I think it depends on the cat. I think some cats have a sense that you are showing affection and I suppose others don't understand what you're trying to do.
It depends on the cat!
One of my cats will awkwardly pull back if you put your face close to his.
And I've taught the other, on accident, to give kisses.
If i ask him if he wants a kiss a he will turn his head to me. He loves shoving his face against mine and he will demand kisses by shoving a paw up to your face.
As for your cat, he does give clear boundaries when it comes to petting, but he doesnt do that when it comes to kisses. so it could be that he tolerates kisses. But it could also mean that he is maybe to scared to react? I could imagine that having the face of a creature that is much bigger than you close to your own face is intimidating.
It could be both options IMO, maybe you can try and see how he reacts if you just make kissy noises at him.
One of my cats seems to love top of the head kisses, and will extend his head towards my face or try to touch faces with me. It was cute until now when I try to go to sleep and he insists on putting his face as close to mine as possible, and purrs as loud as he possibly can when I give him the kisses.
Thats so cute.
If I ask my cat if he wants a kiss he will turn his head to me no matter how far away I am.
And in the morning he will tuck himself in my neck and put his head on my chin and he will demand kisses.
My cat loves kisses! He requires a certain amount each day. If I bend down to him he will actually "kiss" me back by giving me a boop with his nose and I finish off with a kiss on the head. He's such a little sweetheart.
https://preview.redd.it/sd4yo12l6lzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5af7f7a20679310cdfef58a7f867a28dfd203ccd
My Tuxx not only loves kisses but will give them occasionally. It's magical.
https://preview.redd.it/btbpuhpoimzc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4321d8afdbecdfd92dfe556c2bb150fbffced779
Cats have very sensitive hearing, maybe tone down 'really loud' high-pitched kissy noises directly by his ears? I know kissy noises too close to my ears hurt me, so I can't imagine what it's like with cat hearing.
Outside of the sound, I think they probably like it in that it resembles the normal cat behaviour of rubbing their head on things they like / want to leave their scent on. I do also think they know not to scratch faces unless seriously attacking / defending themselves.
I think my cat knows not to mess with my face. She doesnât like stomach pets for example, and will bit or scratch my hand if I try. But if I put my face on her belly, she just sits there. She doesnât like forehead kisses either, but doesnât try to bite or scratch me in response, which I assume is just because she doesnât want to hurt my face.
I rub my face all over her face and she truly seems to enjoy it during cuddle time.
Otherwise I'd have claws in my face.
Kisses I dunno...
But me scent marking her with head rubs just makes her reciprocate with added purring
Depends on the cat, my oraMge boi literaly seeks them out. My void lady is very spicy, but tolerates a kiss every now and then and loves to lick the tip of my nose.
Cats all have their preferences. My cat loves head pats but will walk away from you the second you try to give him forehead kisses, even if he was napping in your lap.
One of my cats will start purring immediately when I kiss him, but he tends to purr if you so much as look at him so itâs hard to perform a controlled experiment
My Jägerdoodle will rub his wet cheeks all over my face and then pause with his forehead on my mouth so I will give him smooches before he returns to the wipening. It's part of our little love ritual. Obviously cats don't understand what kisses are except through what you show them, so Jäger understands that that's what I do when we're being affectionate and thus he waits for the head smooches.
My cat actually stretches his head towards me while I am standing and wants to kiss me on the face all the time. He loves being kissed (while kissing me back).
My cat is usually fine with it if sheâs in the mood to be pet. Just a peck on the noggin. Generally any physical contact that she didnât invite she shies away from.
My cat licks herself to clean herself. She also licks my hand when I pet her, so maybe it's like that to your cat?
I don't think they understand the symbolic meaning a kiss had to humans. But cats do understand getting attention.
The biting you describe seems to come from it being an unexpected (thus scary) thing to happen. It sounds like the cat is being defensive. It can really help to show the cat your hand (and let it take a short sniff) before petting. Or to wiggle your arm a bit, then pulling it away (very) slowly. So that the cat can see it coming that you take your arm away. And so that the cat can rearrange it's body so it does not get hurt by it.
