Tag: scent

Behavior

Why Do Cats Rub Against Your Legs?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Page from old book with drawing of cat rubbing a person's legs
“Cat in an affectionate from of mind, by Mr. Wood” from The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin

Whether you find it annoying or cute, it is a universal truth that cats rub legs–and pretty much everything else, including each other. This quirky behavior is unique to cats [8]. Why do they do it? What’s so interesting about our legs? And our shoes? And that one corner of the sofa?

Showing Affection

As I discussed in my article about how our cats show that they love us, cats communicate their affection with their humans in the only ways they know how: like they would with another cat. A friendly nuzzle or head butt is one way that cats express affection for each other [1, 3, 4, 8]. It may be a greeting or just a reminder that they love you [3, 6].

When cats rub our legs, they put their faces and eyes in a vulnerable position, so it’s a clear sign that kitty trusts you and feels comfortable around you [5]. As animals that are in the middle of the food chain, cats need to be extremely vigilant to survive, so they only let their guard down if they feel completely safe.

Diagram showing position of a cat's scent glands
Diagram of Cat Scent Glands from Cat Care Center of Baton Rouge

Scent Marking

Cats are also naturally territorial animals, and rubbing both objects and family members is a healthy territorial behavior. Cats have a lot of scent glands on their faces [1-3, 5-8]. They use the pheromones produced by these scent glands to mark their territory by rubbing against objects [1-6]. Cats also create a group scent within their colony by rubbing their pheromones onto each other [2, 4, 5]. Since we are part of our cats’ social groups, our cats rub our legs to create a group scent [2, 4, 5]. Although we can’t smell it, it’s important to our pets [1].

When cats scent mark each other, they usually nuzzle their heads together [5, 7]. But humans are just too tall [7]! So instead, cats rub their faces against whatever part of us they can reach, and that’s usually our legs or feet [5, 7].

Trying to Tell You Something

Does your cat suddenly start twining around your legs when it’s time for their dinner, or when they think it’s time for their dinner? Mine do, and I nearly fall on my face about once a week. Why are they rubbing us then? Because they’re trying to get our attention and give us a message [3, 4, 6, 8]. In this case, the message is clearly, “Feed me.” Sometimes, though, cats might rub our legs because they want to play or to be pet [3, 4, 6, 8].

So if your cat keeps nuzzling you over and over, they may be trying to ask you for something. Unless you were recently visiting with another cat. Then they may just be trying to make you smell right again.

Works Cited

  1. Becker, M. and Spadafori, G. (2006). Do cats always land on their feet? 101 of the most perplexing questions answered about feline unfathomables, medical mysteries & befuddling behaviors. Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL.
  2. Blackwell, E. (2022, October 5). How to tell if your cat loves you, according to science. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-tell-if-your-cat-loves-you-according-to-science/
  3. Bondi Vet. (n.d.). Why do cats knead and rub against us? https://www.bondivet.com/promo/why-do-cats-rub
  4. Catonsville Cat Clinic. (2018, February 16). Why does my cat rub against…everything? https://www.catonsvillecatclinic.com/holmes-corner/why-does-my-cat-rub-againsteverything/
  5. Gormly, K.B. (2020, September 15). Why do cats rub against you? Catster. https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/why-do-cats-rub-against-you-a-weird-cat-behavior-explained
  6. Grimmet, D. (n.d.). Ask the vet: Why do cats rub against your leg? Sunset Vet Clinic. https://www.sunsetvetclinic.com/ask-the-vet-why-do-cats-rub-against-your-leg/
  7. International Cat Care. (2018, October 5). Why do cats rub round their owners’ legs? https://icatcare.org/advice/why-do-cats-rub-round-their-owners-legs/
  8. Waynick, L. (2021, December 14). 3 reasons cats rub against your legs. The Spruce Pets. https://www.thesprucepets.com/why-cats-rub-against-legs-5210427

Published March 19, 2023

Behavior

How Do Cats Show Love?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Ginger cat bunting tan dog
Photo by Snapwire on Pexels

Some people say that cats do not care about their humans, or that cats are cold and heartless. Both of these ideas are totally wrong and usually based on an assumption that cats should communicate with us the way dogs do (2, 3). But of course, they are not dogs, and cats show love in their own ways. Every cat has their personality and will communicate a little differently. That being said, here are some of the love letters your cat may be sending you.

