Whats the deal with cats licking?

[Lethe]

my cat never stops trying to lick my feet and hands. It seems to be her favorite activity behind eating, sleeping, and licking herself.

God, it's like somebody rubbing wet sandpaper on my skin.

[Archae]

1. My b/w cat Lucky, does this too.

She especially likes washing my feet, when I first get up in the morning and have to sit on the john.

[Maccagirl]

5. Lucky looks exactly like my Madison

Except Maddie has a big black spot on her pink nose. She wakes me up every morning licking my hands-drives me crazy.

[CatWoman]

17. Lucky loves her daddy

:)

[Jamastiene]

2. It is a communal living thing with cats.

Anytime you see communities of cats living together, and watch them closely, they groom each other. It is a social thing with them. It's actually a good sign. It means to your cat, you are family and your cat is taking care of you.

About the colonies of cats:
It DOES happen. Most conventional thinking is that cats are solitary, loner-type creatures and many are, but I've seen a colony of 9 cats that travel together here in my hometown. The colony came through my yard once and a friend of mine a couple miles away say they saw the same group of cats. It was, by far, the strangest thing I have ever seen in my life.

[Kool Kitty]

3. That's very cool.

Two of my cats do this, too, and I always wondered about it.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. U haz a flavr

[elshiva]

6. Aww, an ice cream cone.

:)

[billyskank]

7. The first time you ever get licked by a cat

Awwwww it wants to lick me :loveya: OH MY GOD ITS TONGUE IS LIKE SANDPAPER!!! :o

[applegrove]

8. My little cat just started hissing and growling like the devil at a cat outside the window. My

big cat came running in from the bedroom at the end of the hall and ran right up to the little one and licked her to console her. He does that whenever the little one is in distress. He is such a softy.

[unpossibles]

9. my cats do it too, the feral-ish one being the worst

my theory is they are tenderizing me in case I forget to feed them or something.

[dgibby]

10. In addition to communal grooming,

they like the salts on your skin.

On the plus side, think of it as a free derm-abrasion!:rofl:

[mainegreen]

11. Hell, what's the deal with cats wanting to suck your armit hair?

Every cat I've ever had tries to do this.
I MUST sleep with the doors closed, otherwise I'll wakeup with a kitties faced jammed in my armpit doing one of the grossest things I can imagine.

[DeepBlueC]

13. nest-making?

:rofl:

[mainegreen]

14. I can't imagine wanting to make a nest in my armit.

Maybe for the low property tax values.

[DeepBlueC]

18. lol

[TZ]

15. .

I thought it wasn't the hair but the uh saltiness there..I have a kitty who um likes to lick there occasionally and I DO shave my pits

[dgibby]

26. It's probably the deodorant you use.

I have cats that like clorox and hairspray. Woke up one morning with kitty spit dripping down my face! Ugh!

[Tyrone Slothrop]

12. I've heard that it's to help stalk prey

Can't remember where I heard that now...maybe it was from the vet?

Anyway, I remember hearing somewhere that cats, being predators and hunters, clean themselves frequently to make sure to mitigate their own scent while hunting.

[CreekDog]

22. this thread is going downhill fast

yuck! x(

:rofl:

[TZ]

23. Hey what are you doing posting so early?

You aren't supposed to be here until AFTER us first shift East Coasters go to bed..

[CreekDog]

24. they ask us to start early when you guys are being knuckleheads

i'm not too pleased about it either. :hide:

[Haole Girl]

16. Salt?

:shrug:

[TommyO]

19. One of my cats is a licking machine, if skin is exposed, he'll lick it!

One of my other cats has a very interesting habit, he loves my dirty laundry. He'll sniff in it, and roll around in it when I'm sorting it out. He's weird!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. He's tasting you.

Checking to see if you're edible. For later...

[TroglodyteScholar]

21. Mao Mao likes licking toes, but not fingers...

My solution? I don't go barefoot much. :(

[littlebit]

25. My Lucy likes to lick my hand

right before she bites it.