Why cats rub against their legs: 5 reasons
The cat owner believes that the animal can be taught something and required to perform certain actions. And the pet believes that it is able to train the owner so that he carries out exactly his orders. However, only the owner can formulate his judgment about the pet’s behavior.
According to the owner, the cat rubs against its legs for the following reasons:
- Caress the owner and receive more tenderness in return.
- Mark a person's feet or clothing as part of their territory to let other cats know: This is my property. The person does not smell the secretion of the cat's sebaceous glands, so he does not mind.
- Remind the owner that it is time to replenish the food bowl. Or remind the housewife who is cutting up meat or fish that it would be nice to share with her pet.
- Assure the leader of the pride of your loyalty.
- Kitty went on a spree, but so far it has not been possible to attract a person of the opposite sex. Maybe the owner will find a way to ease the suffering at least a little.
The highest concentration of sebaceous glands is located on the muzzle and at the root of the tail. It is with these parts of the body that the cat prefers to come into contact with objects that need to be marked as its own. When a cat is stroked on the face, it purrs with satisfaction. Perhaps because in this way the kitty will be able to mark the palms of the mistress.
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Unfortunately, the aggressive external environment: rain, sun, smells of gasoline, smog, inactivate the marks left by the cat on the owner’s clothes. Therefore, when a person comes home from work, the cat seeks to restore its sovereignty and rubs its muzzle against its legs. At the same time, they manage to bring the owner into a complacent state and beg for something tasty.
Why can't they be interrupted?
To be honest, you can interrupt. The animal will simply be sincerely offended by you for this. Still, he trusts you, insists on physical contact, shows almost kindred feelings, but you push him away. It’s good that cats have a short memory for such events - after a while they will come up to you again to rub.
There is another reason - less scientific. A cat rubs against a person for a reason, but takes away his negative energy. Either she feeds on it herself, or something else, but the connection between cats and negativity in esoteric circles has long been undisputed. So, by driving away the cat at the moment when it is trying to carefully “discharge” you, you are harming yourself. Maybe not right now, but in the future - certainly.
It is also worth noting that some animals are still vindictive and can react to such an interruption with hidden anger. And perhaps the most interesting thing is when a cat rubs against you solely because you suddenly found yourself on its territory.
We also think you might be interested in learning about why cats sometimes stand on their hind legs. Some, by the way, do this quite often. And even without any additional support.
Why do cats rub against people and objects?
Why cats rub against people is mentioned above. And they rub against objects to stake out territory so that other cats don’t encroach on it. But, this is if the cat is healthy.
If your pet scratches furiously on the raised corners, he may be itching due to the following reasons:
- ectoparasites: lice eaters or fleas;
- subcutaneous mites - Notoedrus and Demodex;
- fungi: Microsporia, Trichophytosis, Malassezia;
- allergic reactions.
In such cases, skin lesions appear on the cat’s skin: scratches, skin rashes, crusts, areas of baldness. This situation requires independent treatment against ectoparasites. If the problem cannot be solved on your own, contact a veterinarian.
Small gifts in the form of killed animals
Often cats, especially those that live in rural areas and have constant access to the street, bring killed mice, lizards or other small animals to their owners. At the same time, owners mistakenly believe that pets, behaving in this way, are trying to curry favor with them, showing their importance and significance.
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In reality everything is different and much more touching. Domestic cats, no matter what dog breeders say about their character, become quite strongly attached to their owners. As a result, they bring killed small animals for them to feed, because they see that a person himself cannot catch a mouse or a lizard for dinner. This is how cats show their care for their owners.
The cat rubs against its legs: should we wean it or encourage it?
If the pet is healthy and has a nice coat, then confusion underfoot should be treated favorably, except for the following cases:
- Begging . When your pet has received his allotted portion of food and asks for more, you should not follow his lead. It is necessary to distribute food distribution so that the cat eats less during the day and more in the evening. To ensure a good, healthy sleep at night. If the cat receives ready-made food, but begs for pieces of meat or fish when cutting it, it is better not to give it. It has been observed that when fed premium or higher prepared foods, cats get sick less and live longer.
- The sterilized cat began to rub herself. An unspayed female may have bred nearby. In order not to provoke sexual behavior, you need to leave.