Slow Blinks

One of the most important ways cats show love is with the slow blink, sometimes called the “cat kiss” or the “cat I love you” (1-5). This is when a cat looks at someone with half-lidded eyes and leisurely blinks at them (1, 2, 4, 5). The gesture conveys comfort, trust, and affection (1-5). That is because to cats, who are both predatory and prey animals, keeping their senses alert is imperative to staying alive in the wild (2). Therefore, slowly closing the eyes to another creature, a potential aggressor, is a signal of willing vulnerability (2). It says, “You make me feel safe.”

This is a form of cat communication that you can easily reciprocate. Soften your gaze, half-close your eyes, and slowly blink at your cat. Make sure not to stare–sleepy eyes only. Cats will sometimes return your slow blink.

Bunting

Also known as head butting or head bonking, bunting is when cats push the tops of their heads against that of a friend, be that friend cat, human, dog, or anything else (2-5). Cats have scent glands in their foreheads (2, 4). When your cat bunts you, they are mixing their scent with yours (2, 3, 4). This is a common social interaction among cats (2, 3). Cats build relationships by commingling scents, so this is a way they display affection (2-5).

Friendly Tail

Cats communicate a lot with their tails. A cat who is happy to see you will have their tail held high with a slight curve at the tip (1-3, 5). Flicking just the tip of the tail is a quick, friendly greeting (3, 5). This is a likely result of domestic cats’ ancestors living in dry grassland habitats where a tail held high to say hello would be visible above the tall grass (2).

Grooming

Two cats grooming
Photo by Ayelt van Veen on Unsplash

Another way cats show their love is through allogrooming, or grooming one another. Cats that have a bond use allogrooming to create a community scent and to relieve stress (3, 4). Your cat may groom you for the same reasons (3, 4). That sandpaper tongue may feel strange, but just remember that it’s a sign your cat cares about you.

Cheek Rubbing

You have probably seen your cat rub their cheeks against all manner of things in your home, including you. This is a scent-marking behavior, as another place cats have scent glands is in their cheeks (2, 3). Cheek rubbing declares ownership (2, 3, 4). Unlike more aggressive territorial behaviors, however, the cheek rub is a confident, friendly form of scent-marking that invites socialization (2, 3, 4).

Kneading

Kneading involves the rhythmic flexing and relaxing of a cat’s paws. Kittens knead against their mothers to stimulate the flow of milk. Adult cats often exhibit this behavior as well when they feel very content (1, 3). If a cat is making biscuits on your lap, you know they feel comfortable around you (1, 3).

Talking

Cats can make up to 100 different sounds, and they use some of them exclusively to communicate with humans (2). Chirps, trills, and meows are common sounds cats use to talk to their people (2, 3, 4). Some cats are more talkative than others, but almost all appreciate being spoken to (5). It makes them feel included (5). Another kind of kitty talk is purring. Cats purr for a variety of reasons, but one of them is to express security and contentment (1-5).

Vulnerability

Tabby cat rolling over on its back
Image by mrs. pandora from Pixabay

When cats completely trust those around them, they are willing to exhibit vulnerable body language (2, 3, 5). Like the slow blink, these postures would put a cat at risk in the presence of predators or assailants. A cat that is stretched out is leaving themself exposed, thus showing that they trust you (3). An even greater display of trust is for a cat to roll over on their back and show their belly (2, 3, 5). Don’t take it as an invitation to a tummy rub–that’s a bridge too far for most cats (2). But it does mean that your cat feels very safe with you.

Works Cited

  1. Bowman Road Animal Clinic. (n.d.). Does my cat like me? 6 ways cats show affection. https://bowmanroadvet.com/2017/02/6-ways-cats-show-affection/
  2. Galaxy, J. & Delgado, M. M. (2017). Total cat mojo: The ultimate guide to life with your cat. Penguin Random House: New York.
  3. Johnson-Bennett, P. (n.d.). How cats show affection. Cat Behavior Associates. https://catbehaviorassociates.com/how-cats-show-affection/
  4. Krieger, M. (2020, January 1). How do cats show affection? Look for these 7 affection signs. Catster. https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/how-do-cats-show-affection-cat-affection-signs
  5. Moore, A. (2001). The kitten owner’s manual. Storey Publishing: North Adams, MA.

Published March 13, 2022

Behavior

Why do cats raise their butts when you pet them?

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Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

By special request from Brooke B.

White and brown cat stretching
Photo by Tamba Budiarsana from Pexels

You are probably familiar with the feline behavior amusingly termed “elevator butt.” Stroke a cat along the length of their spine or scratch them at the base of their tail, and they are likely to stick that posterior up in the air. My parents’ cat, Rosenberg, actually stands all the way up. It’s a foolproof way to get her out of your spot on the couch. But, why? It’s a pretty weird thing to do. When my friend asked me to find the answer for her, I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to. I mean, yeah, I wanted to know, too, but would there really be any behaviorists out there devoting their brains to the mystery of why cats raise their butts when you pet them? Sometimes I’m thrilled to be wrong. Not only did I find answers, but they’re really quite interesting.

