If the cat rubs against your legs. Why do cats purr? Why do cats rub against objects? Cat behavior

It is no secret that even civilized people are often guided by instincts when communicating. The feeling of control of space near one’s own body is a natural need for safety, and tactile contact is one of the effective means of establishing close relationships.

Thus, it becomes clear why cats rub against their legs. By and large, the animal wants to make sure that you are friendly and show its emotional disposition in return. However, in addition to social reasons, there are some physiological characteristics that determine this behavior of cats.

The big secret of the little beast: why cats rub against their legs

If you watch the animal carefully, you will notice that this gesture has a special order of execution. First, the cat presses strongly with the temporal part of its head and cheek, then, pressing with force with its whole body, it passes, touching its side, and completes the manipulation by wrapping its tail around its leg. Raising its muzzle upward and giving you a languid look from its narrowed eyes, the cat repeats the procedure in the same order.

If in a fit of emotion you bend down to stroke her, she will do the same with your hands, pressing firmly with her nose, the edge of her lips and the top of her head. Having greeted the person, the kitty will move aside, sit comfortably and lick its fur with its tongue.

At this point, she will recognize and remember your individual scent, discreetly giving you her marks.

Physiologists explain the reason why cats rub against their legs in this way: on the animal’s body there are special secretory formations, glands that secrete an odor that is elusive to the human sense of smell. Sharing scents with your immediate environment is important for a sense of familiarity and security. As Kipling’s hero said: “You and I are of the same blood,” which means we will protect each other and take care of our family.

Body fluids that have a special odor are also found in saliva and cat feces. When the owners pay enough attention to the pet, feed it correctly, comb it, caress it, and pick it up, the cat does not need to assert its superiority and buries its armature bombs in the tray. If an animal does not feel comfortable and safe enough in its territory, it uses “heavy artillery”, leaving urine marks and piles of feces in unintended places.

Thus, in cases where a cat has stopped relieving itself in the tray, the owners should not punish the animal, but should think about their behavior. It is worth somehow changing your attitude towards the animal, paying more attention to its needs, including emotional ones.

Some features of cat behavior remain a mystery to many owners. Not every experienced cat breeder will give a clear answer to the question of why a cat rubs against its legs. This phenomenon can be repeatedly observed by household members when communicating with their pets. At the same time, cats rub against human legs, furniture, and objects both in the house and on the street. Owners will be interested to know what causes this behavior of the animal and whether it poses a danger.

Read in this article

A little about smells

In the animal world, obtaining important information, as well as communication between individuals, occurs through smell. Cats' well-developed sense of smell allows them to determine not only the location of prey.

Smell helps animals survive in the harsh conditions of the wild and be the first to smell the enemy. With the help of smell, a cat unmistakably finds not only its home, but also small kittens.

Domestic cats have not lost their natural ability to navigate using smells and widely use their sensitive sense of smell in the comfortable conditions of a city apartment. With the help of smell, she determines the territorial boundaries of her possessions. This feature is one of the main reasons why cats rub against people.

There are several zones on the animal’s body that secrete secretions to identify the individual: on the forehead and muzzle, on the paws, and glands located near the anus. Males most often mark territory with urine and the secretion of the paranal glands mixed with it. With the help of scent glands located on the crumbs of its paws, the animal also determines the boundaries of its possessions: it sharpens its claws on a tree or a scratching post. At the same time, the specific smell of a particular individual remains on the objects.

On the face of a domestic cat there are areas that produce odors. There are especially many of them in the forehead area. The odorous secretion is produced by glands located between the ears and in the corners of the lips. This is why owners often observe furry pets rubbing their foreheads and muzzles against objects. Both male and female cats perform this ritual. At the same time, the pets look peaceful, often purr and express pleasure from the process with all their appearance.

In the wild, representatives of the cat family often live in families and clans. Smell helps individuals navigate not only in relation to territorial boundaries, but also in belonging to a particular group. This behavior can also be observed in domestic cats if there are more than 2 pets in the house. They rub against the same object, for example, furniture or a corner of the house, thereby showing that they belong to the same clan.

