“Moonlight marks the Little Nugget – love in one image, cat for scale…” by wbaiv is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
by Nomi Berger
Are you familiar with the sight of your favorite feline rubbing her face against corners here, there and everywhere in your home?
Despite being one of life’s little “meow-meow” mysteries, many cat behaviorists and experts do share a few common theories about the reasons behind this behavior.
Marking their territory: One of the most widely accepted theories is that cats rub their faces on corners to leave their scent on objects. Cats use scents to communicate (they have scent glands located around their cheeks), and so, when they rub their faces on objects, they leave behind a scent for other cats to detect and decipher when they sniff those scents. Because rubbing their faces against flat walls may be uncomfortable for them, cats will opt for rubbing their cheeks against the corners of walls and pieces of furniture which provide them with the best, most secure grip.
A form of greeting: When your cat feels purr-fectly at ease around you, trusts and likes you, she will characteristically begin rubbing her cheeks against you as soon as you return home after being out – whether for a few minutes or a few hours. This leaves her scent on you, in the same way that all cats mark their territory. Meow about a wonderful way to be greeted! What more paws-itive gesture could there be than having YOUR favorite feline let you know that you’re HER favorite person.
Asking for attention: Always keenly observant, kitties are astute enough to know what behaviors most attract their owners’ attention. It therefore makes purr-fect sense that if you pay attention to your cat whenever she rubs her face against you, she’ll continue doing so, reinforcing the feelings of reciprocal affection. She may even begin rubbing her cheeks against you when she’s bored, hungry or lonely.
Relieving stress: The simple act of rubbing their faces against corners, objects or people feels both comforting and relaxing for cats in search of stress reduction. If your kitty’s feeling anxious and chooses to calm down by this form of self-soothing, she’ll rub her cheeks against you, her person and protector, acknowledging that your home is her home as well, where she’ll be safe and secure — fur-ever.
