# Why Do My Cats Like the Lap but Not the Face? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067 "2009-01-20T00:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/21 "2009-01-21T10:04:53Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I had a cat and she hated any closed door, she’d paw and mew at it till it was opened. Then when you’d open it half the time she’d just walk away. > > Cats am weird Spartacus does this very thing. He will sit next to me & very close when I’m sitting on the couch, but rarely goes for the lap (he does like SO’s lap though) UNLESS I just happen to be headed for the bathroom! This cat has the superpower of knowing when I am headed that way, and will jump into my lap as soon as I sit on the throne. If he wants attention from me, he will go into the bathroom and sit in front of the toilet and start mewing. Bella likes her kisses as long as you dont go overboard & likes to rub against the face. What I dont understand is why they “nip” you at times - Sparti will sometimes go for the face (and no, not looking at him) when petting him as he requests & bite. The first couple of times he’s done it, I let him know it hurt so now he is more gentle (but it still kinda hurts!). If my hand is not petting him & he’s next to me or on my lap, he will take my hand in his mouth and gently bite down to let me know he wants to be petted. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/22 "2009-01-21T15:31:09Z")
You just have weird cats, like everybody else. 🙂 I no longer kiss Dewey’s face because he slipped me the tongue once. I’m not sure who was more surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/23 "2009-01-21T16:03:40Z")
> [@legalsnugs](#): > > Cats go with what they need. If your face is warm and flat and they can reach it, like a lap, I’m sure they would sleep on it. 😃 > > My cat does not do the headbump to the face, but when we play, if I cover my face, or even only my eyes, she thinks I’ve left the room and will come see where I went. But she’s not a lap cat, either. > > Cats is weird people. It’s a known fact by cats that when you hide your face you are invisible. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/24 "2009-01-21T16:10:14Z")
I have to sneak up on my kittycat to get face time. (Confession: I like to [snorgle](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snorgle) the top of her head.) She’s a lap lounger, but only with certain people (basically those who aren’t always chasing after her). She doesn’t nuzzle anyone, and is even a little nervous with eye contact. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/25 "2009-01-21T17:27:05Z")
My cat likes to sleep on faces. The faces are usually not amused. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067/26 "2009-01-22T04:38:53Z")
My ([cat](http://www.scc.net/~t-bonham/paul2004.png)) does not like my bare face (except for jumping up on the bed and biting my nose, when I’ve slept too late and it’s time to fill the food dish). But if I bend my neck and present the hair on the top of my head, he will lick that or rub his head against it. Perhaps cats expect a hair-covered surface, rather than bare skin? Or they’re just weird. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cats-like-the-lap-but-not-the-face/482067.md?page=1)