You Make Your Cat Feel Secure
If your cat chooses to sleep with you and stretches out to place its paws on your face, this means you make it feel safe and secure. Cats are usually light sleepers as they instinctively remain alert for dangers.
If your cat really trusts you, it can afford to relax when it sleeps with you because it truly believes you will protect it. When its paws touch your face as it sleeps this is so it knows you are still there. It can then relax into a deeper sleep. If you move or stir it will feel this through its paws and become more alert.
Your Thoughts On Cats Pawing Human Faces
Why do you think cats paw at, touch, and sometimes even rest their paws on human faces for quite some time?
Have your cats ever done this? What type of touching do your cats do? Is it a paw that stays motionless on your face for a long time, a short time? Is it a pawing motion, something like human petting?
Why do you think your cats do this? Are there multiple reasons? One overwhelming one?
Which explanations do you think are more likely to explain why cats in general touch human faces with their paws? Which do you think are the least likely reasons?
Love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and stories in the comments down below!
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Elises Favourite Tip
One of the most frustrating problems Ive had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats desire to play. While this is typically hard to do, toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves make the job one heck of a lot easier.
The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. I have a slew scattered around the house, so when my cats get bored, even if Im busy or not even home, my furries are able to actively play.
Unmistakable Ways Your Cat Says I Love You
Many myths exist about cats and their ability to bond with people. It has been a long-held belief that cats only see us as their servants and not as real companions.
As a cat mommy to many cats, and cat caretaker to thousands more, I can tell you with unwavering certainty that nothing could be further from the truth.
Cats love unconditionally and with loyalty they just have their own way of showing it. If youve ever wondered if your cat really does love you, here are 8 ways your cat says I love you every single day. I am sure your cat exhibits some, if not all, of these loving behaviors.
I meow you, human. Via Giphy
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Why Cats Knead Blankets And Other Soft Objects
Cats start to knead as kittens while nursing from their mother. A nursing kitten instinctually kneads to help stimulate the mothers milk production. But why do they continue to knead past nursing age?
You might find your cat kneading blankets, stuffed animals, or other soft objects around the house. Even though kneading a soft surface doesnt yield milk, adult cats forever associate the motion of kneading with the rewarding comfort of nursing.
Ii: Reasons Why Cats Spill & Splash Water Out Of Their Bowls
Pretty much the entire lot of these explanations briefly described in at least one of the types of ways cats often spill and splash water out of their bowls.
But there are so many overlaps that I thought Id mention them altogether here, as well as solutions in case youre troubleshooting because youd rather not have so much mess.
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Why Is My Cat Suddenly Attacking Me
Cats usually display fear aggression when they feel threatened, especially when cornered. Initially the cat tends to show defensive body language and will attempt to avoid the person they are afraid of, but when cornered they may become quite aggressive. Cats with fear aggression generally do not approach the victim.
He Wants To Show You Cat Love
Cats also use physical touch just like us in order to show their affection to people and other cats. If you cuddled with your cat on the couch and he reaches out his paw to touch you, then it can be a sign that your cat is showing you love.
This is especially true if your kitty is also purring loudly during that time.
According to experts, if your cat sits close to you, reach his paw out to you, and blinks his eyes slowly at you, it means he is showing you some love. So, if your cat gently reaches out his paw to touch your face, it is a sign of your cat friendâs love.
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What Does It Mean When A Cat Paws Your Face Conclusion
Weve covered 10 common reasons why cats put their paws on our faces. There are probably many more. We can only guess by reading a cats body language and by what happens next as to what is really going through a cats mind.
It is rare for a cat to gently reach for your face and then attack you. A kitten might get a little excited and scratch by accident, but mature cats are unlikely to.
Try to respond to your cats actions. She may be hungry, need to go outside, or want some attention. This will help the two of you to bond and form a loving relationship.
Your Cat Could Be Returning The Favor Of You Petting Them
Cats enjoy head rubs, chin scratches, ear rubs, and many of the other ways that we show them love and affection. It shouldnt come as a surprise that they would want to return the favor. So, in essence, when they touch your face, they are petting you back.
