Cat licking me every time I touch her for over 2 years

puddertatten

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I have a 14 year old cat. She licks me literally every single time I pet her or touch her. This has been going on for at least two years. For whatever reason, she stopped for a few weeks after her lifelong companion passed away in November, 2017. The 14 year old I'm talking about was dominant in the relationship.

The vet suggested wearing long sleeves. That is literally the only thing that helps, and even then she goes for my hands.

I feel really bad for her and baby her a lot. She seems to be getting dementia (sitting and staring at walls, crying at night, appears to be confused at times).

What on earth do I do about this? I don't want to stop petting her.
 

mollyblue

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I have a ragdoll that licks my hands when I pet her and bites my nose at other times, when I am sleeping, or sometimes even when I am not sleeping just giving her affection.  This cat if I pick her up will literally grab my hand and proceed to lick every finger as if a baby holding and going after a bottle.  Be interested to see what others say about this.  I know not how to stop it. 

How is your cat's fur?  Tati's fur is very downy, soft yet, silky not at all... if I pet her too much, she gets static built up in her fur pretty fast and I am wondering if that is so she doesn't get little shocks when I go to touch her. 
 

Brian007

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@MollyBlue  I think we've discussed before my ragdoll licking me often when I stroke him.  He also gives me a swift lick on my bare legs or feet in passing.  Sometimes he practically gives me a bath, I feel as though I must be ever so mucky.  He doesn't groom himself half as much as he does me!  But his fluff looks a nightmare to lick, as it fills his mouth up and he starts to splutter, so I guess my relative baldness must be more appealing.

Some people say cats lick people for the salt from their sweat but I can't see why Dudley should require a full salt cellar every day.. Others say, it's to show their love to you.  I definitely feel his love when he gives me the odd, 'thank you' lick, or swift, 'you're my best buddy' leg lick.  But I don't think he's necessarily showing me love when he's chomping down between my fingers, turning them over with his nose, and really giving me a thorough once over.  Maybe it's because I got him at 8 weeks old when he wasn't really ready to leave his mum, so he grooms me as he would another cat, to reinforce our social bond.

Some say cats lick out of boredom, loneliness, or stress but I really can't imagine that's why Dudley does it.  He's super relaxed and I'm with him virtually 24/7.  Don't get me wrong, I do get to stroke him without being licked also, it's not all out washing.  In older cats, Dudley's only 13 months, licking could be indicative of hyperthyroidism

Others say it's a way of marking you out as their territory, claiming you as theirs.  But there's no one around but me and him so I don't think it necessary to have to baggsie me everyday.  It could be that because cats like our stroking them that they think we'd like to be stroked with their oh-so-smooth tongues in return. Or it's even been suggested that they like the taste of recently digested food coming out in our sweat glands, but Dudley will lick my face after I've put some on noxious tasting cream, then recoil slightly before attempting another lap.  At which point I intercede and tell him he's being silly and he stops. 

Brian used to bite me on the nose all the time.  Mostly only gently but at other times really quite hard indeed.  He'd wake me up by biting my nose.  I used to wish that if I died first that he'd get stuck in and devour my face.  I miss my nose nibbles. 

Try stroking her lower down her body, near the base of the tail is particularly favoured.  I can stop Dudley turning a, 'hello, I love you, but you're also really grubby so I'll just see to this first, licking" by simply gently holding his head in one hand whilst stroking him with the other.  And before too long he's flat on his back with legs asunder, having his tummy tickled for hours. He loves tummy tickling! 

@Puddertatten  I realise I've not been much help to your particular situation, sorry about that, but at least you know that Molly and I are worthy of grooming too.

 

Brian007

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Maybe try giving her tasty valerian cat-calming treats, which would take the edge off her confusion and chill her out.  You can give two treats a day as a maintenance dose and Dudley says they taste super lush.


They do a weekly spot-on treatment also.

 

mollyblue

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Ah, I love my tats, and her licking, I guess from what I read here is not obsessive.  Mostly when I get home she will greet me at the door flop over on her back and we have a nice little tussle/tummy rub session, then I scoop her up as my back can only handle so much of the other...   So, a couple reasons she might be grooming me.  One, she missed me, as I work very long hours.  Two, I bring all the different smells from the great outside in... Three, she could be claiming me, we do have 3 other cats.  Four, I am diabetic, and I think she likes me more when my sugar is high - so she is like a therapy animal maybe, sort of, kind of in an I might be reaching there, kind of way.  Five, Tati is an odd ball cat and its just her thing.  I don't think she is super stressed, though she does try to be the peacekeeper of the other three.  I might try the cat calming treats, but unless they taste like Temptations, I don't think Tati will go for them.  She doesn't eat much dry food, or wet food, or human food, pretty much just the temptations.  She will sit, high five, give kisses, stand on her hind legs, and shake for them.  LOL, even without being asked.  As a matter of fact, even if you tell her No Tati, no treats, she will be high fiving you like crazy.  If you give her treats without putting her through her routine, she will walk away without eating them. 
 

Brian007

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@MollyBlue  I just looked up Temptations and they are the very same thing as the UK's "Dreamies", made by the same company, Mars, same packet design, same billions of increasingly varied tastes, same highly addictiveness.  When I search for Temptations, I just get shop sites that sell them.  But when I look up Dreamies, not only do I get shop sites, but dozens of different cat forum threads and blogs, discussing Dreamies addicted cats.  The terms "crack for cats", "cat possessed", cat goes "nuts/mad/crazy", "Dreamies overdose", etc etc etc, are frequently used.  There's a very funny thread on mumsnet about them, and how people's cats react to the merest look in the direction of the Dreamies' cupboard, usually a top cupboard to stop cats breaking in to gobble down whole packets and end up in a Dreamies induced, euphoric coma.  I actually felt sorry for Americans for not having Dreamies but you've had them all along, just with a different name. 

According to Dudley, the Beaphar cat-calming treats are even more scrumptious than Dreamies, if you can imagine such thing!  They look exactly like Dreamies but the recommended dose is just two treats a day.  So, when I give him one or two, I often give him a few Dreamies as well, or he thinks he's been hard done by.  And they have a marked relaxing effect.  Dudley is super relaxed anyway, but he clearly enjoys some extra chilling and even smiles, and makes little, "ummmmm", noises and gestures, I swear! 

@Puddertatten  I hope it's ok to have discussed Temptations/Dreamies on your thread but I thought it of interest to all.

 
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puddertatten

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I am sorry I sort of abandoned this thread for a few days. A cousin-in-law's mom died.

I've come to realize in just the past couple of days just how bad Ashley's dementia is.

We have Feliway going, but it doesn't make much difference in the licking. I did try the sweatshirt trick again and it did help somewhat. Part of the problem is that I feel so bad for her due to her age and health that I allow the behavior to some degree. She must get confused.

Thank you so much for your responses and suggestions. [emoji]128512[/emoji]
 
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