Why does my cat rub his head on me

Called bunting, cats rub their heads against prominent objects to leave chemical markings as a part of scent communication. Depending on the object of the cat's communication, they may be claiming ownership or indicating pleasure.

Cats have several different pheromone producing glands all over the body. They are located between the toes, beneath the chin, the corners of the mouth, the temples, along the length of the tail, and the ears. Cats tend to use the entire head in sometimes luxurious rubbing displays.

Which part of the head is used depends on the height of the target object. The forehead and ears usually are rubbed on the highest objects while head-height objects are marked with a swipe from the corner of the mouth to the ear. Lower objects get rubbed with the chin and throat.

When cats bunt each other, this is often done as a form of social bonding. It is done among cats who are friendly and familiar and is usually initiated by the more dominant cat as a way to make all the cats in the colony "smell" the same.

Some cats become pushy and turn the behavior into a head-cracking contest (ouch!), while others slowly rub their body and tail around and around human ankles.

We can't know for sure, but cats tend to scent-mark objects that are most important to them. They use rubbing with friendly cats, not with strangers. A cat who head-rubs your face with wide-open eyes close to your face pays you a huge compliment in terms of trust by placing herself in a vulnerable position. She is saying that you are a part of her tribe.

If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet's health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.

Cat nuzzling is a common yet sometimes misunderstood form of cat communication. Often, your cat will nuzzle against your face or neck, maybe while you're snuggling or when you're trying to get some work done. But, why do cats nuzzle? Is it a diversion technique, or is your cat communicating something more?

How and Why Do Cats Nuzzle?

Rub. Nudge. Prod. Cat nuzzling goes by many names, but it refers to the act of rubbing their head against your chin, cheek or neck. You may even be the recipient of a headbutt, known as "bunting," which is quite literally when your cat knocks their forehead against yours. Think of it as the equivalent of a cat fist-bump!

Like other strange cat behaviors that may puzzle pet parents, rubbing their head against you has a purpose. Cats nuzzle to show affection and to mark territory, behaviors that share the common goal of leaving their scent behind.

Affection

Cats have many scent glands on their head, especially in the nose, mouth and chin area; with each rub against you, these glands leave behind a "mark." Rubbing their head all over you is their way of saying, "I love you." In exchange for nuzzling, your cat probably gets a lot of cuddles from you, which is a strong motivator for repeat behavior.

Nuzzling also is how they learn more about you. As Tufts' Animal Behavior Clinic veterinary behaviorist Stephanie Borns-Weil tells the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, your cat may rub on you to show affection, but they also want to "gather information about you." Cats have a very strong sense of smell — much better than their humans' sense — and they use scent as one of their main ways of collecting data about their environment. During nuzzling, your scent transfers to your cat and helps them recognize you, especially when you're first getting to know each other.

Marking Territory

In addition to expressing affection, your cat nuzzles you to mark their territory. This is similar to how a cat may spray to claim ownership of specific areas or objects in your home — but with much less smell and damage.

Identifying you as an important and comforting part of their environment makes sense when you look at where else cats leave their scent. Cat rubbing and bunting "seems to occur especially in the 'core' area of their territory," says International Cat Care, "and appears to be associated with comfort, reassurance and friendly social interactions." This is why your cat rubs against not only you and other animals, but also furniture, walls and favorite toys. It's your cat's world; they just let you live in it.

Why Doesn't My Cat Nuzzle Me?

It's not uncommon for a cat not to nuzzle their human; some cats are just not into obvious demonstrations of affection. It does not mean your cat hates or dislikes you.

Breed factors into your cat's nuzzling behavior. Certain affectionate cat breeds, such as Ragdolls and Maine coons, are known to get up in their human parents' faces frequently. Age can also affect your cat's behavior. For example, kittens tend to be more playful than more senior cats. As they grow older, however, cats generally seek and need more attention, says the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, with many senior cats turning into snuggle-bugs.

Whether you're on the receiving end of a gentle rub or firm headbutt, consider yourself lucky: You are your feline friend's preferred person!

Christine O'Brien

Christine Brovelli-O'Brien, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer, long-time pet mom, and a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association (CWA). Find and follow Christine on Instagram and Twitter @brovelliobrien.

Your cat’s gentle headrubs are an important part of their social behaviour.