This is endearing when you think about it. Its nice to know that they love and recognize the affection we show them. And they appreciate it so much they want to return the favor the only way they know.
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What Is My Cat Trying To Say
Your cat speaks to you in so many different ways that sometimes, its hard to know what they are saying. To know where your cat is coming from, the first thing you should know is that your cat considers you to be their human, belonging to them in every respectand all of their actions are based on that fact. So when your cat does something that angers you, keep in mind that they may be trying to tell you something.
This article will break down a whole bunch of commonly asked questions relating to why cats do what they do, what their body language indicates, and what they might be trying to communicate to you when they speak. Read on to finally figure out what your trusted feline friend might be trying to say to you.
What Should You Do If You Think Your Cat Is Asking For Some Distance
In the immortal words of Aretha Franklin, R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Your cat is a living being with emotions, preferences, wants, and needs of his own. The law may say you own your cat, but a relationship with your cat is the thing that matters. A relationship of any kind is built on trust and respect. If you think your cat is asking you so very nicely for some distance, give it.
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Your Cat May Be Testing You
Another reason why your cat may be touching your face with his paw is that hes putting you to a test. This is usually the scenario if you adopted your cat from a pet shelter or if he was a rescued stray. He may have a traumatic background resulting in a lack of trust toward humans. Building trust is not an automatic thing and it takes time but with your patience and care, your cat will ultimately warm up and eventually trust you.
Requests For Food And Objects
Sometimes that outstretched paw can indicate a request for something and that something is often a treat. If Im eating something my cat thinks looks tasty, hell sometimes raise a paw or reach out towards the food to see how I respond. The answer is usually no, because I try to avoid feeding him from my plate. Once Im done, though, Ill often fetch him a small treat.
My cat will also reach out a paw to me if Im holding something thats interesting, such as an item that could be a toy. This happens sometimes when Im knitting. Im sure those wool balls look like great kitty toys. In this sort of situation, Ill fetch one of my cats own toys to distract him.
The outstretched paw is often an indication of where the cats attention is and what he wants. It can also be an attempt to catch your eye. A cat might stretch out a paw to get you to look at him once he has your attention, hell let you know what hes after. Its a fairly polite way to get you to focus on the cat and to engage you without being too pushy about getting your attention.
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What Do My Cat’s Tail Movements Mean
When a cat walks with their tail straight up, it means that they are relaxed, confident, and want to be noticed. If you dont notice fast enough, they might get directly underfoot and swirl from one leg to the other. Of course, it is worse if you have something they want, like canned food or milk. They will start to yell if you aren’t forthcoming or fast enough for them.
When a cat walks with their tail between their legs, it is a sign that they are afraid of something or might be submitting to a more dominant cat or human. They might also roll over and offer their belly to a dominant cat to show that they are not contesting the dominance. If a cat offers their belly to you, they are telling you that they submit to your dominance. But dont let that fool you, because they still believe they own you.
If a cat walks with its tail down and dragging, it is trying to be hidden or unnoticed. If that behavior lasts for longer than a day, you might want to take the cat to the vet for a bit of a check-up. A cat might also lay its tail on something showing possession, or flick its tail at something that angers it. They often flick their tail to warn you that you are getting on their nerves, and you probably should stopor the claws will come out.
Signs That Your Cat Might Be Sick
In general, your cats’ behaviorsas puzzling as they might sometimes be to youare often just part of who they are and how they express themselves, and thus shouldn’t be cause of too much worry on your part. There are, however, a few indicators that might point to your poor feline potentially feeling a bit under the weather and/or in need of some medical attention.
Here are some important signs to watch out for:
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Why Does My Cat Bite Me Out Of Nowhere
Most often, when cats bite they are trying to tell you that they arent enjoying the contact that they are currently receiving. For felines, there is a very fine line between enjoyable handling and irritating petting, so while an owner may think a bite has come from nowhere, for a cat the action is entirely justified.
