oils made from lemongrass or orange. You can prepare a mixture based on rosemary, cinnamon and lemongrass by adding three parts of water.

The mixture should be sprayed daily until the cat realizes that these places should not be approached. After a long time, the pet may forget unpleasant associations and return to forbidden places. Therefore, the owner will have to repeat spraying from time to time. You can also not spray the solution, but make cotton balls, dip them in the product and scatter them where needed.

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What senses are closely related to a cat’s sense of smell?

In addition to smell, cats have well-developed other senses. They are all closely related to him

:

1. Touch

   . The joint work of the whiskers and the cat's nose makes it easier to find the mother and her nipple, as well as other important objects.

2. Taste

   . Delicious food must smell good. Thanks to its developed sense of smell, the pet determines the edibility of food before trying it.

3. Hearing

   . The cat's ear even detects ultrasound, and the nose detects the slightest changes in the chemical composition of the air. All this allows cats to recognize natural disasters before they occur.

4. Vision

   . Despite developed night vision, animals are not able to see in pitch darkness. In such cases, they rely on their sense of smell, hearing and touch.

The listed feelings, of course, play a big role in the life of mustachioed pets, but their loss is not fatal. Complete disorientation is caused only by the loss of olfactory function. In the wild, such animals do not survive, since along with their sense of smell, all other senses are dulled. This increases their vulnerability and shortens their overall life expectancy.

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Symptoms of diseases

There are cases when licking people is a desire to draw attention to the pet’s health problems, and not a show of love or a request for affection. These may be diseases or conditions such as:

• Skin parasites, including fleas. The cat worries not only about itself, but also about the people around it, and is trying to get rid of the problem.
• Allergy. If feeding is incorrect or the food is changed, skin problems can occur, which leads to excessive licking of yourself and those around you.
• Disturbances in general health. By licking frequently, the animal tries to signal that something is wrong with it. It is important to notice changes in behavior and contact a veterinarian promptly.
• Infectious diseases. Some of them cause itching and rashes on the skin, which irritates the pet and he tries to get rid of it in this way.

What is Jacobson's organ in cats - and what is it responsible for?

Jacobson's organ, or vomer, consists of 2 narrow canals. These canals are located in the upper palate, just behind the front incisors. The surface of these canals is also lined with olfactory epithelium. The difference is that it does not focus on a general set of aromas, but on a specific type.

The true purpose of the vomer has not yet been proven. Felinologists argue between the following theories:

• perception of cat pheromones;
• oral sense of smell, which allows the cat to distinguish edible from inedible;
• prediction of disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods), possible by detecting minor changes in the chemical composition of the air.

Recognizing the use of a vomer is quite simple. At this moment, the animal takes a characteristic pose: it freezes, opens its mouth slightly, wrinkles its nose, lifts its lip when inhaling air and gathers the skin on its head into a kind of grimace, or “flehmen smile.”

Prices

It’s strange to refuse hair removal services in salons. When compared to the cost of trying to do the procedure at home, the price of armpit waxing will be lower. Each salon sets its own prices for procedures. They depend on the level of service, location, professionalism of employees, and the products they use. But the difference in prices is insignificant.

Sign up for high-quality armpit depilation at our SUGAR-ME salons!

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