I like cats. I have an unreasonable number of cats. I have bottle-raised and fostered many kittens, and spent 18 months as a trapper, catching feral cats for sterilization and vaccination.
I like cats.
Why does this particular cat think I am so tasty? He’s a Cornish Rex, and the first of his breed I’ve ever known, so I don’t know if it is a trait of this breed. None of the other cats feel the need to lick me as often as he does - they will settle for a kiss now and then, just to let me know I’m still in their good graces. Not Magic. It doesn’t matter if I am fresh out of the tub, or fresh from working in the yard. He prefers to lick my upper chest and throat, but will settle for licking my face if the throat and chest are covered.
Sorry, no useful ideas but I just wanted to say I have one of those as well. This guy will lick until my skin is raw if I let him, especially my hands. I tend to think it’s some sort of feline anxiety disorder. (I know the human kind quite well.) He was a stray I took in and he has some other quirks as well. We’ve just learned to live with them. Big help, huh?
SnakesCatLady, maybe he needs more salt. Does he lick everyone, or just you?
I had a Persian, named Hygia, (sorry, no pictures.) that would lick my face if I scratched her back, just above her tail. She’d lick really fast. I’d fool my friends into thinking she did it on command. Ok, I didn’t have much of a social life then. :rolleyes:
Heh. I have an orange tabby almost identical to dryr’s (slightly less pronounced stripes) that also loves to lick, particularly if you’re giving him a good petting.
I have known cats in the past who like to groom you though. I think it’s simply a sign of trust and affection that some cats are more prone to expressing than others.
Do you know his history? Perhaps it’s more of an obsessive-compulsive thing. My Mom’s Maine Coon does that and he had a rough beginning. He was separated from his mother at 4 weeks and was feral. He’s a big lover now but will grab the hand that’s petting him and lick it to the bone if you let him.
My siamese, Papi, loves to lick my neck and chin. I think she was taken away too soon, and when I first got her it’s like she’d try to nurse. I had to sleep with the sheet over my head so she couldn’t do it. Now when she’s happy with me, she really, really wants to show it.
My cat, Geoffrey, used to suckle on the skin of my arms when I first got him. He would leave tiny little hickies all over my arms. My partner still makes fun of me for “not being right” with that cat.
I used to be around a Cornish Rex constantly (I wanted to make him mine, but couldn’t afford him ), and he was a licker. I’d lean towards thinking it’s a breed trait because it was CONSTANT with this boy (Nicknamed Tony to go with my Oscar and Emmy).
There were some other Cornish with him, but I can’t remember if they were lickers - I tended to spend all of my time with him :D.
My husband is saltier than me and our Giant Kitty licks him all the time. He says it feels like a belt sander on steroids. Some kitties are just like that.
Who knows why cats do anything? Although I think the salt theory is best, it doesn’t necessarily explain what our Fiona does.
She grooms my beard. I pick her up and she goes to work, grooming my beard with her tongue. She doesn’t lick any other part or me or my wife. Kind of odd and I have no idea why she does it, but I have to say, it’s not unwelcome. She usually leaves me looking pretty good.
It’s not the only reason. It’s also a dominance/submission thing. My subordinant dog licks my dominant dog frequently in a “please accept me” way, and she also licks humans the same way.
Spoons, your cat grooms your beard because he accepts you as part of his colony. That’s what cats raised together as a little colony do for each other. You know, those ears and backs of heads are awfully hard to keep clean. You should return the favor.
), and he was a licker. I’d lean towards thinking it’s a breed trait because it was CONSTANT with this boy (Nicknamed Tony to go with my Oscar and Emmy).