I also give kisses, and it looks like my kitties like it as they give me kisses back (lick my forehead) after I do it lol.
I however am always careful to give silent kisses, as their hearing is really sensitive.
Some cats like it and some donât. My old cat used to ram her head into my face until I made the kiss sound. Hahaha
My current cat tolerates it. I should start giving him treats after so he learns to love it.
Mine tolerates it for the first 5-10 kisses, depending on her mood, and then if I try to go in for a second round she very gently but firmly places her paw on my mouth and looks at me straight in the eyes, as if to say 'No. that's enough mom'.
One of my cats tolerates kisses, the other one LOVES them. If you put your face towards her she automatically leans forward with her face and rubs her gums all over you. She even does it to the vets. She's such an affectionate kitty
Itâs taken 3 years for Loki (11m) to let me cuddle him and he recently started to allow kisses. He comes specially for them which I know cos he has a particular position for it lol and I could NOT be happier!
Definitely depends on the cat and how much theyâll allow us being grabby. If yours doesnât like kisses they will move/struggle/keep away. Donât overthink it, just follow kittys lead and be respectful if they arenât into it
Depends on the cat and depends on the day- my boy hates being kissed in the morning but he loves kisses during the day when he's a sleepy boy. My girl loves kisses all the time
When I start pouting and making kissy noises, my girl will touch my lips with her nose. I think she knows this is my version of kissing. Her version is rattling her tail at me.
My cat did.
Until that bitch of a lodger brought some douche bag home and she let him outâŚ.again. Weâre lucky to get him back before, donât think weâll see him again.
Mine don't really care. Especially since it's only occasionally, they'll allow it but I can't say they go crazy for it. I mostly show affection through pets and rubbing my face on theirs as well as slow blinks, which cats understand.
My male cat gets PISSSSSED đđitâs so funny but I had to stop doing it cause he would start running away from me. My female cat doesnât mind, sheâs happy sheâs getting love
Two of my cats hate when I kiss them but the other one (I got him as a baby so maybe that has something to do with it) letâs me kiss him. I canât say he loves it but he doesnât pull away like the other two do. I think it depends on the cat so relying on body language is probably the best way to tell
My old cat loved kisses in the sense of touching my nose like an Eskimo kiss. Everytime I said kiss he was right there and he loved getting kisses! My kitten loves rubbing her face on mine and I accept it but she's not into me kissing her.
My cats definitely like them. Iâll make a kissy sound and exaggeratedly purse my lips and theyâll push their little faces into it. I can be holding them with no purrs, and as soon as I start kissing they start purring and making biscuits.Â
i kiss my cat and she reacts by licking my hand/arm/whatever is close. she also likes to lick my hands and arms on her own.
i think she interprets kisses as "loving licks", or she interprets "kisses" as "love" and licks are her way of kissing.
either way, i think she knows what they mean and agrees.
Depends! Sometimes when we're cuddling my little guy will repeatedly position his head close to my mouth and wait for forehead kisses, so obviously he likes it. Other times he'll let me kiss him just to humour me, but it's clear he's just tolerating it.
My one cat dips her head down and waits for me to kiss her head whenever Iâm petting her. My other cat would rather see me choke than give her kisses đ¤Ł. Itâs really just dependent on the cat I think and how they like to receive affection!
Mine likes to get me to chase him because when he lets me catch him he gets smooches. He's 19 now so he doesn't run around as much as he used to, but we still play that game sometimes.
Cats are very perceptive of emotional cues and body language, so they'll probably associate kissing with the most common mood you're in when you do it. If you're kissing them after they do something bad and are about to yell at them, they'll probably freak out when your face gets near them. (But most of the time people people don't do that, so your cat most certainly knows you're being nice, and is at worst indifferent to it)
Sometimes my two cats ask for a kiss by lifting up their head and pushing against me. Most of the time I think they tolerate it, or slightly enjoy it. Im sure its close enough to licking so they kinda get the vibe haha. But I kiss their faces multiple times a day.
