Why Do Cats Lick You? How Do You Prevent It?

Why Do Cats Lick You? Here Are 5 Reasons Behind This

Do you have a cat in your house? If yes then apart from other behavioural issues, you will face the problem of licking. While dog licking is very soothing and loving, cat licking is not that wanted because it can sometimes hurt when your cat tries to lick you. The reasons behind the licking issue can be different depending on the cat but most of the time it is very cute. We cannot ignore the fact that cats love us a lot, but if you want to stop it then you need to know the reasons why. Fortunately, there are some amazing tricks you can try to. Here are some common reasons behind why cats lick you.

She might be used to it since her kittenhood

We know kittens love to lick because they feel comfortable doing so. This makes it hard for them to grow out of it even when they would be fully grown. Luckily, there are some ways to stop this issue.

It is a good way to say you belong to the cat

Cats are territorial and they always try to protect what's theirs, including their owners. This is one of the most common reasons why cats lick you continuously, and it could get worse when other cats are near you. Cats can become really protective if you pet other animals and this can even make them quite stressed.

She might be thinking that you are an alternative to the pacifier

Cats love pacifiers so when they aren't able to find one, they use you as an alternative. As an owner, you seem like a good replacement for it.

Licking is a way to express love

Cats express their love for their owners by licking and also try to soothe you by doing the same thing. Sometimes the licking process can be gentle while sometimes it can become a bit hard for you to tolerate. This might be because they are trying to clean or pet you.

Your cat might be suffering from anxiety

An anxiety attack in your cat is a very common thing. There can be many reasons behind it and so they try to find different ways to soothe themselves. Sometimes it has been seen that cats lick because the anxiety attack is too much for them, and you may even be able to sense the stress that the cat is going through. Licking you just makes them feel comfortable and safe.

How to stop your cat from licking you

You can try to distract your cat's mind by getting it a toy. Most of the time it would work instantly which is great news.

If your cat is licking you due to stress then it is very important for you to not command the cat rather calm them. Once you are sure that your cat is stressed then it becomes important to keep them comfortable while trying to stop them from licking. The best thing here is to give them some treats.

It is very important that you start the training at an early age so that the cat could become used to it. You have to keep yourself straight and strict with the command. The cat would soon understand you and would accept what you are commanding the cat.

You need to be very patient while you train the cat as it would take time for them to understand your command. They are intelligent but they are very rigid at the same time. They might not listen to your command because they don’t want to but you have to work on it continuously.