Cats are able to find fun in things that can be unlikely for humans: a box, a ball of paper, something they find lying on the floor or on the edge of a table, even your hair! They are elements capable of entertain them for a long time.

When it is your hair that is part of the game you may even receive a little attention provided by the language of your cat, leading you to ask why your cat licks your hair. Does he like his taste, or is there another hidden reason? Keep reading this article and find out!

A family that bathes together.

It is not difficult to realize how important it is for cats personal hygiene. Grooming your entire body is an activity to which you spend a lot of time every day, which translates into a clean and shiny coat.

Also, if you have more than one cat at home, you may have noticed that sometimes they groom themselves quite conscientiously. Having this, what do you think goes through your cat’s mind when licking your hair? Do you think you’re dirty? No way! Cats only lick their fur among themselves when they consider that they belong to the same herd, this is as much a way of reaffirming the bond that unites them as of spreading the same smell among them.

So when your cat starts sucking and licking your hair you should feel happy. He considers you part of his pack! Also, he wants share the same smell, as a way to integrate your cat family and recognize each other, while eliminating undesirable and unknown aromas.

The human needs a bath.

This is what your cat seems to think when he starts licking his hair busily. The toilet is one of the undoubted reasons why your cat sucks your hair. It is very usual to try it when you see you lying down, and even when you are sleeping, because he himself wants to enjoy a relaxing bath before taking a nap.

The taste buds of the cats are designed, not only to perceive the flavors, but also that rough texture, which we love to compare with a sandpaper, is responsible for dragging all the dirt that accumulates on the surfaces. So it does not matter if you use the most refined and expensive hair products or the exhaustive care you give them, maybe the resulting aroma is not so nice for the cat, who will prefer to perfume you with one that is more to your liking: the saliva

On the other hand, it may also be the case that you rather love the smell of the shampoo or conditioner that you use, and that this leads to nibbling your head.

A sample of very personal affection

Many experts say: cats do not lick other beings (cats, dogs, humans, etc.) unless they profess great sweetie, so consider these grooming sessions as a token of the feline’s sincere love for you.

This applies in the same way if you try to lick your beard, because it is your way of giving back the caresses, the affection and the attentions you give him, in an equally affective way. You may notice that the cat does not groom all the members of the family, as only those whom he considers his closest friends or part of his own family members flatter them with. privileged treatment.

What if it bites you?

Some cats start licking their hair and end up small bites, either in the same hair or maybe one escapes to your scalp. If this is your case, Your cat is dying to play with you!

Licking and nibbling hair is one of the ways he has to tell you he’s bored and it’s time to have fun playing a little, you’ll see that he behaves in the same way with those cats he considers his playmates.

Do you suffer any compulsion?

Cats drain stress y the nervousness in different ways, among them it is possible to mention the habit of sucking or licking hair repetitively and restlessly. You may lick your own coat in this way, even causing injury, or the compulsion may lead you to nervously lick your hair when it is near (such as sharing the bed with him or a while on the couch).

In any case, it is easy to notice this abnormal behavior, because of the insistence with which the cat repeats the action. Veterinary attention will be required to determine the cause of the problem and know if it can be a stereotypy.

What do you do if you do not like the cat to lick you?

Despite the positive reasons that we have indicated to explain that your cat likes to lamente the hair, there are people to whom this behavior bothers them and do not know how to make the feline understand that such samples they are not desired.

If you are one of those people, do not despair: with the following recommendations the cat will stop sucking your hair in a very short time:

• When you start to lick yourself, do not caress or talk to him, because these stimuli will reinforce in your mind that licking is positive.
• As soon as the cat runs its tongue through your hair, move away from the site so that it stops, you will understand that you do not like it because it is a common reaction in cats.
• If you do not want to get out of bed, you can wrap up your head or put a pillow on top of it, the only risk is that the cat interprets it as playing hide-and-seek.
• Offer a toy to be distracted.
• Never shout or adopt a derogatory attitude, nor do you set it aside with violence.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why does my cat lick my hair?, we recommend that you enter in our Curiosities section of the animal world.