Cats love cuddling, snuggling, spending time with beloved ones. It’s adorable when they see you and come closer just to touch you and feel that you are home finally.
Just like kids greet their parents.
But have you ever wondered why do cats rub against you? What can be the possible reasons behind this gesture?
Well, if you haven’t or never shared this thought with anyone else, don’t worry.
After reading our blog, you will not be in dilemma, and it will clear your doubts or confusion why your kitty does such a gesture.
Keep reading to get fruitful insight information regarding your kitty’s odd behavior of rubbing against you.
Reasons for This Unusual Behavior
Well, cats use different body languages to communicate with their companions or pet parents. They also have a habit of adapting to unusual behavior.
So being a pet parent of cats, encountering odd behavior is nothing new for you.
Your cat rubbing her body against you is one of her odd behavior, which she sometimes does it with you and other family members also.
So, to give you a clear understanding of your cat’s behavior. We have done some research and gathered fruitful information for you which might help to clear your confusion.
Scroll down to get better knowledge regarding why do cats rub against you?
1. Your Feline Rub Against You to Mark Territory
The possible answer to the question, why do cats rub against you?
Could be that she is marking you as her part of the family, and by rubbing against, she is leaving her scent that claims you solely belong to her.
And no other pet animal can think of coming near to her beloved ones.
Cats have scent glands all over their body they leave that scent behind by rubbing themselves against you.
We humans can’t smell the scent, but other cats will easily sense it, and it’s a kind of warning sign for them to stay away.
2. Kitty Trying to Communicate
Why do cats rub against you?
Well, cats are great talkers, they don’t exchange languages but still, through her body sign, she communicates with other companions and pet parents.
So, rubbing her body is also one of their body sign of communicating with you.
Felines communicate with their whole body, from paws to the tip of the tail.
It says a lot about her mood, happiness and if your feline is in a good mood she will rub her body against you a lot.
In other words, she is having communication with you that she is in a jolly mood.
3. She Is Trying to Spread Her Scent
As we know, felines have a very strong smelling sense, and they want to smell everything.
Especially, if it’s related to their pet parents then they want to know from where you have come, etc.
Similarly, they want to share her information with you, she has smell glands all over her body.
By rubbing her body, she’s transferring her smells /scent so that she can convey to you all the messages about her daily routine where she went, etc.
However, if according to your kitty if you don’t smell good or smell different.
In that case, she will rub her body against you to give you some of her scents that will help you to smell good and familiar.
4. Might Be She Is Gathering Information
It is not necessary that whenever felines rub themselves against humans they are showing love, affection, or want something from them.
No, my friend, sometimes it’s possible that your kitty is rubbing her body against you to gather information by smelling the scent.
Felines rely heavily on their smell glands to gather information about their surroundings.
We humans also carry all types of scents so from that she can easily make out where have you been, or you have cuddled any other pet or not, etc.
For instance, if any stranger has come to your house or your friend or relative visited whom your feline has never met before, it’s possible that she will rub her body against them also to smell the scent of their body.
It will give her fruitful information about that person and their vibes.
5. Your Kitty Is Showing Affection
Could be simply it’s one of the ways of showing her affection and love for you.
In other words, a kind of thanking gesture for taking care of her so nicely and protecting her from predators.
Cats learn this head rubbing behavior from their mother cat, in kittenhood days when their mother used to rub her head against their body, she was showing her love for them.
Similarly, they rub their head against you as a form of affection gesture. In addition, felines rub their head when they want to greet someone.
6. She Wants Something From You
Another reason, why do cats rub against you? It could be because she wants something from you, and she is trying to grab your attention.
Many cats think that rubbing body could easily grab pet parents’ attention and their demands will get fulfilled easily.
For instance, if you are in the middle of some work and at that time your kitty is feeling hungry, she will simply come closer to you and try to grab your attention.
But after applying all formulas, at last, she will try to rub her body against yours.
Your feline thinks rubbing body always grabs your attention, and she will get a positive response from your side and her needs will also get fulfilled easily.
7. Expressing Her Happiness
It could be possible that your kitty is expressing her happiness by rubbing her body against you or rolling towards you.
When your feline pal rolls her body towards you and rubs her belly, it means she is happy and conveying to you about her happiness.
For instance, you are relaxing on your couch, your kitty comes closer to you, rolls her body while purring.
She is comfortable with your company and happy to see you around her.
However, be careful while cuddling don’t accidentally touch her sensitive area of the body, it will switch your kitty mood from happy to attacking mode.
Few cats don’t like too much petting, and this action might turn her jolly mood into angry mode.
8. Expressing Her Trust
Another possible answer to your question is, why do cats rub against you? Could be that she is expressing her trust towards you, and she feels secure with you.
When your cat rubs or pushes her head against you, in other words, head-butting, it means that she considered you her family and shows affiliation, trust.
Affiliation behavior of kitty means she marks you as one family and headbutting expresses her trust and comfort level with you.
Felines only allow their closed one to come this much closer to them, when she doesn’t like someone’s presence, she pushes that person with her head.
9. She Is Greeting You
Why do cats rub against you? It could be possible that your kitty is excited to see you, and she is greeting you or welcoming you back home from a long day of work.
However, felines also do this with strangers in that scenario they are not greeting, just marking that person with cheeks or tail.
Felines way of greeting is they will come closer to rub their legs against your body and say hello, even sometimes, stranger encounter this gesture.
Furthermore, there is also one possibility that not always she is greeting you sometimes when they hungry, they follow the same gesture to demand food.
So carefully observe your feline’s body language and act accordingly.
Conclusion
Oh! So you landed on the last paragraph, which means we were able to keep you engaged. And you enjoyed reading our blog on why do cats rub against you?
Well, so far as you know, we have discussed all the possible reasons behind your kitty’s odd behavior of rubbing.
Like they might be greeting you, showing love or affection, and expressing her trust for you that is how much she feels secure when you are with her, and she enjoys your company.
Furthermore, it’s not always necessary that she is only expressing her love or demanding anything from you.
It’s also possible that by rubbing herself, she is trying to exchange information by sharing the same smell. In addition, it also means that she leaves her mark on you that you solely belong to her, and you are her priority.
References
- Why Does Your Cat Like to Rub Against You? — Martha Stewart
- Why do cats rub round their owners’ legs? — International Cat Care
- WHY DOES MY CAT RUB AGAINST…EVERYTHING? — Catonsville Cat Clinic