person grooming

So last night Squeaky and I were doing our thing - I lay on the couch, she kneads my stomach for awhile, and then she settles down on my chest and I pet her. This went on for about 20 minutes when she went off on a tangent - she decided to groom me. Normally, she just licks my hand a little, but this time she went all out, all the way up my arm for a good 10 minutes. When she got to my sleeve, she stopped, looked at me, hopped down on the floor and started grooming herself.

Now, my question. It's not really important, but I am curious. Why would a cat lick a person? Does it signify anything? Or is it just because I smell dirty

I'd like to believe it's because she views me as someone close to her, and it's a sign that she cares for me, but that could just be wishful thinking.

It is absolutely a sign that she cares for you - this is one of the ways they have to demonstrate love - in her book, she is taking care of you...

awwwww. Now I have to go give my kitty a big ol kiss, if I can catch her. I opened the french doors, and she's gone nuts. She's alternating between bouncing off the walls and wedging herself between the door and the screen.

She's being affectionate.

All our cats do it from time to time. Molly occassionally holds me down for a good wash, especially if I wake up from a nightmare.

heh! i have a groomer & I have to stop him. he wants to lick my head & i have long hair!

Awww! Kitty kisses!

Poppy wants to lick my face all the time....though I worry about him licking my face too much especially after I've just put on my night cream or makeup.

After I finish doing sit-ups on the floor in the morning and fall back flat on my back catching my breath, my LARGE male cat Wingnut loves to come lay down behind my head and knead through my hair, sometimes with his claws partly extended (in effect, combing my hair). He'll do this until I get up. I think he thinks I'm his mother and he's doing what kittens do (even though he's almost 2 years old).

I think adult cats live their entire lives in an extended state of kitten-hood, with the humans fullfilling their maternal needs.

Originally Posted by SalsaNChips

I think adult cats live their entire lives in an extended state of kitten-hood, with the humans fullfilling their maternal needs.

Click to expand...

Yup. I think that's true for most of them, anyway.

Molly switches between that and mothering us, though. When she used to go outside, she would occasionally bring back prey and try to teach us to hunt.

One of my RB kitties, Harrison, groomed me all the time.

Hehehe... this got me to thinking about that movie The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Remember that one?

One of the main characters is a vet who has a talk radio call-in show and one of the callers calls in and it talking about his cat licking his face for like 4 hours, and now he wonders why he has a rash. It cracks me up.

i think my cat licks my hand b/c she likes the salt taste or the residue from the last thing i ate. she'll often lick my wrist where i spray cologne, and she tries to lick my armpit, which just isn't allowed! i think it is also how she takes care of me. my cat, angus, licked a wound on my hand once.

Yup, yup, yup. It's love and affection, a bonding thing that cats do with each other and their hoomins. I"m sure it stems from kittenhood where Mama took care of the babies. But hey, we learned that stuff from our parents, too. We just don't LICK! Unless yer weird!!!!

I am always flattered to get a kitty "kiss". I them!

Squeaky loves you and is comfortable enough with you to show it by grooming you. My Freya would groom me for minutes at a time, all the while making little noises. Sounded like she thought I was dirty and didn't take care of myself so she would do it for me. I really, really miss her.

Elijah doesnt' groom me, but he and Anna have little mutual grooming fests. Anna occasionally gives me a couple of quick licks.

Enjoy, you are loved!