I got a kitten in october, hes about 4 months old now. Ever since i got him he has tried to lick inside my nose, only me. Now he wants to lick my entire face. What would cause him to do this?! He also sucks on my blanket and clothes, which i know could be because he was weaned too early or he learned it from my other cat who was definitely weaned too early. I dont know how old rumple was when he was weaned, someone found him and couldnt keep him so now hes my baby.
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Why does my cat lick my nose?
- Thread starter acamp1288
- Start Date
Hi and welcome to TCS 
Cats will greet each other by touching noses, and they obviously groom each other. Your cat is treating you like a family member. Our faces sometimes are salty also, and I do believe they enjoy the taste. One of ours will groom my fiance's forehead. Both of ours will give small kisses with their tongues to our noses. I also think sometimes it's an invitation for us to pet them It's very endearing and shows that your kitty really does like you!
Cats will greet each other by touching noses, and they obviously groom each other. Your cat is treating you like a family member. Our faces sometimes are salty also, and I do believe they enjoy the taste. One of ours will groom my fiance's forehead. Both of ours will give small kisses with their tongues to our noses. I also think sometimes it's an invitation for us to pet them It's very endearing and shows that your kitty really does like you!
Cats lick as a sign of love and affection, especially hands and faces, and the behavior is normal for a well adjusted happy cat. Some people don't like it, but if it does bother you, please be very careful about how you discourage it (with very gentle redirection, never scolding), or your cat may think you are rejecting the intent (to show their affection), rather than the act.
personally, I trained my cat to redirect "love bites" into licking, so YMMV.
personally, I trained my cat to redirect "love bites" into licking, so YMMV.
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When cats lick their owner's face, hand, etc., it's a sign of affection and a strong bond. Cats usually greet each other by touching noses as Sivyaleah said, and grooming is also a sign of affection. It's normal for a cat to do this with there owner, and he is probably content and happy with you. You mentioned that your kitten was weaned too early, and a cat should stay in the company of their mother until 6 weeks and even better if they stay for 7-12 weeks. As kittens learn grooming, licking, and sucking behaviors from their mothers, being separated too early can cause some cats to cling to these behaviors until adulthood. You kitty is probably licking your face and nose as a kind gesture, as it's associated from their time spent with their loving mother, and he then associates with you because you take good care of him and show affection and love towards him. Him licking your face and nose is not harmful, but if you want to stop this behavior (which is up to you) you can pull him away from your face and ignore him for five minutes, don't make eye contact or acknowledge him. He will think that by licking you, he doesn't achieve the attention and love he wants and might stop. Don't yell and never use physical contact -such as shoving, hitting, or grabbing him harshly- to prevent it, as this will confuse you cat and make him weary of you because licking and grooming comes naturally to him and he's just being friendly. In my opinion, him licking you is simply a affectionate and loving act that you shouldn't necessarily discourage unless it's getting out of hand or you don't like it.
Also, sucking accessibly on your clothes and blankets is seen as a overly dependent trait -as he was weaned too early-, but this is not something to be concerned over in small doses. Your cat is using the clothes and blanket as an alternative to sucking on his mothers teat, but your cat may or may not grow out of this habit. Although many stop this, as they would eventually stop nursing from their mother, quite a few times, cats will return to this habit in times of upheaval, stress, or when they are nervous. I do warn you though that this behavior can turn into a problematic situation. For example, cats can start to chew and eat the items they suck on, and this is when seeing vet is vital as it can become life threatening and dangerous for cats because he can choke on the fabric he chews off and it's not healthy for him to eat it. This is very unlikely though, and his sucking is not dangerous, though just make sure the clothes are clean and there isn't any thing harmful he can ingest by sucking on them. Don't encourage this behavior though, as it it best for him to grow out of it.
Hopefully this helps!
Also, sucking accessibly on your clothes and blankets is seen as a overly dependent trait -as he was weaned too early-, but this is not something to be concerned over in small doses. Your cat is using the clothes and blanket as an alternative to sucking on his mothers teat, but your cat may or may not grow out of this habit. Although many stop this, as they would eventually stop nursing from their mother, quite a few times, cats will return to this habit in times of upheaval, stress, or when they are nervous. I do warn you though that this behavior can turn into a problematic situation. For example, cats can start to chew and eat the items they suck on, and this is when seeing vet is vital as it can become life threatening and dangerous for cats because he can choke on the fabric he chews off and it's not healthy for him to eat it. This is very unlikely though, and his sucking is not dangerous, though just make sure the clothes are clean and there isn't any thing harmful he can ingest by sucking on them. Don't encourage this behavior though, as it it best for him to grow out of it.
Hopefully this helps!
