Can you lick your cat

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Message us. Discover the Purina One range. You have no idea the surfaces your cat rolls itself into, especially if it is an outdoor cat. This might include dried dog poop and dust. Your cat may lick itself, or another cat as part of its grooming process, a gesture of affection or protection, and to clean each other in areas difficult to reach.

A mother cat licks her kittens to remove afterbirth fluids from their fur, and also to teach its kittens how to groom themselves. Looking at the above reasons, it is clear why even if you lick your cat, you may not achieve the same purpose as your feline friend when it grooms itself.

It plays a major role in helping your cat stay clean, and healthy. Your tongue feels different, and so licking your cat will freak it out. Your saliva has proteins and chemicals different from your furry friend, therefore licking your cat will leave it confused. Licking your cat will most probably annoy it, because you are replacing the scent it had already put when grooming itself.

If your cat has parasitic worms, it can pass these to you via licking and cause skin problems, or intestinal diseases. Besides health risks, it is also unhygienic to let your cat lick your face. You do not know if it was licking its butt before licking your face. It helps bonding, and it is one of the loveliest gestures a cat can make towards another furry creature or human. It shows how safe they feel.

The biggest way this shows is when Luci begins trying to groom Freyja, which she does on a daily basis. To give Freyja some credit — when Luci was younger, she would get really excited while grooming Freyja and start biting her instead to initiate play. Freyja is definitely not a fan of that behavior in the slightest. It happened so often that Freyja immediately tenses up and flicks her ears back when Luci climbs into bed to cuddle with her. I feel bad for Luci.

I can see her trying to show Freyja how much she loves her, but Freyja just responds with anger and attacks Luci, then runs away, leaving Luci confused and probably a little sad and rejected. Luci lovingly attempts to groom her sister every day, at least once. Freyja has never once groomed Luci. Okay, a lot crazy. So, how can I teach Freyja that grooming is okay? That grooming is a sign of affection? That she should totally tolerate the formerly very bite-y Lucipurr when she comes over and starts licking her head?

Part of me suspects more cat owners than would like to admit have given their cats at least ONE lick on the head. But how many of you have or would totally try grooming your cat with your tongue?

My wife loves when I use this. There are stories about people being clawed or bitten, and lots of gag-gift purchases. Some are heartbreaking. I didn't care who laughed if it made my babies happy I would show everyone who laughed!

These unhappy results do not come as a great surprise to cat experts. Read: Why we think cats are psychopaths.