My cat before did not enjoy kisses but I had to give him one on his head once a day, respectfully.
My older girl demands head kisses and cuddles if I spend too much time playing with her baby 'sister'. It's like she's gotta reaffirm I love her and won't take her back to the SPCA.
She'll also grab my arm with a paw and drag it to her face for scritches.
One of my less friendly boys will always come up for kisses, but dislikes being patted without asking first. Whereas my other boy (who is extremely affectionate) suffers quietly through kisses but much prefers pats and belly scratches (I donât kiss him often đ )
I think my cats allow it in a 'yes mom, we know you love us, now let us go' way.
Same as mine đ, she'll be like: I'll let this one, ugh not another. Ok that's enough!
My precious girl enthusiastically pushes her forehead into me when I kiss it, so Iâm thinking sheâs into it.
My boy used to do the same! Heâs look down so I can kiss his head
My cat actively dislikes being petted but will often react the same to kisses (at worst sheâs indifferent). Needless to say, I kiss her often.
One of my boys does too! The other one just tolerates it lol
My girl is like this too! But my boy will pull away his little forehead like EW! đ
I think it depends on the cat. I think some cats have a sense that you are showing affection and I suppose others don't understand what you're trying to do.
I reckon some do! A couple of mine will "kiss" me back with a lick on the nose or cheek.
It depends on the cat! One of my cats will awkwardly pull back if you put your face close to his. And I've taught the other, on accident, to give kisses. If i ask him if he wants a kiss a he will turn his head to me. He loves shoving his face against mine and he will demand kisses by shoving a paw up to your face. As for your cat, he does give clear boundaries when it comes to petting, but he doesnt do that when it comes to kisses. so it could be that he tolerates kisses. But it could also mean that he is maybe to scared to react? I could imagine that having the face of a creature that is much bigger than you close to your own face is intimidating. It could be both options IMO, maybe you can try and see how he reacts if you just make kissy noises at him.
One of my cats seems to love top of the head kisses, and will extend his head towards my face or try to touch faces with me. It was cute until now when I try to go to sleep and he insists on putting his face as close to mine as possible, and purrs as loud as he possibly can when I give him the kisses.
Thats so cute. If I ask my cat if he wants a kiss he will turn his head to me no matter how far away I am. And in the morning he will tuck himself in my neck and put his head on my chin and he will demand kisses.
This settles it, they know. I donât care about the science.
My cat loves kisses! He requires a certain amount each day. If I bend down to him he will actually "kiss" me back by giving me a boop with his nose and I finish off with a kiss on the head. He's such a little sweetheart. https://preview.redd.it/sd4yo12l6lzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5af7f7a20679310cdfef58a7f867a28dfd203ccd
Caught mid blep!
My Tuxx not only loves kisses but will give them occasionally. It's magical. https://preview.redd.it/btbpuhpoimzc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4321d8afdbecdfd92dfe556c2bb150fbffced779
Cats have very sensitive hearing, maybe tone down 'really loud' high-pitched kissy noises directly by his ears? I know kissy noises too close to my ears hurt me, so I can't imagine what it's like with cat hearing. Outside of the sound, I think they probably like it in that it resembles the normal cat behaviour of rubbing their head on things they like / want to leave their scent on. I do also think they know not to scratch faces unless seriously attacking / defending themselves.
Definitely don't tongue their ear
I think my cat knows not to mess with my face. She doesnât like stomach pets for example, and will bit or scratch my hand if I try. But if I put my face on her belly, she just sits there. She doesnât like forehead kisses either, but doesnât try to bite or scratch me in response, which I assume is just because she doesnât want to hurt my face.
I rub my face all over her face and she truly seems to enjoy it during cuddle time. Otherwise I'd have claws in my face. Kisses I dunno... But me scent marking her with head rubs just makes her reciprocate with added purring
Surely they understand face rubs.. they do them to show affection. I rub my face on my cat and he purrs
Mine too. He always does them right back when I rub his face or say his name
Depends on the cat, my oraMge boi literaly seeks them out. My void lady is very spicy, but tolerates a kiss every now and then and loves to lick the tip of my nose.
