Why does my cat rub his face on me

Cats rub their faces on things for many reasons, depending on the context or object being rubbed.

Cats have multiple scent glands on their heads. They have glands located around their mouths, chins, sides of the face, neck and ears. When a cat rubs his face on an item, he leaves his scent behind. The act of a cat rubbing his head on objects is called “bunting.” The height of the object determines which part of his head a cat will use to leave a scent mark on an item. Cats also tend to choose conspicuous objects, such as a corner that sticks out, whether a wall, the edge of a coffee table or sofa, or even the corner of a book or box. Male cats tend to bunt on more items than female cats. Cats also tend to bunt over the scent marks left by other cats.

Cats sometimes bunt to inform other cats of their presence in the vicinity. Bunting may also be a form of “time stamping,” meaning that other cats may be able to determine by the age of the marking how recently another cat was there. If the mark is relatively fresh, they may want to leave the area soon to avoid conflict. Some cats bunt when they are anxious. Spreading their scent around may be a way of coping or making themselves feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.

Rubbing on objects may also be a way to pick up scent. When cats bunt on their owners, they not only deposit their scents but also pick up scents from the owner. This can also be a sign of affection or greeting behavior. Cats who live in social groups often rub on each other in greeting.

And rubbing on objects is one way sexually intact cats provide visual cues to other cats during mating season. Males are more interested in female bunt marks during the mating season, which indicates the female’s scent changes to entice male interest.

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If you’ve noticed your cat rubbing his face all over your house, you might have wondered what he’s doing. Is he giving himself a massage? And is it normal?

When your cat rubs his head on an object, it’s called bunting, and cats do this for a bunch of totally normal, harmless reasons.

The Dodo spoke to Dr. Crista Coppola, PhD, a certified dog and cat behaviorist at Senior Tail Waggers, to find out why cats like to rub their faces on things — including why your cat rubs his face on you.

Your cat’s able to leave his scent on everything he rubs his face on with the scent glands located in and around his face.

“Cats have scent glands on their cheeks, over their eyes, above their mouth and sides of their nose, on their forehead, between their ears, and under their jaw,” Dr. Coppola told The Dodo. Cats also have scent glands on their paws, which is one way they’re able to find their way home.

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These scent glands release pheromones, which are chemicals that can only be detected by other cats. Their pheromones provide a ton of info about them, including their gender, reproductive status and age.

Reasons why cats rub their faces on things

Cats rub their faces on things to leave info about themselves, but they also bunt for several other reasons, too.

Here are some common explanations for why your cat likes to rub his face on everything.

Cats rub their faces around their homes to let other cats know it’s theirs.

“Cats rub their face on things to deposit scent,” Dr. Coppola said. “Cats use this information to mark their territory and to help timeshare areas.”

They can even tell how long ago another cat was in the area by how strong or fresh the scent is. If a cat smells a recently marked area, he might want to leave to avoid a confrontation in case the other cat’s still nearby.

Cats may also bunt when they’re in a new environment to make it smell familiar, which makes them feel safe. So if you have a new cat who’s rubbing himself on everything, he’s probably trying to make himself feel at home. Or if you buy something new for your house, like a new chair, your cat might rub his scent against it to reassure himself that the object’s OK.

He’s anxious

Stressed-out cats sometimes bunt more often because they’re trying to make themselves feel safe.

But some cats just like to rub their faces on things a lot, so it might be difficult to tell the difference. If your cat’s anxious, you’ll notice other signs, such as overgrooming, aggressive behavior, hiding and trying to escape, in addition to excessive bunting.

To help relax your cat, you can try a cat pheromone product that mimics his natural pheromones.

Try this Feliway Classic Cat Calming Diffuser Kit from Amazon for $32.75

If your cat’s anxiety doesn’t go away, you can talk to your vet for treatment options.

To show affection

Your cat rubs his face on you to show that he loves you.

“Rubbing their face is also a sign of affection,” Dr. Coppola said. “Cats can be incredibly affiliative [aka friendly], and this is one of the ways they show affection and seek physical contact with people.”

If you have other pets who your cat’s super friendly with, you may even see him bunt against them every once in a while to show he likes them, too.

And similar to how your cat leaves his scent on objects when he rubs against them, he’s also leaving his scent on you to mark you as his own. If your cat ever kneads you, he’s doing something similar, since his paws have scent glands, too.

As a greeting

If you have a social cat who rubs on your friends when they come over, he’s doing it as a greeting.

“Cats are also very tactile, and this can be a sign of affiliative behavior,” Dr. Coppola said.

He’s also picking up the newcomers’ scents to learn more about them and find out if they pose any threat.

To get your attention

A lot of cats use bunting as a way to get what they want. Your cat might learn that bunting you is a good way to get your attention if you pet him or play with him every time he does it. So if your cat’s rubbing against you when you’re working at the computer, it’s probably because he wants a quick cuddle.

It's most likely normal if your cat rubs his face on everything (including you). He’s just marking his territory and letting you know he loves you — or maybe looking for a treat.

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When your cat rubs their face on you, it’s a seemingly loving display of affection and feels good for all involved. But is there more to this adorable behaviour than you first thought?

It’s just their way of saying ‘I love you’

We all love our pets and enjoy giving them lots of love and attention, which they give back in their own special way by being loyal, loving and cuddly – especially cats!

So, just as you suspected, one of the main reasons that cats like to rub their head against you is to show affection and there is even a name for this behaviour – ‘bunting’.

Cats ‘bunt’ primarily as a way of bonding, and they do this not only to you and other humans but also with other cats and even dogs. Bunting is your cat’s way of communicating their affection for you and identifying you as one of their friends.

Territorial behaviour

No doubt you’ll have noticed that your cat also likes to bunt against things around the house, as well as against you. The reason for this is because cats have a lot of scent glands around their heads: around their mouth, their chin, their cheeks, their neck and their ears. These scent glands are activated when cats bunt against things and this is their way of marking their territory and claiming ownership of their environment.

But this behaviour doesn’t stop at home – cats also bunt against things when they are out exploring as a way of warning other cats of their presence. Cats may even attempt to bunt over the scent marks left by other cats. This is especially true of male cats, as they tend to bunt more than female cats.

Looking for love?

Another reason for bunting (in sexually intact cats) is to communicate with other cats during the mating season. Female cats use bunting as a way of indicating their scent change and to try to entice male curiosity.

Often, cats that live in social groups bunt against each other as a greeting and to show affection to one another. This type of greeting method is useful in reducing a cat’s anxiety with unfamiliar surroundings and with other cats, as bunting is not just a way to release scent – but also a way to retrieve scent, too.

So, there you have it! Cats are loving and complex creatures and there are many reasons for their various displays of behaviour. But the most important one in this instance – they love you!