Cat Licking Air

[MonaLyssa33]

My cat Maisie has been letting me pet her more recently and I discovered today that she seems to love having the base of her tail scratched. She licks the air or herself. I know this is a common reaction for cats, but I haven't found a definitive answer online as to why she does this. I've seen some answers that cats who are overweight do it, so it has me thinking maybe Maisie needs to lose some weight. She's not obese, she's a little overweight, but I wouldn't say it's restricting her in any way. Does anyone know of the reasons cats do that?

 

[susanm9006]

Maybe the licking is sort of a nursing reaction or because she produces more saliva when you pet her. I have had one cat that drooled like a dog when she was pet. The grooming is, I think, an emotional reaction to the stimulation.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Feeby does the same thing - although she licks herself, not the air. I have always kind of thought that she has a mild form of hyperesthesia causing this, as she also has skin 'rippling' down her back when touched in the same general area. But, I just recently read (on this site, but cannot now find it again), that the area right above the tail is supersensitive with lots of nerve endings which can elicit a response in the manner that Maisie and Feeby do.

I will also tell you that Feeby is a bit overweight, but I personally don't think that necessarily is the reason. I have also heard it happens with cats that can't groom themselves, not just from weight but, due to arthritis - Feeby also has some arthritis...

I think the answer is - it is just what some cats do, and there are likely a ton of different reasons why!! Including what susanm9006 suggested!

 

[Caspers Human]

The base of the tail is a “hot spot” especially for female cats.

Thats where the male cat bears down during mating. It causes a mating response in the female cat.

If your cat gets stimulated when you pet her there, that could be the reason why.

If your cat likes it there’s no reason to stop but if she acts weird, you could lighten up when you pet her there.

 

[Hellenww]

I've never had a cat that didn't have a similar reaction. No matter the size, they all loved it.