Reasons for rubbing your feet

Knowing the importance of smells in the life of cats, it will be easier for a connoisseur of these furry creatures to understand, if a cat rubs against its owner’s legs, what it means in cat language. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

If the pet rubs against the legs of the owner who has just entered the room, the behavior means joy and satisfaction from meeting his beloved owner. The longer the owner is absent, the more intense the ritual will be. The cat may first rub itself against the ankles, then rise on its paws and continue rubbing the owner's legs.

This behavior indicates that the owner has been away too long and has lost the scent of his feline family. If at this moment you bring your hand closer to the animal, then similar manipulations will be done by the pet with this part of the body.

Experts in the field of animal psychologists have good reason to believe that the reason why cats rub their muzzles or foreheads on objects is the desire to leave your own individual scent on them. This odorous sign indicates that the owner is accepted into the cat clan as equals. This kind of mark is usually given by domestic cats. The fact that pets regularly rub against objects in the house where they live is due to the need to give things their “own” smell.

Objects quickly lose the specific mark left by the cat, so it must be constantly updated. The presence of a familiar smell on household items has a calming effect on the animal and gives confidence in the environment.

You can often see a street cat running up to a stranger and starting to rub against him. The mechanism of this ritual is similar to that of “friend-foe” identification, but the reasons are somewhat different. Street cats mark an object unfamiliar to them in this way, trying to give it their scent. Fluffy regulars of streets and courtyards indulge a person by turning him into their property with the help of their scent.

There is an opinion among animal psychologists that The reason for this kind of ritual is the relationship between the mother cat and the baby. Having matured, kittens perceive the owner as a caring mother, and thus signal their good health and express gratitude for care. Young street kittens try to get affection and attention when they rub against a person.

Experts in the field of zoopsychology believe that the reason why a cat rubs its legs is a behavioral line. With the help of tactile contact, reinforced by leaving a scent, domestic cats express their attitude towards household members and other pets. Experienced breeders note that some self-sufficient and independent animals show practically no ritual actions towards the owner.

This can be interpreted as distrust of a person. If the pet shows attention to the owner at least twice a day in the form of rubbing its muzzle on the legs, then we can conclude that the cat is happy with the owner’s behavior, everything suits her, but she does not need additional attention. Individuals who are sociable and loving in nature most actively rub their legs, thereby showing love and tenderness.

The reason Why do cats rub their muzzle against their owner's face? Many owners believe that this is due to the pet's favorable attitude towards its owner. At the same time, as a rule, they purr and show their gratitude and emotional disposition in every possible way.

Many owners have noticed that cats especially often begin to rub against furniture and legs during the period of sexual heat. This is done purposefully. With the help of such a ritual, animals try to spread their smell as far as possible. This behavior is especially typical for domestic cats that do not have access to the street.

The reason why cats rub against people's legs may be to obtain additional information about a stranger. This behavior is often noted when the animal is in a particular place for the first time. As a rule, the pet begins to intensively rub against all protruding objects, including the human’s legs. This ritual helps the cat adapt to new conditions and, especially, new smells.

Owners also note that friendly animals want to attract attention with such a ritual, and spoiled pets can beg in the kitchen, asking for a tidbit. In any case, the behavior is emotionally charged and carries certain information for the owner.

Possible negative consequences

There is no danger in a domestic cat rubbing against the legs of household members, unless family members are allergic to cat hair. In this case, direct contact with the animal is undesirable.

A street cat can pose a real danger to humans. Rubbing your pet's legs can cause a fungal infection such as ringworm. The spores of this pathogenic fungus are very persistent in the environment. With direct contact with a sick individual, there is a high risk of contracting ringworm. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to the disease.

Knowing what it means when a cat rubs against its legs can help an owner gain more interesting information about their furry pet.

Understanding the animal’s natural instincts and emotional state will help you better understand the character and motives of your pet, making the relationship more trusting and comfortable.

To find out why a cat rubs against its legs and furniture, watch this video:

Marks

On the cheeks, forehead, near the ears, chin and at the base of the cat's tail are scent glands, so when she rubs against a person or “butts” him, she is simply marking him. Kittens usually learn this behavior from their mothers.

