Why Do Cats Lick, Chew or Eat Human Hair


Cats definitely have some odd behaviors. Though many cats share similar, common quirks, some actions may need us worried about our furry friend’s health and wellbeing. Why does a cat sometimes eat and chew its owner’s hair? We’ve done some searching and have the most effective information for you.

The main reason for a to lick or chew their human’s hair is affection. Mutual grooming could be a way for felines to mark one another as family. When Kitty licks you, she’s probably bonding and showing what quantity she loves you.

Excessive grooming may be an indication of stress. If you notice a rise in grooming, including mutual grooming, try and see if there are any changes in Kitty’s life lately.

Now that you simply know some reasons why a cat might eat or chew your hair let’s discuss them in additional detail. We’ll discuss some ways to prevent the behavior, moreover as discuss other questions you would possibly have. Continue reading!

A cute tabby licking the beard of his owner, Why Does My Cat Eat And Chew My Hair?

Not all cats lick human hair, but when a young cat begins to try and do that, the act can easily become a curious habit.

Why do some cats lick their person’s hair while others don’t? Nobody knows needless to say. Some cat lovers wish to affectionately call this “the barber’s gene” but nobody knows if this is often of course a genetic trait.

Not all cats lick human hair, but when a young cat begins to try and do that, the act can easily become a curious habit.

Why do some cats lick their person’s hair while others don’t? Nobody knows evidently. Some cat lovers prefer to affectionately call this “the barber’s gene” but nobody knows if this can be of course a genetic tarik Let’s dig deeper into the explanations for a cat to lick their owner’s hair.

Grooming as an indication of affection and how to bond

Cats use grooming as the way to indicate us we’re a part of their family. Mutual grooming – also referred to as allogrooming – could be a common feline behavior in multi-cat households and indicates that the cats are bonded and luxuriate in each other’s company. the identical is true of feline-to-human grooming.

There’s a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

Each feline has their own unique “scent signature”. While our human noses aren’t sensitive enough to acknowledge the olfactory blend, it plays a central role in a very cat’s sensory world.

Your cat transfers a number of their unique scent to you thru grooming and rubbing. they're of course marking you as their own, in an exceedingly subtle way that’s us humans can’t perceive.

Marking by rubbing and grooming is in a different way the cat is saying you as their friend and an element of their pack. this is often a crucial a part of your cat’s social life and isn’t an excessive amount of cause for concern unless your cat starts having frequent hairballs thanks to it.

You can read more about the phenomenon here: Why Do Cats Groom Each Other? (The Answer Will Surprise You!)

This is out and away the foremost common reason for your cat to be licking your hair.

Increased Grooming – could or not it's stress-induced?

Stress is usually manifested as overgrooming or overlicking in cats.

While licking another person (or cat) isn’t likely to be an expression of stress, be careful for increased frequency as a possible sign of stress.

How are you able to tell if the behavior is stress-related? try and take a glance at what’s changed in your pet’s daily routine. Here are a pair of examples.

A New Move

If you’ve recently moved into a brand new home and your cat started eating and chewing your hair, the new house is likely the culprit. wait and see along with your kitty as you create the transition to the present new area. It’s essential to form sure your cat has their things from the old house they need already rubbed against and transferred their scent.

A New Pet

If you’ve adopted a brand new cat or another animal, this intruder may be causing your cat plenty of stress. Try introducing a brand new pet slowly into the household by keeping them separate and slowly setting out to allow them to spend time together. an excessive amount of togetherness too fast is probably going to cause undue stress to your four-legged friend.