5 replies to this topic

[dino ♥]

So I recently saw a topic about Hamsters licking humans and I noticed some interesting answers.
I have a cat (family cat, but she loves me the most ) who loves to lick/groom me and all of my stuff. She tends to go bury herself into my blankets and start purring and she'll kind of suck at and knead it as if looking for milk. She is a relatively young kitten, but she has not needed milk for a few months now-
She will also hold onto my hand while laying in her bed (when I pet her she'll kind of grab me) and start to lick at and groom my hand.

Spoiler

This is kind of how she holds me, you can see her mouth is like on my hand (she was falling asleep at that time though- )
Also,Ignore the weird crop, my desk was really messy (she sometimes sleeps in that box filled with blankets on my desk while I'm at school, she really craves human affection and will sleep in my parent's bed while they're asleep. I have my bedroom door closed most of the time so she can't hang out with me because of hamster and you know...
She does seem to have bonded with me a lot more in our family and will sometimes sleep in my lap while I'm eating dinner or doing other things. She does purr a lot and will sometimes seek affection by making noises (which are really cute by the way) but yeah... just me getting side-tracked while I write this post-

So... I was wondering:
Does this mean she loves me, or my hands are dirty, or I have food that she wants, or she doesn't want me to pet her or...?
Should I let her continue to do this (I am aware of the complications with bacteria and open-wounds, but I have no skin reactions to this and It doesn't seem to affect me harmfully in any way)
Any other things I should know?

[NougatTheHamster]

omG I AM OF NO USE BUT OMG THAT IS ADORABLE LIKE WTH IM JELLY

[nebit]

In cats this is called "wool sucking" and is very common in young cats and cats that were removed from their mother too soon. In some cats, it becomes a life-long behavior. It can be dangerous if they ingest they material they suck on. https://catbehaviorassociates.com/wool-sucking/

[dino ♥]

In cats this is called "wool sucking" and is very common in young cats and cats that were removed from their mother too soon. In some cats, it becomes a life-long behavior. It can be dangerous if they ingest they material they suck on. https://catbehaviorassociates.com/wool-sucking/

Ok, wow
That makes a lot of sense I guess...
We apopted her from the shelter where she was found in a crowded train station. We actually got her and brought her home when she was only about 10 or 11 weeks old.
Hopefully this will go away on it's own, but I definitely need to look into this more.

[bewerent]

She must love you. Cats rarely do that! I mean, usually, cats do this only when they smell something that turns them on. I'm pretty much sure that you took some medications or washed your hands with a different soap. My cat, for example, loves the smell of the cloth softener that I use for laundry. Whenever I change the linen, he is the first one in my bed! I know that this might sound crazy, but I've read this in a blog about cats! The most important thing is that your cat is healthy and that you shouldn't be worried about their behavior!

Edited by bewerent, 29 July 2021 - 03:38 AM.

[fiannakrog]

Hi, I think it's all because you're your cat's favorite family member. You don't have to worry about this because I know that this is a good sign of attention from your pet. Most of all, they like to show their care and love through "washing" with their tongue. This is what a cat mom does with her children, and this is what cats do with each other when they want to show sympathy and affection for another individual. It still depends a lot on what breed you have; cats of British breeds often do this with people. You can read more about it yourself on the website https://kittyinsight.com/9-popular-grey-cat-breeds/;there is an article about the most affectionate and gentle breeds of cats.

Edited by fiannakrog, 18 July 2022 - 04:09 PM.