Why does my cat lick my hair?

Your cat has this hard to explain behaviour of licking your hair? You should rejoice: you’re her favourite human. Does she lick your beard or brows as well? You’re no longer her preferred human, you’re her favourite peer. For cats, grooming is a sign of affection and they usually do this to their peer feline friends, but this behaviour could also extend to their owners.

You’ve probably noticed that your cat is licking your hair when your laying down in bed or just relaxing on your sofa. This is because your cat considers your are in the right state for grooming. You might even wake up to your cat licking your hair, it is normal. Cats usually get in the “grooming mode” when their “subjects” are sleeping or in a relaxing state.  If your cat is also “playing” with your hair when your are fully awake and active, like, maybe working on your laptop or something like that, then she is actually in the playful mode, trying to get you to play with her. This is no longer affectionate grooming, this is “play time”!

Another reason for your cat licking your hair is making you her “territory”. Your scalp and your hair may retain different scents from different day activities or from your shampoo and conditioner. According to expert vets serving Seattle, WA, we all have our own indefinite smell that pets can identify from a single sniff. So, if you’re your cat’s favourite human, she has to remove any of these scents or debris from your very own “fur” so that you smell like her. This makes you the member of your cat’s pack and you should be very proud of this achievement!

How do I prevent my cat from licking my hair?

This is probably the next question you were going to Google. If your cat licking your hair is getting extremely annoying, you’ve got to do something about it, right? You’ve probably tried to gently push her away, but without any result. That’s because she perceived your gesture as another sign of affection and that gave her the sign to continue grooming you. The best solution to stop your cat from licking your hair is to move your head away when she’s just about to start grooming your hair or beard. Why this works is basically because you replicate your cat’s behaviour. When cats do not like something, they simple remove themselves from that specific situation so she will take your action as a refuse and stop licking your hair.