The Importance of Body Language

Cats can’t just tell us how they feel, but they communicate a lot without words. One reason your cat might lift their hindquarters in response to petting is to tell you “oh yeah, that’s the spot–more of that please” (3-5). They’re leaning into the pleasurable sensation (1, 2). The hips and base of the tail have lots of nerve endings, so many cats really enjoy being pet or scratched there and want to tell you to keep going (1, 2). It’s also difficult for cats to reach those spots when grooming, so you may be scratching an itch kitty just can’t reach on their own (1, 2).

In addition, cats present their rears as a friendly greeting (1, 4, 5). Another cat would sniff the scents coming from their anal glands to learn more about them (1). Your cat probably knows from experience that you won’t put your nose under their tail, but their instincts still tell them that a raised butt communicates trust and friendliness (1).

By the same token, cats may exhibit this behavior as a way to mark the person petting them with their scent from their anal glands (1, 2, 5). That may sound gross, but it’s similar to when cats rub you with their cheeks, another place where they have scent glands. They just want to lay claim to a favorite person or someone who is making them happy by petting them in just the right spot (1, 2, 5). The pheromones from a cat’s scent glands are undetectable to the human nose, but other cats can smell them and tell whose human you are (2).

Are You My Mommy?

There is a theory that cats raise their butts in response to petting as a holdover from when they were young kittens (1, 2, 4, 5). Kittens aren’t able to do much for themselves at first. That includes grooming, which they rely on their mothers for until they get the hang of it. Young kittens stick their posteriors in the air so their mothers can clean them (1, 2, 4).

White mother cat and kittens
Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Our pet cats have a complex relationship with us in which they view us partly as surrogate parents (1, 2, 4, 6). When they feel their person stroking their back the way their mother’s tongue once ran down their fur, they may react the same way they did as kittens.

But What If…

…My Cat Doesn’t Do This?

If your cat doesn’t put their rear end to the sky when you pet their back, it doesn’t mean they hate you. If you just got your cat, it could be because they haven’t quite warmed up to you yet (2). But some cats just don’t enjoy being pet around the base of the tail like others do. The concentration of nerves endings that makes it feel so good to a lot of cats can actually make it unpleasant for others (1, 2). Other cats may like a little petting in that sweet spot but quickly become overstimulated (1, 3).

If your cat used to get elevator butt and really seem to enjoy those back scratches, but suddenly they don’t, or your cat seems to react with pain when touched around the hips/tail base, this could be cause for concern (1, 2). Skin allergies, impacted anal glands, spinal problems, and kidney disease can cause pain in that area (1, 2). Take your cat to the veterinarian if you notice any signs of pain in their lower back.

…My Cat Does This Without Being Pet?

If you have an intact (un-spayed) she-cat, you may notice that sometimes she gets elevator butt not only when you pet her, but apparently out of the blue. This is called lordosis and is an indication that a she-cat is in estrus, or heat (2, 3). Lordosis looks slightly different from regular elevator butt because it’s actually the she-cat presenting herself to a tom for mating–whether a tom is present or not (2, 3). She turns her tail to the side and may tread her hind paws (3). She cats in heat will usually do this a lot, including almost any time they are pet.

Works Cited

  1. Ask-a-Vet Member. (n.d.). How cats use their posteriors in friendly body language. CatHealth.com. https://www.cathealth.com/behavior/how-and-why/1224-cat-posterior
  2. FAQCats Team. (n.d.). Why do cats raise their back when you pet them: Behavior traits. FAQCats. https://faqcats.com/why-do-cats-raise-their-back-when-you-pet-them/
  3. Johnson-Bennett, P. (n.d.). Why do cats raise their butts in the air? Cat Behavior Associates. https://catbehaviorassociates.com/why-do-cats-raise-their-butts-in-the-air/
  4. ourcatsworld (2016, March 4). Why do cats raise their butts in the air? Our Cats’ World. https://ourcatsworld.com/2016/03/why-do-cats-raise-their-butts-in-the-air/
  5. Parker, R. (n.d.). Why do cats arch their backs when you pet them? SeniorCatWellness.com. https://www.seniorcatwellness.com/cats-arch-backs-when-petted/
  6. Thomas, E.M. (1994). The tribe of tiger: Cats and their culture. Simon & Schuster.

Published January 10, 2021