Is it normal for cats to lick people?
By fluffysue
@fluffysue (1482)
United States
October 23, 2016 10:26pm CST
I've had a cat for about 9 months now, and she is my first cat. She is an older cat, she turns 14 this month. She's relatively low-key and quiet, but very affectionate and loves attention. When I first took her in the house (she belonged to a neighbor), she used to try to lick me often, and I didn't let her, because it seemed like she was trying to bite me. (I hadn't realized cat's tongues are so rough, now I think that's all it was and she probably didn't use her teeth).
Then, I figured that maybe like with dogs, if I let her lick me she would stop. (I am NOT a dog person, but I finally figured out that works with them.) Well guess what, it only encouraged her, and she licks me all the time!. She loves to lick my hands, but she will lick any exposed skin she can find, even my feet.
I totally take it as a sign of affection, whether it is or not, so I never really minded it, once I got used to it. I started petting her every time she licks me, and that seems to be her goal. Particularly as sometimes her licks seem to say "Hey, you have two hands just sitting there, why isn't at least one of them petting me?".
Now, I've asked a few people, and they tell me their cats do NOT lick them, so I'm wondering if this is an odd thing, or maybe it is odd that my friends' cats do not lick them?
7 people like this
7 responses
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Yeah, it's affection :-) She might be grooming you. Bless you for taking an older kitty
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Aw, she is such a sweetie, it was my pleasure to take her in, and I actually feel bad that I let her continue to wander the neighborhood through half of last winter. (The whole neighborhood was taking care of her, and she even had a heated bed someone made for her, but still). Apparently she simply became unhappy with her living environment with her previous family. She's been pretty content as an indoor kitty with me since January. :)
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
26 Oct 16
@41CombedaleRoad She was an indoor kitty for most of her life, and maybe 4-5 months outside (periodically being taken back home, only to be let out again within a day or so). I was surprised she adjusted so well, too (although I knew almost nothing about cats. lol). She only ran outside once, maybe a week after I took her in. She's been happy inside.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
25 Oct 16
@fluffysue I am surprised that you have managed to persuade an outdoor kitty to give up the outdoors and become a stay at home cat. One of my cats could do this if necessary as she is indoors more than she is out, but the other two would be scratching at the door all the time.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
24 Oct 16
Yes I have had cats all of my life and they do lick you. It is a form of affection!
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
21 Dec 16
i've had 17 cats,and it seems the rule and not the exception.
especially if you have something good on your hands like cheesy poof dust..
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
24 Dec 16
It doesn't seem to matter what I have on my hands! I try to make sure my hands are clean before I let her lick them, so sometimes it's soap...I try not to use lotion too much (even though I need to), because I don't want her to lick it off. Of course she really does it a lot when I give her her pill, because then my hands still smell like the pill pocket (salmon flavor, which she loves.)
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
24 Oct 16
I have three cats and only one occasionally gives me a lick and then a short quick one. I think she is testing to see if I have a little smudge of yoghourt on my finger because occasionally I give her a little share from my finger when I am eating yoghourt. She licks me until it is clean, but that is the only time.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
25 Oct 16
@fluffysue Cats must surely be the most spoiled animals in the world!
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
24 Oct 16
We've had many cats, but our cat Gracie is the lickingist cat I've ever seen. it drives me crazy...she'll lick you forever!
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Aw, she must really love you! Or she thinks you taste good. Either way! :)
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
24 Oct 16
One of my cats occasionally licks me on the hand but the other one has never done it.
I haven't got a problem with dogs or cats licking me. People get far too hung up on everything having to be clean to the point of being sterilised these days. This is one of the reasons for the increase in the number of allergies in my opinion. Nobody builds up any immunity!
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
24 Oct 16
When I was younger I was more worried about things like that. I never had pets other than fish, but if we ever touched an animal, even someone's pet, we were told to immediately wash our hands. I ended up with the idea that animals are inherently dirty or something. Now I'm like "well, as long as I'm not petting her with the same hand I'm eating my sandwich with, it's OK". lol
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
25 Oct 16
I agree WorDazza that we can be too concerned with germs, our bodies are made to protect themselves from harmful bacteria at least to a point. When I was a child we were allowed contact with children with measles, for instance, because it was better to catch some of these children's illnesses when we were children and get immunity for our adult life, rather than catch it when we were adults when it would hit us harder.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208846)
• United States
4 Dec 16
My cat will lick me at times, when he is grooming himself, he will wash my arm right along with his grooming ritual. I think he thinks I am part of the family..Actually, I know he loves his mommy..
1 person likes this