- The pet is trying to pity the owner and allow him into the child’s bedroom or room, where he is not allowed to enter. What to do? Ignore. The cat will understand that his attempts are not being followed and will stop bothering him.
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A cat that gets under your feet should not be scolded or rudely pushed away, otherwise the pet will experience stress, under the influence of which its behavior will deteriorate.
If friction against the legs of an uncastrated animal is associated with sexual behavior, you can give drugs with phytoestrogens: Kot Bayun, Stop Stress, Vetspokoin. Hormonal contraceptives should be used only with the permission of a veterinarian.
Reasons for behavior
The cat ritual of wiping is somewhat similar to flirting. The pet presses its head against the owner's leg, then rubs its side, and as a finishing touch wraps its tail around the human limb. The animal performs the same manipulations with the hands of its owner, and sometimes pokes its muzzle in the face. This behavior has both an instinctive biological and social nature, which developed in the process of adaptation to home conditions.
To better understand cats, it is worth finding out why they continue to perform this ritual. Known reasons include:
- Marks. Just like personal belongings, toys, territory, for a cat a person is his personal property, a member of the family. When the owner is absent for a long time, his sign of belonging to the pride disappears. Purr senses this and begins to rub, correcting the misunderstanding.
- Collects information. This most often happens when guests come to the house. When coming into contact with someone new, the pet scouts the situation for a potential threat. In addition, by leaving its scent on guests, the animal adapts to their presence.
- Communicates with relatives. Domestic cats also have their own post office, and the postman is the owner. If a pet runs up to its human with a fit of tenderness, do not delude yourself. Perhaps the striped neighbor on the floor below conveyed very important news.
- Requires affection. In this case, a conditioned reflex is superimposed on the instinctive basis. It is produced by a kitten when it, marking a large and warm person with its scent, receives affection. As a result, the association is reinforced, and the animal begins to rub when it wants attention.
- He wants to eat. Here, rubbing is also associated with receiving pleasure after the ritual. However, it is not the only sign that the animal is asking to be fed. This is usually accompanied by meowing and a characteristic hungry look.
- Walking. During the period of sexual heat, females leave pheromones on their owners - messages for potential sexual partners. This is especially true for cats that do not go outside.
Interestingly, similar behavior can also occur among street animals. Often cats, on whose territory a person has set foot, thus declare their rights to him and show condescension.
The cat rubs against its legs: unpleasant consequences
The cat tests others' resistance to harassment and the owner should decide whether to indulge the pet in everything or not to encourage getting in the way. If there is a child in the house, he may be allergic to wool. The risk of infecting children with worms from cats is minimal, but not zero.
Having felt like the owner of the apartment, the cat can climb into the bed and, from an excess of feelings, mark it, but not with pheromones of the sebaceous glands, but with urine.
You should let your pet know what he can and cannot do. He will understand and limit himself to what is not prohibited. Household members should develop tactics for handling their pet. If one family member forbids him something, and the other allows him, the pet’s behavior will deteriorate. And the owners will be distressed by the appearance of urine and feces in inappropriate places.
Paw massage
Many believe that cats express their affection for them when they stretch their paws on them. In reality, everything is much more complicated.
In the early stages of their lives, small kittens often knead their mother's mammary glands. This is done in order to improve milk flow and obtain more feed. As a result, “paw massage” may simply be a habit left over from childhood by the cat.
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In addition, cats have special glands on their paws. They're probably just marking their person. Well, another completely logical theory is that cats sometimes need a little warm-up.
Are there any negative consequences
There is no need to worry if your domestic cat rubs against your legs. If no one is allergic to the animal, this ritual is absolutely harmless. There is no need to warn or scold your pet if it tries to rub against your legs or furniture in the house. After all, this process causes peace of mind in the pet, which is very important for its comfortable living on the owner’s territory. Therefore, it is better to give the animal a little freedom to express such emotions.
Knowing for sure why a cat loves to rub against its owner, you can find out many details about the character and emotional state of your pet. After all, a clear understanding of the animal’s instincts gives a huge advantage to those who want to be aware of the motives of their pet’s actions. It is also very important for establishing trusting and warm relationships. But the main thing is to treat the cat with love and respect its personal space.
