In case you’ve ever owned a cat, you’ve most likely seen them bumping their head in opposition to you every now and then. This conduct is comparatively frequent amongst cats. Nonetheless, they do it for a lot of completely different causes, and it may possibly generally be arduous to interpret this conduct.
On this article, we’ll define among the commonest causes cats might bump their head in opposition to you. This record ought to assist you determine the trigger behind your cat’s conduct.
The 6 Causes Why Your Cat Head Bumps You
1. Affection and Bonding
Cats have scent glands on their head. Subsequently, they could stumble upon you to combine your scent with theirs. Within the wild, that is how cats preserve colony bonds and acknowledge each other. Mixing your scent with one other cat symbolizes a degree of belief and togetherness that cats can’t categorical every other method.
(Their scent glands are additionally why they rub up in opposition to your legs or your sofa. It’s all about making their folks and residential scent like them.) You probably have a number of cats inside your property, chances are you’ll discover them doing this to one another, too.
2. Greeting
A head bump is a pleasant method for cats to say “hi there,” as nicely. It’s a social gesture that reinforces a cat’s bond with their proprietor (and different cats). The pinnacle bump possible has the identical underlying which means because the bonding we expressed above. Nonetheless, some cats usually tend to head bump after being separated from their proprietor.
In fact, after you’ve been separated for some time, it is smart in your cat to try to combine your scents once more. In case you’ve been out of the home, you might also scent “bizarre” and in contrast to your property. Subsequently, your cat might try to “repair” this by head-bumping you.
3. Consideration-Looking for
Your cat may additionally bump you with their head again and again in the event that they’re looking for consideration. In case your cat purrs or meows whereas bumping you with their head, they’re most likely making an attempt to get your consideration. Many cats will attempt to search consideration on this method, so that you shouldn’t contemplate this uncommon conduct.
Your feline might begin doing this in the event that they haven’t seen you shortly. In fact, some cats do that excess of others.
4. Consolation
Cats usually really feel safe once they’re with somebody they contact. In case your cat is burdened or anxious, they could search out your consideration or presence. They might not even need to be petted. Many cats really feel extra snug merely being within the presence of their homeowners.
Some cats search out extra consideration once they’re anxious or burdened. Subsequently, there may be the chance that sudden head bumping might sign underlying anxiousness or stress. Nonetheless, there are various causes cats could also be looking for out consolation. It simply could possibly be a benign conduct, as nicely.
5. Mutual Grooming
Mutual grooming is one other method cats combine their scent and sign that they and another person are a part of the identical group. In feral cat colonies, cats will generally groom one another. You probably have two cats, you’ll have seen that they groom one another, too. Normally, solely cats which are very shut (or have an open persona) partake in mutual grooming.
Head bumping generally is a precursor to mutual grooming. Cats might head bump in greeting earlier than beginning to groom one another.
Subsequently, your feline might head bump you in an try to jumpstart a mutual grooming session. That is extraordinarily much like your cat looking for consideration. Nonetheless, it could not contain meowing or be as insistent.
6. Territorial Marking
As we’ve mentioned, cats have scent glands of their head. Subsequently, they could begin to head bump you to “declare” you as a part of their territory. Similar to they could rub up in opposition to a leg chair to say that space as theirs, they could attempt to declare you as theirs, too.
It may be arduous to inform the distinction between this underlying motive and others. Moreover, some cats usually tend to “mark” issues than others.
Unspayed males could also be notably susceptible to territory marking, which might embrace head-bumping issues. In case you see your male rubbing up in opposition to quite a lot of various things, this can be the underlying motive. You might simply be one other factor within the house they’re making an attempt to mark!
Ought to I Be Involved About My Cat’s Head Bumping?
No, you need to be involved about your cat’s head bumping. Cats might determine to head bump for all sorts of reasons. Nonetheless, these sometimes contain affection or territorial behaviors—each of that are utterly regular. The prospect of head bumping being associated to an underlying sickness is extremely low, particularly in case your feline isn’t exhibiting every other indicators of sickness.
Normally, in case your cat head bumps you, our suggestion is to give them some attention! Whether or not your cat is making an attempt to combine your scent or simply saying “hi there,” it’s normally a sign that they need to interact with you. Extra playful cats might even be making an attempt to get your consideration to play.
In case your cat doesn’t head bump you, there isn’t a motive to be involved, both. Some cats merely don’t partake in head bumping all that a lot, whereas others appear to do it on a regular basis. This distinction might be attributed to persona variations—not one thing being incorrect together with your feline!
Conclusion
There are various causes your cat might run their head on you, from saying “hi there” to marking you as their territory. Fortunately, this conduct is benign within the overwhelming majority of instances. Your cat is solely interacting with you for one motive or one other, sometimes as a result of they love and belief you.
In fact, in case your cat reveals a sudden shift of their conduct, it may be an indication of an underlying drawback. Some cats will search out extra affection once they aren’t feeling nicely, although hiding is a extra frequent response to sickness. When doubtful, all the time search out veterinary help.
Featured Picture Credit score: Jaromir Chalabala, Shutterstock
