People tend to think that animals show love by licking us. But is this really true? Is there another reason why they obsessively like to lick those around them? Dogs are better known for their wet, slobbering kisses, whilst a cat's lick is a completely different experience. Irrelevant of your cat's breed, all cats like to lick.
Your cat's tongue is covered with tiny barbs that actually face backward in their mouths. These little barbs are what make the cat's tongue feel rough when licking you.
Read on to find out other reasons why cats like to lick and why their tongues are rough.
As previously mentioned your cat's tongue is covered in small barbs (papillae) which you can sometimes see if your cat yawns and sticks their tongue out. These little barbs help a cat groom their fur or licking scraps of meat from a bone, as the little barbs latch onto the meat and pull it away from the bone. It also helps them hold onto objects they carry around.
These barbs can also cause problems because of the way they face in the cat's mouth. Sometimes during grooming, the loose hair ends up in their mouths and causes a fur ball. Also, if your cat gets something stuck in their mouth, they may struggle to spit it out as it gets stuck on the barbs.
They love to show affection
Cats licking is a way of showing affection to their favorite people and other cats. If your cat is totally at ease with you and you both have a very strong bod, then naturally your cat will want to lick you o show you they love you. It's similar to human kissing or hugging another human to show them some love.
Territorial and marking you with their scent
All owners of cats are far too familiar with stroking their cat scenario. They give a few strokes and then the cat immediately licks themselves. This behaviour is to help the cat remove your scent from their coat and return themselves back to their usual scent.
Cats like their territory to smell familiar and therefore will lick and rub themselves up against each and everything within their space. If anything that is new and introduced to the home, you can be certain that your cat will mark it with their scent.
You taste yummy
Cats love to lick the hands of someone that has been sweating and their skin is salty. Of if they have been handling any kind of meat or fish, then your cat will not be able to resist a good lick!
Grooming themselves
After a kitten is born their mother starts the grooming produce immediately which helps stimulate breathing and get their digestive system going and to also show them how to groom themselves. From then on the kitten remembers this behaviour and it makes them feel safe and so sometimes they will exhibit the same behaviour to themselves and other cats as a sign of affection.
Its also known that cats that get on with each other will take great pleasure in grooming one another.
