Cat uses different ways to communicate with her pet parents and other companions, they generally use both visual and vocalizing methods.
Especially with humans, felines use vocalizing(such as meow, purring, hissing).
With their companions, she generally uses visual signs.
So now the question comes, why do cats touch noses?
Well, my friend felines do touch or sniff humans or other companions.
It’s their way of greeting her beloved ones, she only comes that close to her beloved ones only. It shows that she has complete faith.
Scroll down, and keep reading to learn more about the sniffing behavior of your feline pal.
1. Childhood Habit
Cats learn this touching nose habit from their childhood days.
As in the initial days, kittens cannot see or hear properly, so mother cat use to touch her blind baby’s nose with hers.
This action allows her to transfer her scent to their kitten’s body. So, that baby kittens easily recognize their mother’s scent and don’t get scared.
As kittens grow, their body develops, but this nose touching remains the same for them.
As adult cats, they use this action as greeting their pet parents or other companions. They feel secure and comfortable when they sense the familiar scent.
You might have noticed if your friends or relatives come to your place, your kitty will try to sense the scent by touching her nose.
Just to confirm herself, she knows that fellow person or not.
2. It’s Your Feline Way of Greeting
As you know, felines learn this nose touching habit from their mother cat, and it’s their childhood habit of greeting their beloved ones.
As she grows up, realizing that touching the nose is one of the habits or gestures of greeting.
She continuous to follow it, with familiar faces or her other companions.
Sometimes, they just jump to grab your attention and touch her nose, the reason is the same.
It’s just their way of saying hello to you.
Similarly, when she meets her companion, they touch each other noses as a gesture of saying hello and communicating by exchanging each other scents.
3. It’s Her Way Of Showing Affection
Cats feel love for their beloved ones, other companions, it’s just that sometimes they act more subtle. However, it doesn’t change the fact that they are attached to their beloved ones.
Sometimes, felines show their affection by touching her nose, it’s her way of kissing you and showing her love for you. It also helps to release the anxiety for both pet parents and the kitty.
Similarly, they follow the same gesture with other companion felines, the gentle nose touching allows them to mix their scent with one another and create a more blended communicated scent.
This gentle nose touching helps your feline to feel secure and comfortable with her beloved ones.
4. Smelling Where the Other Has Been
Apart from greeting or showing affection.
Your feline instigates nose touch, just to learn from where you are coming from, she can easily sense it.
As she is familiar with your smell and doesn’t need more analysis. In such a scenario, let your feline touch her nose and do her investigation part.
When felines rub their pheromones on something, a bit of that thing’s scent set on her glands, and so another feline can easily sense the smell.
Furthermore, you will notice in such a scenario when your feline meets another feline or her friend, out of curiosity she smells another feline just to know where she has been.
5. Transferring Her Scent
As we know, felines leave their mark on their beloved ones as a sign that they solely belong to them.
Similarly, they leave their scent on other feline or members of the house by touching her nose. It’s their way of communicating and transferring her scent.
Many times when feline meet with the other group, they touch or sniff each other noses.
It’s their social gesture of sharing their scent with one another from all their adventurous hiking trip.
In another word, they are sharing their trip’s experience or any outing activity experience with each other.
6. Sign of Warning
As in the above paragraphs, we have already discussed that felines touch their nose with the other cats or humans as a greeting.
They try to sense the smell, whether they belong to them.
If she doesn’t get the familiar scent, she will try to rub her head against that cat or human out of anger.
So, when your feline doesn’t feel protected around strangers, there are chances that she will touch her nose and indicate a warning signal to stay away from her.
Otherwise, she will scratch or bite them in self-defense.
Conclusion
Why do cats touch noses?
As we have discussed above, generally it’s their form of greeting their beloved ones, other companions.
In addition, they also follow this trait to transfer her scent, so that other cats beware that they belong to her. It can also be an act of a warning sign that she is not getting a positive vibe, so stay away from her or else she might scratch or bite.
Furthermore, they often touch her nose to show affection or love to her beloved ones.
As per the survey, it is also concluded that touching the nose is your feline’s childhood habit which she will never give up, it’s her way of identifying her beloved ones.
Hopefully, our blog help you to get a clear understanding of your feline’s touching nose habit.
No need to worry, about it, as it’s just a normal greeting gesture from her side.
References
- Nose-Touch Greeting in Cats — The Nest
- 11 Weird Cat Behaviors (And What They Mean) — Chewy
- 10 Ways Your Cat Shows You Love — Vet Street