# Why Do I Taste Good to My Cat?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 28, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566 "2004-09-28T22:11:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/1 "2004-09-28T22:11:30Z")
I can only presume that’s why she keeps licking my nose. I’ve known cats to occassionally lick people, but this cat likes nothing better than to crawl up into my lap and start licking my nose.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/2 "2004-09-28T22:14:49Z")
To her you are an odd shaped cat. She’s grooming you.
Our dog sometimes appreciatively licks her lead.
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### Author:  [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/3 "2004-09-28T22:20:41Z")
Generally, I’ve only known cats to groom humans when they’re feeling particularly affectionate or when the human has been sweating a lot and has some salt on their skin from same. My guess is that you just have a very affectionate cat.
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/4 "2004-09-28T22:21:32Z")
Have you been bathing in tunafish?
(My cat does this too. He licks the water off my legs when I get out of the shower. When the water’s gone, he bites my ankles.)
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/5 "2004-09-28T22:24:14Z")
My cat likes to lick the other cat while she’s eating. She’ll also rub the other cat’s neck with her paw, too.
Figure that out!
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/6 "2004-09-28T22:26:42Z")
We don’t have a cat, but the neighbour’s cat is very friendly, and often pops round for a nose-butt.
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### Author:  [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/7 "2004-09-29T01:05:52Z")
Try offering a cat some earwax.
Don’t ask.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/8 "2004-09-29T01:07:20Z")
Meowlent Green is people!
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/9 "2004-09-29T02:17:20Z")
> [@Martha](#):
>
> Try offering a cat some earwax.
>
> Don’t ask.
She didn’t care for it.
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### Author:  [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/10 "2004-09-29T03:15:43Z")
I’ve known cats that were very into licking because they were improperly weaned (at least that’s what the owners told me was the problem), but these cats would lick anything and everything, and any bare skin, not just a specific part like a nose.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/11 "2004-09-29T03:16:26Z")
Perhaps you taste like tuna, or milk, or catnip, or sphincter.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/12 "2004-09-29T03:28:25Z")
The cat is testing the waters, anticipating the day you drop dead of a heart attack while watching _Survivor_ and she’s locked in the house with your corpse and has to get by until help arrives.
Clever, those felines.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/13 "2004-09-29T03:50:42Z")
Better to be pussy licked than pussy whipped!
😃
We have three cats; two are kittens. All are finger-licking affectionate.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/14 "2004-09-29T04:09:13Z")
> [@Melandry](#):
>
> I’ve known cats that were very into licking because they were improperly weaned (at least that’s what the owners told me was the problem), but these cats would lick anything and everything, and any bare skin, not just a specific part like a nose.
She’ll occassionally lick other parts of my face, but she primarily goes for my nose.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/15 "2004-09-29T04:20:05Z")
> [@Melandry](#):
>
> I’ve known cats that were very into licking because they were improperly weaned (at least that’s what the owners told me was the problem), but these cats would lick anything and everything, and any bare skin, not just a specific part like a nose.
I have a cat like that. She’s a fairly disgusting, slobbery feline (a longhair unconcerned with personal grooming is not pretty, and trying to comb a reluctant cat is a real trial), and her mother was hit by a car when she was too young to be weaned. She’s affectionate and vocal, but once she gets near any exposed skin she’s sucking and kneading like mad. It’s sad, but she’s otherwise well-adjusted (and a good mouser).
One of my dogs likes to lick feet and legs. He’ll lick and lick and lick very methodically for hours, or until he decides to annoy our other inside dog. He closes his eyes and he really gets into it.
He’ll display the same passion in licking upholstery, carpeting, pillows, and leather, so I don’t know what he’s after. Maybe he’s just lusting for extra salt, or the scent molecules left by his human.
(He does something special with pillows: Once my head has vacated the pillow, he will throw himself bodily into it, lick it rather enthusiatically, and then lie on it and fall asleep. I’ve never seen another dog or cat do this, and it’s a sight to behold.)
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/16 "2004-09-29T05:46:13Z")
Oh yeah. My cat gives me the dermabrasion treatment all the time with that &^%$#ing sharkskin tongue of hers. Argh! She likes grooming my beard which I don’t mind so much until she starts chewing and accidentally takes a bite of chin.
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### Author:  [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/17 "2004-09-29T12:53:13Z")
oh yeah, I used to have a cat who would curl up on my pillow, above my head and groom my head in the middle of the night. I was awakened countless times by her raspy tongue licking my (increasing) bald spot! I miss her.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/18 "2004-09-29T14:21:43Z")
:rolleyes:
It’s because you’re made of _meat!!!_
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### Author:  [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/19 "2004-09-29T15:16:05Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> (My cat does this too. He licks the water off my legs when I get out of the shower.)
Ahab used to do that to me. I never did figure out why. Of course, if I put on any “Icy Hot” he would also go to great lengths to try to lick it off. Never figured that one out, either.
RR
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### Author:  [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-taste-good-to-my-cat/266566/20 "2004-09-29T19:12:42Z")
A quick cure is to smear the cat’s favorite licking spot with a small dab of wasabi. Make sure the cat’s water bowl is full before you try this. Also, do not to this if you want the cat to ever come near you again.
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