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- Why do cats pass between your legs?
- Why do cats rub their legs?
- Why do cats need to mark their territory?
- Is it a show of affection when the cat rubs itself against my legs?
If you are one of the people who live with a cat at home, you may have noticed the variety of behaviors that your friend performs in their daily lives without knowing very well why. One of these behaviors is pass between your legs, blocking your path when walking or even when you are standing still.
Many people offer different explanations for their feline behavior. For example, some interpret this as a pleasant greeting when they get home (similar to the way we would understand this behavior in a dog), others as a way of asking for attention and affection, but are these really the cat's true intentions? Thanks to what we've learned about these animals, we can discover the reason that explains why cats pass between the legs of tutors. If you are interested in understanding your feline better and therefore want to know the meaning of this curious behavior, here at PeritoAnimal, we recommend that you read this article to the end.
Why do cats pass between your legs?
When cats rub their legs, we may believe they are "stroking us" because that's one of the ways we humans express affection. So sometimes, from our human perspective, we may mistakenly believe that cats manifest in the same way we do.
Now what is our cat really doing in these situations is rubbing against our legs. Specifically, the ritual he performs usually starts by rubbing our ankles with the side of his head, then the side of his body, and finally wrapping his leg with his tail. Also, the action can be accompanied by a purr or tail wagging.
The importance of this action lies in the fact of rubbing, not walking, and it is true that on one of the many occasions when you have observed your cat, you may have noticed that it usually rubs against objects, like your bed, scratcher, the corners of the walls... So it won't be a surprise to find out that the cat is performing the same behavior with you. But why does he do it, exactly?
Why do cats rub their legs?
As we've already seen, when a cat rubs itself against something or someone, it tries to make contact with its whole body. This is because cats have what we call pheromone-secreting glands in the cheeks, chin, soles, back, base of the tail, in addition to the anal and genital glands. So when these glands are rubbed, secrete pheromones, molecules that, when attached to the object, add its individual odor.
Although we can't sense anything with our sense of smell, cats use pheromones as a message to other individuals of the same species, thanks to the fact that they have this sense much more developed. In fact, for these animals, the sense of smell represents their first contact with the world from birth, since the offspring in the first days of life are blind and deaf.
In this process, the Jacobson or vomeronasal organ plays a fundamental role (because it is a small duct located between the palate vault and the nasal duct), present in few animal species and which has specialized cells to capture the pheromones and chemical substances present in the environment, olfactory information that will later be transmitted to the brain. So when a cat rubs against you, walking between your legs or touching you with its head while you hold it, it is actually marking you with the intention of communicating to other cats that you belong to their social group or, in a way, that you are "his".
If you would like more information on why cats rub against objects, we invite you to read the following article: Why cats rub against people and things
Why do cats need to mark their territory?
Our feline companions are usually very meticulous when it comes to protecting their territory or home. They need to have everything under control to feel comfortable and protected and for that reason they mark this territory with their scent - especially their favorite areas - and also the members of the house, thus communicating to strange cats that they should not approach.
Likewise, when you get home and the first thing he does is rub against your legs, your feline is enveloping you with the scent that is so familiar. We also note that in cat social groups, pheromones are shared among all members through behaviors such as mutual cleaning, head rubbing, etc., to indicate group membership.
The marking is, therefore, a wellness indication, as it shows that the animal feels safe in its environment and with whoever is present there. If he feels in a hostile environment, if there has been a move of furniture, a move of house or if new people or animals have arrived at the house, your cat may stop marking and start to exhibit behaviors that reflect this insecurity, trying to find refuge, cleaning up too much to calm down and even stopping eating. On the other hand, excessive marking can also be a indicative of stress in cats.
Finally, you should always be alert when you notice that the tagging behavior is out of the ordinary and, in addition, if the cat exhibits other behaviors such as excessive meowing, urination outside the litter box, irritable nature... In this situation, you should visit a veterinarian to rule out any illness, and if not, consult an ethologist to help you find the cause of your discomfort.
Is it a show of affection when the cat rubs itself against my legs?
The fact that a cat walks around your legs does not mean that it simply wants to mark you as "his property", in our human understanding. On the contrary, is a clear indication that he loves you, since, for your feline friend, you are the one who meets their daily needs and provides physical and emotional security. For that reason, he wants to tell all the other unknown cats to stay away from you. Also, if you have ever visited a friend or relative's house and they had a cat that demonstrated this behavior with you, it is a sign that he liked you and that he accepts you in his territory.
Finally, you may have often associated this behavior with the fact that the animal wants to "tell you something," such as filling the food bowl or asking for affection. In this situation, it's not unreasonable to think that the cat has learned through a cause-and-effect association that rubbing his legs effectively results in you filling his bowl with food or petting him. So it turned out to be a habit and a way of communicating between the two of you.
So, in a nutshell, your cat walks between your legs and rubs against them to leave his scent on you, because he feels protected, loved and safe by your side. Likewise, it is possible that, as we have just said, he learned that through this behavior he gets something, like food or water. If you want to know more signs that your cat loves you and trusts you, don't miss these other articles:
- How do I know if my cat trusts me?
- 10 signs that show that your cat loves you
If you want to read more articles similar to Why do cats pass between your legs?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.