I have 2 cats whom love to be loved. Recently while petting both (at different times, of course; both like to be the center of my attention)near the base of their tail, I noticed they put their nose into the air, while rapidly licking at nothing, then starting to nibble on anything that is within reach. It looks like they are really enjoying this petting, but I can’t help but wonder if in fact they are enjoying this or is this some sort of reflex. This is something new, I’ve pet them in this area many times before but they have never behaved like this. Can this be related to a winter coat coming in (it’s still September and unseasonably warm).
Please help, I want to know if this is OK, any information you have would be greatly appreciated. Please respond to post via my e-mail, I don’t have constant access to computer to see a response (and of course, please post for all to see)Thank you ever so much for your advice and assistance.
Sincerely,
Robin
(mother of 2 cats)
Hi Robin,
This behavior is quite common in cats. To put it quite plainly, you have found a sweet spot that cats love to be petted and scratched. While dogs thump their legs, we tend to try and groom ourselves or others. It is quite comforting to us felines when we bathe eachother, and petting is a form of bathing. Your hands aren’t exactly clean by a cat’s standards, but to each his own, right? Your hands sometimes feel like a giant mother cat’s tongue on our backs and boy does it feel good. When we feel especially good, we have a reflex or instinct to try to return the favor… or in the case of some rather infantile felines, try to nurse. The base of the tail is one of the most sensitive areas on our bodies, so you hit the right spot. If you want you can lay on your stomach and let the cat lick your back too, but we can’t guarantee it would feel quite as good.
Thanks for writing,
Gumbie
Catnabbit!