Why Does My Cat Lick My Nose? (10 Curious Reasons)
Ah yes, that unmistakable feel of your cat’s barbed tongue on your delicate human nose!
While nose licking is not something cats typically do, it’s not unheard of either. So if you’re one of the lucky ones whose furry friend loves to lick your nose, you may have wondered why he does it. Is it just a sign of affection or is there something more to this strange habit?
In this article, I’ll take a look at 10 possible reasons why your cat may be drawn to licking your nose, from instinctual behavior and bonding to simply seeking attention. So snuggle up with your furry friend for some quality time and get ready for an adventure into feline psychology.
Why do cats lick?
It might seem like a cat’s life is nice and easy—sleep, eat, laze around in the sun, do a bit of hunting, and then repeat.
Cats certainly spend plenty of time napping—about 14 hours each day on average—but they also put a lot of hard work into the process of grooming themselves.
In fact, cats are “nature’s most fastidious groomers” (Noel & Hu, 2018) and typically spend up to 30 and 50 percent of their waking hours licking their fur clean (PetMD).
Why does it hurt when my cat licks me?
If your cat licks your nose – or anywhere else for that matter – you can’t help but notice that his tongue is pretty rough. It’s a bit like having sandpaper rubbed across your skin.
The reason for this is that his tongue is covered with hundreds of sharp, backward-facing spines.
These are known as filiform papillae and act like tiny cat combs. They are perfect for removing dirt, debris, and loose hairs from your kitty’s coat.
The papillae are made of keratin, the same substance hair and claws are made of, and are “scoop shaped,” with a hollow cavity at the tip that draws saliva from the mouth and releases it onto the cat’s hairs (Noel & Hu, 2018).
“Without these papillae, saliva on the tongue’s surface would only wet the top layer of fur, leaving fur underneath untouched,” explain researchers Noel & Hu.
Cats are famous for being clean animals. Thanks to the sharp spines on your cat’s tongue, he can reach deeper into his fur and easily unknot any mats or tangles. This means not only he stays cleaner but also feels better and looks super sleek.
Now you know more than you ever thought possible about your cat’s tongue and licking behavior, let’s look deeper into those 10 reasons he might like to lick your nose.
#1. Grooming
I’ve already talked about grooming and the fact that cats lick themselves as an essential part of keeping their coats clean and healthy.
#2. Affection
The human-feline relationship is often characterized by a strong bond.
A study by Ines et al. (2021) investigated the different ways cat parents view their relationships with their cats.
Those pet owners who said their cat often licks their hands or face saw it as a sign of social affiliation and a form of affection. A sure sign of love, if you will.
So if your cat licks your nose, it could be a demonstration of affection to show he feels particularly close to you.
#3. Social bonding
Cats also lick other cats, dogs, or humans they’re bonded with – anyone in their social group. This is known as allogrooming, which is a form of social bonding or social grooming.
Scientists believe friendly behaviors like allogrooming help maintain relationships between individuals and strengthen their bond.
“Allogrooming occurs when a cat is relaxed and in the presence of a preferred social partner,” says animal health and behavior expert, Kristyn Vitale.
But this is not to be confused with scent marking. Allogrooming is an affiliative behavior and not a territorial behavior.
#4. Attention seeking
Another possible reason your cat licks your nose is to initiate some social contact—essentially, he’s seeking attention.
Maybe you’ve dozed off on the sofa and he wants you to get up and feed him. Or maybe he just wants you to pet him for a while because he hasn’t had much attention lately.
Either way, it could be your cat’s way of trying to gain your full attention. At the same time, he’s showing he feels completely at ease with you and trusts you.
#5. Scent
Cats often love to snuggle up with their owners for more than just cuddles. It’s quite likely that your cat also enjoys being surrounded by your comforting scent.
Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell, so when he licks your nose he may just be getting a dose of his favorite human.
#6. Taste
Some cats may simply enjoy the taste of human skin.
It’s quite possible your nose has something of a salty taste that your cat finds irresistible.
It’s all part of his complex social interactions and affection for his favorite human.
#7. It feels good
Simply put, licking makes cats feel good.
According to Cats Protection, the action of licking causes the release of feel-good hormones, aka endorphins, in your cat’s brain, giving him a “natural ‘high.’”
You can hardly blame him for that.
#8. Innate behavior
Licking is an innate behavior for cats, starting the moment they’re born.
A mother cat licks her kittens to keep them warm and clean and to stimulate them to pee and poop.
If your cat was weaned too early, he may lick you as a way of seeking comfort reminiscent of when he was nursing.
In this case, your cat may also knead and purr as they lick you,” says PetMD.
I once fostered a tiny kitten called Oscar who would try to suckle on or lick my nose, even though he’d been with his mom till the age of about 10 weeks old.
So your cat may be trying to soothe or comfort himself by licking you in this way.
#9. Anxiety and stress
In some cases, licking can be a stress-relieving or displacement behavior that a cat performs “to alleviate stress,” says PetMD.