Cats have a highly developed sense of smell, which they rely on to receive a significant amount of information about the world around them. In order to distinguish familiar people/animals/objects from unfamiliar ones, she needs to put the “I was here” or “I know him” mark on them. She wants live among familiar smells to feel confident and safe. At home, cats most often rub against corners, because instinct tells them that it is at the corner, that is, at the intersection of at least two passages, that there is a greater chance of meeting another animal and showing it that someone was here before it.

Interesting, that if a person comes home to his cat from guests, where their cat rubbed against him, his own cat will try to “re-mark” these marks and therefore will rub with redoubled force. Moreover, cats are more prone to this than cats.

Over time, the marks evaporate, so cats have to regularly rub their faces on people's legs and on all suitable objects in the house.

Greets and studies

This point is related to the first. When a non-fearful cat meets a new person or another cat, she may also rub against him, but not only to mark, but also to greet and herself collect information about its smells. Moreover, when a cat rubs against a guest’s legs, this does not mean that now she allows him to stroke herself.

The cat wants to be petted

Because people don't realize that their newly adopted kitten is simply marking them, they start petting it in return. This is how he produces conditioned reflex: If you want someone to scratch your face and behind your ear, rub it against the person.

Begging

Since the feeling of pleasure from food is similar to the feeling of pleasure from scratching behind the ear, the cat begins to ask for food in the same way as it asks for affection, that is, it rubs against the owner. If she is accustomed to receiving food at the first “meow”, then all this will also have sound accompaniment.

If you do not want to teach your cat to beg in this way, from the very first days do not pet her when she rubs, because this is not what she means.

The natural grace of cats and their sweet daily rituals have become so beloved by people that they have almost begun to humanize their pets. An interesting question to consider is why cats rub against human legs. It's so cute, and at first glance it doesn't make any sense.

In the animal world, far from human understanding, having a sensitive sense of smell plays an important role for survival. Much more effective than sight and hearing, the sense of smell helps to sense the approach of prey, a competitor or a sexual partner.

With the help of smells, cats transmit information to each other about the belonging of an individual to a pride, items of personal property, as well as the boundaries of the territory. A secret with an individual smell for each individual helps to mark these boundaries.

The glands that produce a special substance are located in three places:

Animal muzzle.
Areas between the pads on the paws.
Under the tail - at the anus.

Thus, when the cat begins to rub against parts of the owner’s body, he somehow leaves his scent. The same applies to its relatives, as well as various inanimate objects, including the corners of sofas and walls. This behavior means that the pet is marking its property, protecting it from attacks.

Video “How do cats show their love?”

From this video you will learn what signs of love cats have for humans and whether furry cats miss their owners.

Reasons for behavior

The cat ritual of wiping is somewhat similar to flirting. The pet presses its head against the owner's leg, then rubs its side, and as a finishing touch wraps its tail around the human limb. The animal performs the same manipulations with the hands of its owner, and sometimes pokes its muzzle in the face. This behavior has both an instinctive biological and social nature, which developed in the process of adaptation to home conditions.

To better understand cats, it is worth finding out why they continue to perform this ritual. Known reasons include:

Marks. Just like personal belongings, toys, territory, for a cat a person is his personal property, a member of the family. When the owner is absent for a long time, his sign of belonging to the pride disappears. Purr senses this and begins to rub, correcting the misunderstanding.
Collects information. This most often happens when guests come to the house. When coming into contact with someone new, the pet scouts the situation for a potential threat. In addition, by leaving its scent on guests, the animal adapts to their presence.
Communicates with relatives. Domestic cats also have their own post office, and the postman is the owner. If a pet runs up to its human with a fit of tenderness, do not delude yourself. Perhaps the striped neighbor on the floor below conveyed very important news.
Requires affection. In this case, a conditioned reflex is superimposed on the instinctive basis. It is produced by a kitten when it, marking a large and warm person with its scent, receives affection. As a result, the association is reinforced, and the animal begins to rub when it wants attention.
He wants to eat. Here, rubbing is also associated with receiving pleasure after the ritual. However, it is not the only sign that the animal is asking to be fed. This is usually accompanied by meowing and a characteristic hungry look.
Walking. During the period of sexual heat, females leave pheromones on their owners - messages for potential sexual partners. This is especially true for cats that do not go outside.