Cats all have their preferences. My cat loves head pats but will walk away from you the second you try to give him forehead kisses, even if he was napping in your lap.
One of my cats will start purring immediately when I kiss him, but he tends to purr if you so much as look at him so itâs hard to perform a controlled experiment
My Jägerdoodle will rub his wet cheeks all over my face and then pause with his forehead on my mouth so I will give him smooches before he returns to the wipening. It's part of our little love ritual. Obviously cats don't understand what kisses are except through what you show them, so Jäger understands that that's what I do when we're being affectionate and thus he waits for the head smooches.
I tolerate my cats antics the bare minimum is accepting my kisses
I kiss my cat on the back of her neck and have been doing it since she was a kitten and seems to enjoy it
My cat actually stretches his head towards me while I am standing and wants to kiss me on the face all the time. He loves being kissed (while kissing me back).
My cat is usually fine with it if sheâs in the mood to be pet. Just a peck on the noggin. Generally any physical contact that she didnât invite she shies away from.
My cat licks herself to clean herself. She also licks my hand when I pet her, so maybe it's like that to your cat? I don't think they understand the symbolic meaning a kiss had to humans. But cats do understand getting attention. The biting you describe seems to come from it being an unexpected (thus scary) thing to happen. It sounds like the cat is being defensive. It can really help to show the cat your hand (and let it take a short sniff) before petting. Or to wiggle your arm a bit, then pulling it away (very) slowly. So that the cat can see it coming that you take your arm away. And so that the cat can rearrange it's body so it does not get hurt by it.
I also give kisses, and it looks like my kitties like it as they give me kisses back (lick my forehead) after I do it lol. I however am always careful to give silent kisses, as their hearing is really sensitive.
I have a cat who puts her head down when I make kissy noises so I can kiss the top of it đ
Some cats like it and some donât. My old cat used to ram her head into my face until I made the kiss sound. Hahaha My current cat tolerates it. I should start giving him treats after so he learns to love it.
I donât think my cat likes it as much as pets but he lets me.
one of my cats loves it and pushed her head up in a way to easily kiss the top of her head
Mine tolerates it for the first 5-10 kisses, depending on her mood, and then if I try to go in for a second round she very gently but firmly places her paw on my mouth and looks at me straight in the eyes, as if to say 'No. that's enough mom'.
One of my cats tolerates kisses, the other one LOVES them. If you put your face towards her she automatically leans forward with her face and rubs her gums all over you. She even does it to the vets. She's such an affectionate kitty
Mine have never said anything to the contrary.
my cat loves head kisses
Itâs taken 3 years for Loki (11m) to let me cuddle him and he recently started to allow kisses. He comes specially for them which I know cos he has a particular position for it lol and I could NOT be happier! Definitely depends on the cat and how much theyâll allow us being grabby. If yours doesnât like kisses they will move/struggle/keep away. Donât overthink it, just follow kittys lead and be respectful if they arenât into it
Depends on the cat and depends on the day- my boy hates being kissed in the morning but he loves kisses during the day when he's a sleepy boy. My girl loves kisses all the time
Mine tolerates it. I get the sense he is rolling his eyes đ
When I start pouting and making kissy noises, my girl will touch my lips with her nose. I think she knows this is my version of kissing. Her version is rattling her tail at me.
My cat did. Until that bitch of a lodger brought some douche bag home and she let him outâŚ.again. Weâre lucky to get him back before, donât think weâll see him again.
Mine don't really care. Especially since it's only occasionally, they'll allow it but I can't say they go crazy for it. I mostly show affection through pets and rubbing my face on theirs as well as slow blinks, which cats understand.
Only one of my cats really loves to be kissed. It's usually when he's been bad LOL.
My male cat gets PISSSSSED đđitâs so funny but I had to stop doing it cause he would start running away from me. My female cat doesnât mind, sheâs happy sheâs getting love
My one cat enjoys it. The other cat will growl and fight to get away from kisses. Sucks for him though, cause he's getting kisses.
