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Cats headbutt people for a variety of reasons. Headbutting is a way for cats to mark you with pheromones. It can also be a sign of affection, a bonding attempt, or a way to seek attention. Or they may just be presenting their head to you for some pets! Read on for the various reasons cats headbutt.
Why Cats Headbutt
#1 Making New Friends
A headbutt is an overture to friendship. Cats that headbutt you are trying to get to know you better.
#2 Seeking Attention
Cats sometimes headbutt to ask for attention, be it affection or something else they want. If your cat headbutts you and then pointedly walks to their food dish, they’re using headbutts to get something they desire!
#3 Creating a“Group Scent”
Cats create social bonds by creating a shared scent unique to their family.
#4 Marking Familiar Surroundings as Theirs
Cats denote their home territory by marking it with their scent. Cats have scent glands all over their bodies, including in their cheeks, above the eyes, and on top of the head. They use headbutting to mark you (and objects in your home) with their pheromones.
#5 Showing Affection
Cats headbutt to bond with you. Headbutting shows love and trust— it’s a way cats make you part of their “scent family.” Aww.
#6 Soothing Themselves
Some cats may headbutt to self-soothe.
#7 Building Bonds
Cats headbutt each other to show affection and to strengthen the bond between them by creating a group shared scent.
Pro Tip: You can help cats get along by brushing them with the same grooming tool, thus helping create a unified scent.
#8 Feeling Safe
Cats headbutt to create a scent that indicates a place is safe. It helps them feel secure in their surroundings.
Where Are a Cat’s Scent Glands?
- Interdigital Glands: on all four paws
- Submandibular Gland: under the chin
- Perioral Glands: on either side of the nose
- Cheek Glands: on the sides of the face
- Temporal Glands: above the eyes
- Pinna Glands: on top of the head between the ears
- Super-Caudal Gland: at the base of the tail
- Caudal Glands: along the length of the tail
- Anal Glands: on each side of the anus
Why Do Cats Headbutt Each Other?
Affection and bonding: Headbutting is a way for cats to show their love and affection for each other and for their owners. It’s a sign of a strong social bond.
To create a colony scent: When cats headbutt, they are exchanging their scent glands, which helps create a shared scent that identifies them as a group. This “colony scent” helps cats feel safe and secure within their group.
Why Do Cats Headbutt Objects?
To mark territory: While scent glands are primarily for marking territory, headbutting can also be a way to mark objects or people as belonging to them.
In short, Cats headbutt for several reasons, primarily to show affection, create a colony scent, and establish social bonds. They also use headbutting to mark territory and as a sign of trust and respect.
This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Cat magazine. Subscribe today!