Our kitty cat friends around the world are some of the most fascinating species out there. Not only are these guys and gals adorable, but they make wonderful pets. Even if they can be rather indifferent they always have ways of showing their love to those close to them. What behavior in particular that most people find cute yet peculiar is head-butting. Cats will sometimes rub up against us and butt their heads against us as well, but what does this action actually mean? Today we plan to discuss this exact topic. Relax and sit back as we explain to you why your cat headbutts.
One of The main reasons that your cat headbutts you is because of pheromones. To put it simply, they are natural chemicals that are released outside of the body. Pheromones can drastically change the behavior of animals. This is really just another way of cats marking their territory. Now do not be fooled, this is still a sign of affection from your cat. In essence, your cat is marking you as theirs to potentially ward off any other animal. A lot of house cats will also do this to their favorite person when they see him or her. This behavior is completely normal in all cats.
The second reason that your cat could be head-butting you is for no other reason then to show and give affection. Cats, even in the wild, will often bump heads to show love and affection to other cats. This is also another way for cats to mark their family members. As this is a normal thing amongst wild and domestic felines, you should not be worried or try to stop them from doing it. In all reality when a cat headbutts you, you should feel rather honored. Cats can be very picky with humans so having a cat show affection this way is an incredible experience.
The third possible reason is because your furry little kitty cat really trust you. Cats can be interesting creatures and usually take some amount of time to really get to know and understand the people around him or her. Once they begin to become familiar with everything, they will usually find and stick to one person. This person is their favorite and will often headbutt to show full trust. Some cats have been known to have multiple favorites, but it is not as common of an occurrence. From here this lead us into our next reason for your cat’s head-butting.
Another reason for head-butting could simply be to bond with you. Cats will often headbutt other cats or other members of their pride if they are wild and this helps them to really bond with one another. Bonding with your kitty cat is something that should begin from day one. If your cat begins to headbutt you more often as time goes by, it could mean that your feline friend is trying to bond with you. Performing this action back to your cat can be fun, adorable, and even silly, but it is always best to bond on their level.
Something to be careful of is to not confuse head-butting with head pressing. Head pressing is when I cat will relentlessly press his or her head against a piece of furniture or even a wall. This action is usually related to a neurological problem of some sort. If you see that your cat is doing this instead of head-butting, you should go to see your veterinarian right away. Sometimes neurological issues can be fixed or at least treated to minimize the side effects of the issue. Also keep in mind that if your cat does not headbutt at all that it is not a big deal as every cat is different.
Headbutts from your cat can really help you if your mood is down. Somehow seeing your cat all excited as he or she trots over to you and just bumps their sweet head against you can make everything better. Head-butting is a completely normal behavior for both wild and domestic cats and should never be confused with head pressing. Remember if you do see signs of head pressing you should go see your veterinarian immediately.