There’s no doubt about it, cats are pretty cute. With their soothing purrs and perfect paws, we can’t help but endlessly coo over them. One of the features most owners seem to love about their cats is their tiny, wet noses which is nothing but adorable.
However, cat’s noses are way more than just an appealing feature. You will find that a healthy cat’s nose is usually quite cold and wet which is essentially made up of sweat that helps them stay cool. A cat’s body doesn’t sweat like humans do which can cause them to overheat. Their noses perform an important function that helps regulate their body temperature.
Cats also use their noses to communicate with other cats. One thing we are frequently asked is why some cats touch noses.
So, why do cats touch noses? When cats touch noses, it is considered one of the highest forms of affection when it comes to cat speak. You will often see cats touching noses with each other as a sign of acceptance. They also use this friendly greeting to sniff out each other’s pheromones for identification purposes.
Let’s take a look into this topic a little further to give you a better understanding of the functionality and purpose of the cat’s nose.
Are cats touching noses a good sign?
When cats touch noses it can be quite hit and miss. It is often a good sign since they have chosen to get this close to one another. Cats generally like their own space and most have spatial awareness ingrained in them particularly with other cats.
Touching noses is considered to be one of the highest forms of greeting in the cat world. It is said to be similar to a human handshake or a hug and this particular behavior is referred to as allorubbing.
Cats use this method as not only a friendly greeting but a way to sniff out pheromones in order to identify each other. I guess you could liken this to when you recognize someone and call out their name just to be sure it’s them.
Cats sometimes touch noses when they first meet when they are initially trying to figure each other out. Not all cats are aggressive towards one another and some genuinely do want to create friendships with other willing felines. Sometimes this does not always go to plan.
They may start warming to one another and then when they get close and touch noses they take a U-turn and change their minds. This usually will result in a whole bunch of hissing and the two will retreat to safety. Think of it like a date that didn’t go well.
When kittens are born their noses come in very handy since they are born blind. Although they are unable to see initially they do have fully developed touch receptors in their nose. It is true to say that their first real encounter with their mum is through their nose.
Why do cats touch noses then hiss?
Cats will usually touch noses when they feel comfortable around one another. It is one of the best ways cats communicate with each other. They use this form of communication as a very highly regarded greeting and use their noses to sniff out pheromones as a way to identify one another easily.
Sometimes cats have just met each other for the first time and are still trying to figure each other out. When they start to feel comfortable towards one another you will notice they will be more willing to share their space and gradually get closer and closer, providing all is going well.
When they eventually get within reach of one of another they are likely to touch noses as a friendly way of greeting and to have a really good smell of each other.
Cats often will get to the point where they are secure enough to touch noses and change their mind. This is likely when the hissing will begin. Both will retreat and continue hissing until they are at a safe enough distance.
Hissing is a form of aggression not only towards other cats but towards humans too. It is most definitely a warning sign that shouldn’t be ignored and is essentially telling the other individual that they are not happy and therefore they should back off.
Cats generally want to avoid any kind of confrontation. They are not known to be aggressive animals for the most part. However, it is true to say that if a cat starts hissing at you or another cat then they are warning you that they will be prepared to fight if need be.
Do cats kiss with their nose?
Cats do not kiss other cats. Not with their noses or any other part of their bodies. Cats do not generally display much obvious affection to each other in conventional human ways.
Cats usually tolerate each other, which is probably the best scenario. It isn’t unheard of for cats that live together to cuddle up for sleep, especially if they have lived together for a long time and built up a solid foundation with each other.
Cat’s noses are strictly reserved for friendly greetings and identification reasons. You will never see two cats touch noses for kissing purposes, this just doesn’t happen in the cat world, unfortunately. It may look this way to us humans, but cats do not show their affection in the same way we do.
Why does my cat touch their nose to my nose?
When we are referring to cats touching noses with us humans, it is true to say this is a debatable subject. Many people still believe that when a cat touches noses with us it is their version of kissing us. There also many (if not more) that are adamant that cats do not show affection through kissing with their noses.
Although there are very mixed views on this subject there are a few things we do believe are true when a cat touches their nose to yours:
- Your cat likes you
- They want to be near you
- Your cat feels safe
- They are comfortable
- Your kitty is content and relaxed
- They trust you
- You have built up a solid foundation together
We would consider this list to be far more important than a mere kiss. It shows the two of you have built up a great bond together and this should hopefully be enough to convince you.
Why does my cat put his nose on my lips?
A cat’s primary sense is their smell, unlike us humans who rely firstly on our sight much more than we do any other senses. Cats use their noses quite frequently with other cats as a way to smell pheromones and often as a friendly greeting sign.
They do not generally show visible love towards another cat, but touching and sniffing noses a usually a sign that the two like each other to a certain extent or at least will tolerate one another for a period of time.
As a cat owner, you may have noticed that your kitty likes to put their nose onto your face when they are in the right mood and circumstances and questions that are commonly asked are ‘Why are they doing this?’ ‘Are they kissing me?’ ‘Is it a sign of affection?’ There are so many questions asked about this topic since it is such a regular occurrence amongst cat owners.
Although cats do not usually show affection in this way towards one another, it is believed that this type of behavior could be reserved for humans. After all, if your kitty didn’t like you very much then why on earth would they do this?
It is said by many that cats put their nose on our lips, nose, and face as a sign of greeting in the same way they would another cat. I guess you could call this a sign of affection, but we like to think of it as more polite.
Others believe that cats put their noses to our lips for the comfort factor because they like the smell of our breath. I guess you could say it would be a familiar scent to them that makes them feel at ease.
Science tells us that this type of behavior is not affection related in theory and that it’s a cat’s way of transferring their scent glands to us in the same way as when they rub around our legs or head bump us.
Cats tend to do this all over the house as a way as marking their territory. It makes them feel at ease when they can smell their particular scent and prevents other cats from running into their territory.
We are sorry to have to tell you this, but when a cat is putting their nose onto your lips they are likely just marking their territory and claiming what is theirs: You!
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