Why Does My Cat Lick My Face – 10 Reasons

Cats do a lot of strange things. He’ll do anything from roll around and look at you upside down to licking your face with that scratchy tongue. When that happens, you find yourself asking, why does my cat lick my face?

Your cat may be licking your face for several reasons, from wanting to clean you to be happy to see you. If you know your cat’s personality well, then it will be easy to figure out why your cat is licking you. 

Although licking can be cute, it is rarely comfortable. Cats don’t have a soft, smooth tongue as dogs do. Even so, as cat owners, we need to let them do their thing. To learn more, check out these ten reasons why your cat licks your face. 

10 Reasons Why Your Cat Licks Your Face

This list of ten reasons isn’t exhaustive, but it can give you a good idea of why your cat licks your face. 

You might think of other reasons that aren’t on the list, and if you do, good for you!

If you’re not sure why your cat licks your face, see if one of these reasons matches what your cat does.

Your Cat Is Happy To See You

One of the simplest reasons why your cat licks your face is because he is happy to see you. 

Cats have a lot of ways to show that they are happy, and licking is one way that they do that. 

Sometimes cats act more like dogs than cats. Licking is one of the times that you may ask your cat if he thinks that he’s a dog. 

Your cat will probably lick you fewer times than a dog would, but that’s probably a good thing when that scratchy tongue is being dragged over your chin! 

Your Cat Is Trying To Clean You

One of the other main reasons that your cat licks you is because he is trying to clean you. 

Cats show affection in different ways, and the one way that your cat shows it is by trying to clean you.

Your cat wants you to be clean, just like how your cat spends so much time cleaning himself. 

You may not feel very clean when your cat is licking you all over your face, but your cat thinks that he’s doing you a service by making sure you’re clean!

This licking might also be followed by slight nipping, but don’t worry, he isn’t trying to hurt you! 

Your Cat Is Showing You Affection

As I alluded to in the previous point, your cat shows you affection when he’s licking your face. 

Cats can’t talk to you, so they can’t tell you that they love you.

They need to do it in different ways, so they choose to do it by licking.

When your cat licks your face, he’s able to feel closer to you and feel your warmth.

It isn’t always about the licking – sometimes, it’s just about being closer to you. 

Your Cat Sees You As Her Kitten

Cats see their owners as their kittens sometimes.

Now, this sounds like a weird reason for your cat to lick you when you’re the cat owner, but it is possible that your cat sees you as a kitten. 

This is somewhat a sign of affection from your cat, but it is a much more loving and motherly undertone. 

Your male cat most likely won’t see you as his kitten, but if you have a female cat – especially if your female cat isn’t fixed – then you’ll notice that your cat is motherly toward you.

If you have a cat with a kitten or kittens, then this comparison will be much easier to see. 

It Creates A Bond With You

Licking creates a bond with you. 

Although we can’t call the bond you have with your cat romantic, it is essential for both you and your cat. 

This bond is hard to describe, but you know how special this is between you and your cat if you are a cat owner. 

When your cat licks you, she feels closer to you than when she is simply sitting on your lap or playing with you. 

Licking may be quick, but it does so much for your relationship with your cat. 

Your Cat Trusts You

Licking is a sign of trust.

I mean, would you go around licking just anyone?

Your cat knows that he can be vulnerable around you because there is a certain amount of trust.

Think back to when you first adopted or purchased your cat. Chances are your cat was shy and didn’t like to be that close to you.

As your cat became more and more comfortable around you, he liked to be closer to you and around you.

In order to lick you, your cat needs to be close to you, so your cat certainly learned to trust you! 

Your Cat Doesn’t Know You’re A Human

Your cat doesn’t see you as a human owner. He might see you as a kitten, as I said, or simply another cat that they live with. 

We might think that our cats know that we’re their human owners, but that isn’t always the case.

Your cat may see you as another cat friend, and he wants you to be as clean as him. 

Your Cat Is About To Bite You

Licking is sometimes a precursor to biting! 

When your cat is licking you, you never know what will come next.

Sometimes your cat licks you and stops without doing anything further. Other times, your cat will take a chomp out of you, even if it isn’t that painful! 

My cat’s favorite place to bite me is on my chin.

When my cat is licking my chin, I know that I’m about to get nipped. He isn’t doing it to hurt me, but he’s getting playful – it still ends up bad for me! 

Cats won’t bite every time, but it’s an outcome that can happen. 

Your Cat Is Leaving His Scent On You

Licking is a way that your cat can leave his scent on you. This is especially true if you have multiple cats, and your cat wants to make you his territory. 

Cats like to mark their territory, and even though you’re a person, you’re a piece of your cat’s territory too. 

You may wipe the cat saliva off your face, but that doesn’t mean your cat’s scent immediately goes away.

Other cats in your house may stay away from you after you were around another cat and licked by him. 

Don’t worry too much if your cats don’t like the scent of another cat; you may end up being licked by all of your cats over and over!

It Is A Behavior Learned As A Kitten

Cats pick up several behaviors as kittens. Often, these behaviors last through your life, even into the end of their life.

Your cat may see you as another kitten in his litter. 

When he licks your face, he may remember those times when he was a kitten and piled up with the other kittens in his litter. 

It’s a nice memory for your cat when he licks you because he’s remembering a happy time in his past.

If you hear your cat start to purr while he’s licking you, then you know he’s one happy camper!