Show Your Cat You Love Her Back
You can show off your own cat devotion, with the Imagine This Company I Love My Cat paw shape magnet and PetRageous Designs I Love My Cat coffee mug to assure that your cat knows how much you love her back. Your cats love may manifest itself in unique and special ways, but her love for you runs just as deep as your love for her.
Now that you know the signs, youll be able to understand her cat love language and deepen the bond with your cat even more.
Want to know more about your cat and her feelings? Check out:
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Because He Or Shes Feeling Playful & Trying To Get You To Play
While its not always the case, cats will often nip and bite at feet, legs, and ankles when theyre feeling playful and want to get your attention specifically so you can help them let out their hunter prey drive. Similarly, some cats seem to paw at faces in order to get their pet parents attention for a round of play.
If you think this might be what your cat is after, and it happens quite often, try investing in some toys cats can play with by themselves, my boys favourites being cat springs and cat kick toys like the Kong Kickeroo.
Theyll help your cat get out energy when youre not around as well as when youre unfortunately too busy to play when they happen to get that urge to hunt.
Theyre Just Well Being A Cat
Lets be honest here, cats do things that are annoying. Whether or not theyre trying to be annoying, there are several things they do that leave us wondering why.
Just think about these common kitty behaviors that can be pretty annoying:
- Unrolling toilet paper and shredding it up
- Cramming themselves inside an empty box thats left out
- Sitting/laying/sleeping on things we need to use. Such as laptops, the TV remote, our clean clothes
- Laying in doorways
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Dogs That Love To Paw
Just like some people are more prone to using hand gestures when they talk, some dog breeds are more likely to use their paws. Some dogs wave their front paws, while others cross their front paws or look like they are putting their paws together in prayer.
Dogs also tend to favor one paw over the other, just like humans do. The majority of animals are right-handers. A much smaller percentage are left-handers. Quite a few dogs are ambidextrous or use both paws equally.
Breeds more likely to use their paws to communicate also more prone to digging. Dog breeds that use their paws a lot include boxers, dachshunds, terriers, beagles, miniature schnauzers, Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and Australian shepherds.
Why Does My Cat Grab My Leg When I Walk Past
Does your cat or kitten reach out and swipe or grab at your leg when you walk past them?
Dont worry, mine does too!
So does countless other cats across the country, its perfectly normal behavior.
Being normal doesnt make it any less annoying though, right?
Plus, receiving scratch marks down your calf just because youre going for a coffee can get annoying!
Here are some of the reasons behind why some cats cant resist grabbing and clawing at your leg as you pass them:
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Why Does My Cat Scratch My Face
Your cat could be petting you in return. Cats enjoy displays of affection such as chin scratches, head rubs, ear rubs, and many other ways we show love and affection.
It shouldnt surprise you that they would want to return the favor. So, basically, when they touch your face, they are petting you back.
A Cat May Use His Paw To Train You
Sometimes a cat uses his paw on you because he’s learned that it works. What cat owner has not been woken by a kitty-paw alarm at some ungodly hour, asking for breakfast? Do you get up and fill the bowl? If so, your cat has trained you to respond to his paw.
If you havent experienced the joy of being woken by a cat paw on the face, here is Nemo to demonstrate how its done.
The bottom line is that a paw to the face works and your cat has learned that. Your cat has conditioned you to respond to her gentle command.
In the examples mentioned at the beginning of this post, cat owners reported that their pets used a paw to elicit a whole range of specific responses from their owners – from lifting an arm to allow the cat to snuggle, to being picked up and placed on a lap. It might not be food your cat is after, but she knows that you know what the paw tap means.
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When Youre Asleep: To Wake You Up
This needs no real explanation. We all know how well something on our face works toward waking us up in the morning even for those of us who are particularly difficult to wake.
A lot of pet parents seem to have cats who do this. Mine choose to wake me up in the morning with meows and cries for kibble, but Im 100% certain a paw on my face would be just as effective.
Its my own fault, however. I choose to use them as a cat alarm clock that prevents me from sleeping in.
I could always feed them by hand once in the evenings only, and let the PetSafe Automatic Pet Feeder I bought to give the boys food throughout the day handle the mornings for me.