Why Do Cats Head-Butt?

A cat will gently rub his head, face and cheeks against your leg or hand as a way to mark you with his individual scent. Cats perform this action, kind of like a head-butt, on both people and other cats. Scent is a very important part of cats' repertoire of communication, and this is a friendly gesture that is used to convey trust and affection.

  1. Smell

    • Cats communicate through vocalization, body language and their sense of smell. A cat has 200 million odor-detecting cells in his nose, as opposed to a human, who has only about 5 million, according to PetPlace.com. This powerful sense of smell is used to detect the presence of other animals, especially other cats. To mark his territory, a cat has various means of doing so. These methods include urine marking, rubbing his head on an object or person and scratching a surface to visually mark it and activate the scent glands in his feet. Unlike the pungent odor left behind by urine marking, when cats rub their face on you, they leave behind a subtle scent, not noticeable to humans, only to other cats.

    Scent Marking

    • Cats have scent glands on various places on their body, including their cheeks, temples, lips and front paws. These glands produce secretions known as pheromones, chemicals that communicate messages to other cats, including his identity and mood, according to PetPlace.com. The pheromones both claim territory and mark items as safe, which has a calming effect on the cat. By rubbing you with facial pheromones, a cat is claiming you as his own. A cat will also mark another cat, especially one of a higher social status, to mix their scents and obtain acceptance by that cat. Cats that have a close bond greet each other by head-butting and rubbing against each other to communicate a message of friendship.

    Pheromones

    • Synthetic pheromones, which mimic the scent of facial pheromones, are used to calm cats and help them deal with stressful situations. You can spray these chemicals around your home to reduce friction between cats, soothe a cat that is recuperating from an illness or make travel a less stressful experience. These sprays, found in pet supply stores, can also be used to reduce negative marking behaviors, such as urine or feces marking. You may even find that your cat becomes friendlier with the use of a pheromone spray or diffuser because of the positive, relaxing atmosphere promoted.

    Considerations

    • If you notice that your cat hisses at you when you come home after an encounter with another cat who has marked you with her facial pheromones, it is because he can smell the unfamiliar scent of the other cat. Reassure your cat by washing away the scent from your skin with soap and water and changing your clothing. Because head-butting is a positive behavior, never punish your cat for it. For a recently adopted cat, encourage trust by rewarding him if he head-butts you by stroking his head gently to deposit your scent on him as well. When stroking the cat, concentrate on his head and face to release his facial pheromones and promote calmness.