Photo: Marie-Claude Lemay/Shutterstock

By Zazie Todd PhD

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Most people are flattered when their cat rubs their head on their legs when they come home from being out. After all, it shows the cat is paying attention to you. You should be delighted to see this behaviour which is essentially a sign of friendship and that your cat sees you as part of their social group. 

When your cat headbutts you with their forehead, it’s called bunting. When your cat rubs their head and cheeks, and maybe continues to rub their side and even tail against you or another cat, this is called allorubbing. 

Sometimes the word bunting is used to mean head rubbing on objects (as distinguished from allorubbing on cats, people, or other animals), but the more general use of the word seems to include rubbing on people too. 

Why do cats bunt and allorub?

When cats rub their head and body against another cat, it is both a tactile experience (the feeling of being rubbed) and an olfactory one. 

Cats have scent glands around their head, and when they rub on things, people, or other cats, they are depositing pheromones (chemical signals with meaning).  

The pheromones that are deposited by head-rubbing are believed to play an important role in feline social behaviour. Five different pheromones are known to be secreted by the glands in cats’ cheeks (Shreve and Udell, 2017). While we don’t fully understand them yet, we know that the F3 and F4 pheromones seem to be involved in marking of an affiliative nature.

Cats often leave the F3 pheromone behind when they rub on things, such as furniture or walls in the home. It’s believed this helps them to feel safe and know that they are on their home territory. 

When cats rub on each other or you, they are marking with the F4 pheromone. 

Allorubbing between feral cats sometimes lasts for several minutes and is often accompanied by purring (Crowell-Davis et al., 2004). It’s believed that the transfer of scent that takes place helps to build up a ‘colony odour’ or group scent which shows that the cats are part of the same social group.

Photo: ClementKANJ/Shutterstock

What is allogrooming?

Allogrooming is also a social behaviour between cats. It involves one cat grooming another cat, typically around the head in places that are not so easy for the cat to lick themself. 

Sometimes the cat being groomed is very cooperative, moving their head to make it easier for the other cat to lick them on the head and neck. Other times, it may seem more like the other cat is pinning them down while they groom them. 

So allogrooming often seems to be a friendly behaviour, but sometimes there is some tension involved. Maybe in those cases it works to defuse the tension.

Allogrooming is more common amongst cats who have grown up together and are related, and it also seems that cats who have lived together for longer are more likely to allogroom (Finka 2022). 

When your cat licks you, it is similar to allogrooming between cats. 

Photo: Chris Hill/Shutterstock

What about when we pet cats?

When scientists looked at how cats like to be petted they found that most prefer not to be petted around the base of the tail; they generally prefer to be petted around the head and neck.

Because of this, they suggested that when people pet their cat, it is more like allogrooming than allorubbing. However they say it’s also possible that the cats didn’t think the people were close enough (from a social perspective) to be allowed to pet them near the tail. 

Allorubbing is a friendly behaviour

Allorubbing is a sociable behaviour between cats who are part of the same social group—friends, in other words.

So when your cat rubs their head or body on you, it’s a sign that they consider you part of their social group.

The fact that this is an important greeting behaviour for cats is underlined by a recent study in which more than 80% of cats rubbed on their person when they were reunited after a separation (Behnke et al 2021). 

So enjoy this lovely attention from your feline friend.

If you liked this post, check out my book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Dr. Sarah Ellis, co-author of The Trainable Cat and Head of Cat Advocacy, International Cat Care says, “Purr is definitely a book your cat would want you to read!”

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References

Behnke, A. C., Vitale, K. R., & Udell, M. A. (2021). The effect of owner presence and scent on stress resilience in cats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 243, 105444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105444

Crowell-Davis, S. L., Curtis, T. M., & Knowles, R. J. (2004). Social organization in the cat: a modern understanding. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 6(1), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013 

Ellis, S. L. H., Thompson, H., Guijarro, C., & Zulch, H. E. (2015). The influence of body region, handler familiarity and order of region handled on the domestic cat's response to being stroked. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 173, 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.002

Finka, L. R. (2022). Conspecific and Human Sociality in the Domestic Cat: Consideration of Proximate Mechanisms, Human Selection and Implications for Cat Welfare. Animals, 12(3), 298. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030298

Shreve, K. R. V., & Udell, M. A. (2017). Stress, security, and scent: The influence of chemical signals on the social lives of domestic cats and implications for applied settings. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 187, 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2016.11.011

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