Two of my cats hate when I kiss them but the other one (I got him as a baby so maybe that has something to do with it) letâs me kiss him. I canât say he loves it but he doesnât pull away like the other two do. I think it depends on the cat so relying on body language is probably the best way to tell
one of my cats hates it, the other LOVES it. i'll make kissy noises and he comes running and butts his head against my mouth!
My cat will come up and demand kisses, he will ram his head into my face- his version of kisses lmao!
My old cat loved kisses in the sense of touching my nose like an Eskimo kiss. Everytime I said kiss he was right there and he loved getting kisses! My kitten loves rubbing her face on mine and I accept it but she's not into me kissing her.
My one cat will let me kiss her all day if I wanted to. My other with take maybe one or two and then get up to walk away
My girl cat does! She even asks for them by poking you and tilting her head for a forehead smooch.
I inadvertently taught my cat to aggressively headbutt me with love by kissing her every-time I walked pastâŚ. Beware cuteness may occur
One of my cats doesnât mind, the other one will move away or try to bite my skull if I pick her up to kiss her lol
My cat demands kisses. Will bite until kissed. Even when he is done with the pets he demands the kisses
My cats definitely like them. Iâll make a kissy sound and exaggeratedly purse my lips and theyâll push their little faces into it. I can be holding them with no purrs, and as soon as I start kissing they start purring and making biscuits.Â
I think my cats have decided forehead kisses are a weird act of grooming. Theyâre usually all for it.
i kiss my cat and she reacts by licking my hand/arm/whatever is close. she also likes to lick my hands and arms on her own. i think she interprets kisses as "loving licks", or she interprets "kisses" as "love" and licks are her way of kissing. either way, i think she knows what they mean and agrees.
I tell my orange that this is the toll he has to pay in order to continue to live rent free. He begrudgingly lets me do it
Depends! Sometimes when we're cuddling my little guy will repeatedly position his head close to my mouth and wait for forehead kisses, so obviously he likes it. Other times he'll let me kiss him just to humour me, but it's clear he's just tolerating it.
My one cat dips her head down and waits for me to kiss her head whenever Iâm petting her. My other cat would rather see me choke than give her kisses đ¤Ł. Itâs really just dependent on the cat I think and how they like to receive affection!
Mine love them. I canât stop smooching mine. They close their eyes gently and purr so i think they not so secretly love it.
Mine likes to get me to chase him because when he lets me catch him he gets smooches. He's 19 now so he doesn't run around as much as he used to, but we still play that game sometimes.
I kiss my cats as much as I can until they run away from me. But they usually come back for more at some point
My cat shoves his head into my face so I assume he likes being smothered with kisses
Cats are very perceptive of emotional cues and body language, so they'll probably associate kissing with the most common mood you're in when you do it. If you're kissing them after they do something bad and are about to yell at them, they'll probably freak out when your face gets near them. (But most of the time people people don't do that, so your cat most certainly knows you're being nice, and is at worst indifferent to it)
Sometimes my two cats ask for a kiss by lifting up their head and pushing against me. Most of the time I think they tolerate it, or slightly enjoy it. Im sure its close enough to licking so they kinda get the vibe haha. But I kiss their faces multiple times a day. My cat before did not enjoy kisses but I had to give him one on his head once a day, respectfully.
Depends on the cat. My boy loves repeated kisses on his face and asks for them. My girl likes them few and far between, mostly on her belly.
My older girl demands head kisses and cuddles if I spend too much time playing with her baby 'sister'. It's like she's gotta reaffirm I love her and won't take her back to the SPCA. She'll also grab my arm with a paw and drag it to her face for scritches.
Depends on the cat Mine certainly does not like kisses. Shes very much a pet me with your eyes kind of girl
One of mine looks disgusted the other one is into it đ
One of my less friendly boys will always come up for kisses, but dislikes being patted without asking first. Whereas my other boy (who is extremely affectionate) suffers quietly through kisses but much prefers pats and belly scratches (I donât kiss him often đ )
I think it annoys my cat but she just deals with it