If you’ve been a cat owner for any length of time, you’ve probably been headbutted by your cat. Your cat always seems happy to headbutt you, so you don’t think it’s an act of aggression by your cat. So, why do cats headbutt?
Cats headbutt to be playful and gain attention. Cats headbutt to show affection and to create a bond with you. Headbutting from a cat is rarely a sign of aggression and is instead a sign of trust.
Thankfully, there are only good reasons why your cat headbutts you. Like many cat habits, we don’t know exactly why cats do everything they do, but we can talk about our best guesses. If you want to learn more about why your cat headbutts you, then keep on reading to learn more!
Reasons Your Cat Headbutts You
There are many potential explanations for your cat’s habit.
Your Cat Is Marking You
Marking and headbutting go hand-in-hand for cats. Cats have glands in their face that they can mark you with. It seems strange, right? This is something we’ll reanalyze later in the article.
Your Cat Is Being Playful
Headbutting is a sign of playfulness in cats. Your cat may headbutt you when he wants to play or if he gets a burst of energy while you’re already playing with him.
Your Cat Wants To Be Close
On frigid days, you may find your cat headbutting you as a way to get closer to you. In other words, your cat wants you to move so that he can be closer to you. Maybe he wants you to move your arm so he can lay against your side.
Your Cat Wants to Bond
Your cat’s headbutt could be the start of a bonding moment between you and your cat. Your cat might headbutt you and then rub his head against you.
Your Cat Wants To Snuggle Or Be Pet
Dogs aren’t the only animals that can demand to be pet when they want to be pet. I would argue that cats are a more likely candidate for this demanding behavior. Your cat headbutting you means that he’s ready to be pet now.
Your Cat Wants Your Attention
Sometimes your cat will headbutt you because he wants your attention. He may not even want to be pet too. When my dad plays on his iPad, my cat will headbutt him and act cute to get his attention. She likes to be pet, but sometimes she wants someone to be looking at her.
What Does It Mean When A Cat Head Bumps You
Your cat head bumps you as a way to mark you with their scent.
You may have heard this before, but cats have glands in their necks. These glands don’t exactly secrete things like you may imagine when you hear the word gland.
No sweat or fluid comes out of the glands, but some pheromones come out of them. These pheromones can be marked on things or people.
Therefore, you may notice that your cat’s head bumps you then moves their head to rub their cheek against you. Your cat is marking you to show everyone that you belong to them, whether that is other cats or other animals altogether.
Head bumping means that your cat is marking you, but that doesn’t mean it will lead to aggressive behavior. Some cats may be protective over you, but more often than not, it won’t lead to any mean behavior toward other pets.
Why Does My Cat Headbutt Me In the Morning
Your cat headbutts you in the morning because he wants something, like his breakfast.
It’s always nice to think that your cat is excited to see you in the morning because he missed you while you were sleeping. This could very well be one explanation as to why your cat headbutts you in the morning.
The actual reason is probably not as cute as you expected: your cat is just waiting for his breakfast. Your cat is happy to see that you’re awake, but that’s only because that means he’ll be getting fed soon.
Why Does My Cat Headbutt Me Then Bite Me
The combination of headbutting and biting means that your cat is feeling playful.
Cats will often headbutt you quickly then immediately grab you to bite your hand or finger. This is most likely out of excitement.
Your cat’s bite may hurt, but that may not always be intentional. After all, cats have sharp teeth and claws, so they aren’t as gentle as they should be with you.
Since headbutting is a way to mark territory, there’s no reason to think that the biting afterward is violent or mean. When a cat gets excited, they react quickly and suddenly, but their response may be shocking at times.
Let’s say that cats aren’t the best about thinking before they act!
Should I Headbutt My Cat Back
You can headbutt your cat back, but only if it is your cat that initiates the headbutting.
There’s nothing wrong with headbutting your cat if you know that your cat uses headbutting as a sign of affection toward you. If this is a way your cat shows you his love, then it will be obvious that’s why your cat headbutts you.
If your cat doesn’t headbutt you or doesn’t do it often, then you don’t want to headbutt your cat. Your cat may not understand what you are doing, which may scare your cat or make your cat angry.
Most cats may move away from you because they’re unhappy, but you may get scratched, bitten, or attacked by a cat that is upset by your action.
As long as you understand your cat’s personality and what your cat enjoys, then you can headbutt your cat if you think your cat will like it.
Final Thoughts
Headbutting from a cat is rarely an aggressive act like it could potentially be from a full-grown dog or puppy.
Your cat’s headbutting is commonly a way that your cat marks its territory, as we’ve already discussed. While cats can be protective of their territory, it isn’t as likely that your cat will be aggressively territorial as a dog.
Aggression issues may arise if you introduced a new cat into your home when your previous cat was used to having space to himself.
If you notice signs of aggression from your cat over territory, you will want to make sure that you properly introduce the two cats to each other.
Most cats learn to tolerate each other with time if they do not like each other, but these issues do not always work themselves out. This is often left up to the personalities of the cats.
Here are a few tips if you are introducing a new cat to a territorial cat:
- Do not force the cats together in the same room. Separate the cats and allow them to explore and find each other.
- Allow each cat to have a space that is their own. Do not force them to share spaces, especially if one cat is more territorial than the other.
- Reward good behavior to encourage it to continue.
It’s not always easy to introduce new cats into a household, but as long as you take the right steps, it should go as smoothly as possible!
My name is James, and welcome to FAQCats!
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