“Stress more commonly leads to excessive self-grooming, but the licking may be directed toward you, too,” PetMD explains.
When we rescued our cat Magnus, he hid under the bed for the first few weeks until he was sure he was safe and could trust us.
But then he started creeping out and would jump up on the bed. He’d either lie on my chest and lick my nose, or across my arm and lick a certain patch of skin until it was almost raw. I’d end up with these enormous welts.
Yes, I know I should have stopped him, but it seemed to bring him such comfort I didn’t want to ruin it for him!
Poor Magnus had gone through a period of immense change and uncertainty. First, he had been abandoned at a shelter for being FIV positive. Several weeks later he was suddenly bundled into a cat carrier and transported to a local vet’s office, where I was going to pick him up after I’d signed up to adopt him.
From there, he was stuck in his cat box in the car with me, on a long drive home – a scary unfamiliar place, a new environment with new family members and several new pets.
No wonder he was stressed. His licking behavior was his way of trying to cope with the situation.
Fortunately, he stopped doing it altogether after a few more weeks and he felt safe and secure in his new home as part of the family.
Another tiny kitten, Jonesy, who we rescued from the street as an orphan, used to suckle on and lick her own stomach obsessively. So much so, she had huge bald spots there.
“Licking may calm and comfort a cat, but it can sometimes become habitual if the source of the problem is not properly identified and addressed,” warns Cornell Feline Health Center.
#10. It’s medical
If your cat is excessively licking himself, you, or something else in his environment, it could be a sign of a potential health issue.
He may be experiencing pain, nausea, and/or discomfort, so it’s important to take him to the vet if you observe excessive licking, or if his licking suddenly increases compared to his normal behavior.
Is it safe to let my cat lick my nose?
The good news is that cat licks are typically more irritating than anything else, perhaps making your nose a little raw and sore!
However, if you have an open wound or some other kind of skin condition, it’s best not to allow your cat anywhere near it with his rough tongue.
“Accepting a bath from your cat is usually safe, but there are some potential risks,” says PetMD.
“Cats carry bacteria in their mouths, which can lead to local or systemic infection if a cat licks an open wound. Immunocompromised people are most at risk. Acquiring a disease from your cat is very rare, but to be safe, don’t let your cat lick your face or any cuts on your skin.”
PetMD also highlights the fact that some medical ointments may be harmful if your cat licks them.
“If you apply any products to your skin or hair, inform your veterinarian to determine whether the product may be potentially dangerous to your feline,” they advise.
Why does my cat lick my nose and then bite it?
This is rather like the whole petting-biting syndrome scenario that cat owners are often so perplexed about.
Let’s say you’re there with your cat, he’s licking your nose, purring his head off, and kneading his paws, seemingly in ecstasy. He’s loving all the attention, the allogrooming, and the whole social bonding shebang. But suddenly, he switches.
He feels like he’s let his guard down just a bit too much. He starts to feel vulnerable and exposed. So he reacts accordingly and gives you a quick bite to protect himself.
“The adult cat has a strong instinctive survival mechanism and they can feel vulnerable to attack if they allow themselves to become too relaxed and comfortable,” explains International Cat Care.
“They develop a sense of conflict between pleasure and potential danger and this can result in a sudden aggressive gesture to escape from the situation.”
How do I stop my cat from licking my nose?
First of all, try to figure out why he’s doing it. If he’s stressed or anxious, then take steps to alleviate his anxiety and help him feel calmer.
If it’s more of an affectionate bonding type gesture, the best way is just to interrupt the behavior by distracting him.
So next time he does it you can direct his attention elsewhere, for example, by throwing a favorite toy for him to chase or scattering a tasty treat or two for him to seek out. This way, he gets rewarded for stopping the licking behavior.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, if your cat is licking your nose, chances are he’s happy and content.
But if his behavior changes suddenly, it’s important to pay attention and figure out why he’s doing it. Is he in pain or feeling uncomfortable? Has there been a change in his environment he’s struggling to cope with?
Fortunately, cat licks are generally harmless – as long as they don’t become excessive. Just make sure you take your feline friend to the vet if he seems to be licking excessively or in pain, and try to address any underlying issues that may be causing his behavior.
Other than that, enjoy your social bonding with your kitty!
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Resources
- Aggression to humans – International Cat Care
- Cats that Lick Too Much – Cornell Feline Health Center
- Cats use hollow papillae to wick saliva into fur – Alexis C. Noel and David L. Hu
- My Cat and Me—A Study of Cat Owner Perceptions of Their Bond and Relationship – Mauro Ines, Claire Ricci-Bonot, & Daniel S. Mills
- Why do cats lick? – Charles Q. Choi
- Why does my cat lick me? – Cats Protection
- Why Does My Cat Lick Me? – PetMD
NEED HELP FROM A CAT BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST? If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a certified feline behavior consultant. They will be able to offer you tailored advice for your cat(s) and situation. Good places to start are: - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants - COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers - American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