Interestingly, similar behavior can also occur among street animals. Often cats, on whose territory a person has set foot, thus declare their rights to him and show condescension.

Is there any danger

Having found out why cats rub against people, the next question arises: is it dangerous? If the pet is vaccinated, healthy and lives at home, then such contact will not harm either party. Although in some cases a certain inconvenience may arise, since salivation increases in overly excitable purrs.

But yard fauna can pose a significant threat to humans and their pets. From stray cats you can get:

virus;
fungus;
lichen;
helminths;
fleas and ticks.

That is why, for safety reasons, it is recommended to avoid the attention of unknown animals.

A cat is an affectionate, dependent and at the same time freedom-loving animal. Each person takes a small pet into their home for different reasons. Some people need a cat to catch mice, others to absorb negative energy, and still others bring a pet into the house as a full member of the family. But everyone has undoubtedly observed the phenomenon when a cat rubs against a person and surrounding objects. Why does a pet do this, and is it possible to drive it away from you? Let’s figure it out in this article.

The fact that cats rub against furniture means that they are marking their territory.

Absolutely all pets rub against everything in the house, thus the pets mark their territory.

After such a walk around, objects in the house receive a smell familiar to the animal. And when everything in the house smells like a cat, she feels safe. For a person, this smell is invisible, but if a strange cat gets into the house, it will clearly feel that it has entered someone else’s territory.

With people it's a different story. Cats rub against their owners for two reasons.

The cat marks the owner

When cats rub against their owners' legs, they leave their scent on them.

If a cat rubs its muzzle, body, tail against a person’s legs, and at the same time purrs, it means it is marking you too.

Pets regard their owners as part of their territory, so the scent of your pet must be present on you.

British cats have a strong character, but they are not averse to rubbing against their owner’s legs!

Sometimes cats pee in their owners' shoes. Many people have a negative attitude towards this, but the explanation for this is quite simple. The pet urinates in shoes to leave its scent on the owner. It’s inconvenient to write on the owner himself, but in slippers it’s perfect.

The cat shows concern

In addition, such a gesture can be a manifestation of concern for the owner.

Scientists have proven that a cat rubs against its owner, thereby relieving him of poor health, mood and anger.

This behavior can be easily noticed when returning from work. The pet meets you and begins to rub against you. It removes from the owner all the negative energy that he has accumulated outside the home.

Why can't you drive a cat away from you?

There are three opinions: why you shouldn’t drive pets away from you:

Cat and Christianity

The third option reminds us of the attitude towards cats in Christianity.

Christians considered cats to be great divine creatures who escorted the dead into the world of death.
Cats were believed to be great divine creatures.
In references to the early stages of Christianity cats were depicted next to saints , so people often prayed to them.
During the plague epidemic of Francis of Assisi cat saved from a rat that was infected with plague . From that moment on, services began to be held in churches in honor of these pets.
There is an unusual story in history about the city of Limassol. This city was attacked by snakes. And exactly cats saved the city from the invasion of these reptiles . Since that time, many cats have lived in this city. They are revered, respected and pampered with tasty treats.
Christians revered cats with a pattern in the shape of the letter “M” on their heads. There were beliefs among the people that Such pets were marked by the Virgin Mary herself .
Cat with the letter M.
In Orthodoxy domestic cats have always been revered and respected . In the houses they were given a good and cozy place. The cats were never beaten or abused.

Conclusion

Many people do not believe in all this, but some respectfully accept all these versions. But everyone agrees on one thing. If you have adopted a cat in your home, then the responsibilities of raising and caring for it fall on your shoulders. If, when a cat shows love, you respond in kind, then your pet will thank you more than once by catching a mouse or relieving the tension from your legs.