When your cat interacts with you—things will get weird from time to time. Whether they’re taking the time to get really close to sniff you or they’re invading your space by bunting and circling all over your body, it’s not much for personal space.
So, if you’ve noticed that every time you go near your cat, they stick their little killing gloves in your mouth, you might wonder what’s giving. Why do these critters keep behaving in strange ways? We might have an answer for you.
The 6 Possible Reasons Why Your Cat Puts Their Paw in Your Mouth
1. Love
One of the most obvious reasons your cat might put their paws on your face is to show you affection. Our cats don’t know much about personal space, and some of them will attack you and get as close to your body as possible.
When they do, they can put their paws on your face, mouth, chest, or anywhere else they want to get close to you. You use your mouth to communicate with them, so it can be a small gesture of recognition.
2. Attention
If you don’t give your cat enough attention, he may put his paw where your mouth is! In fact, you may need to shut up and listen to their request.
Whether they have a full bowl of food or they just want to cuddle and take a nap, it may be a way for them to give all the attention to themselves. After all, you’re not listening otherwise!
3. Communication
Our cats try to communicate with us in different ways. Although body language is the number one way cats communicate, they also use a series of vocalizations and actions to convey messages to us.
If a cat puts its paw in your mouth, they may just be trying to tell you something. Be sure to pay attention to other body cues and see if you can figure out the underlying message. Haven’t you always wanted to decode cat language?
4. Playing
Your cat may be feeling a little restless. They may crawl up to you and put their paws in your mouth as a way to entice you to play. If so, you may notice other body language, such as their tail wagging, eyes widening, or their body tensing.
It might be time to get the feather teaser to give them some trouble around the house so they can burn off some energy.
5. Trust
If your cat puts their paw in your mouth, this is clearly a very familiar action. And being close to you really shows how much they trust you.
After all, they’re not going to climb on top of a stranger and get on their face, unless you have a particularly social and needy cat. So, you can conclude that they simply adore you and trust you with their whole being. aren’t you lucky?
6. Convenience
Your cat may be nesting on your chest, hitting you in the mouth. This can be a general sign of comfort, especially if it is accompanied by other actions such as purring.
Why You Shouldn’t Let Paws in Your Mouth?
Even though a cat putting its paw in your mouth is a very nice action, they probably shouldn’t be doing that.
In reality, your mouth is an entrance to your internal organs, so it can transmit all kinds of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other unpleasant things into your digestive system.
Our cats are pretty clean most of the time. But in reality, they track the bacteria through their litter boxes, often in contact with their own urine and feces. This can be very problematic and not the cleanest things on your face.
After all, you don’t want your cat walking into your food plate, so you probably don’t want them putting their little finger in your face.
Germ delivery
Actually, although most viruses and diseases that a cat can get can only be passed from the same species, there are zoonotic diseases. So, if your cat puts his paw in your mouth and they come in contact with their urine or feces, they can transmit several things to you, including:
Salmonella
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes severe gastrointestinal distress in humans. It can range from mild to severe and you often pick it up on surfaces or ingest it through the food you eat. If your cat’s poop or anything he walks on has salmonella bacteria, they can easily pass it on to you by putting their paw in your mouth.
Coli
Coli, like salmonella, is a bacterium that can damage the gastrointestinal tract. It can be transmitted from urine, feces, and other surfaces.
Parasites
The last thing we want to think about is getting parasites from our pets. However, if you don’t keep up with routine deworming and other parasite prevention, we can be in contact with some pretty nasty stuff.
If your cat puts their paws in your mouth, the tiny eggs can travel into your system and actually cause an infection for you. In order to completely avoid it, it is very important to follow the parasite prevention routine.
Even if you do this, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and prevent your pet from touching your face.
Conclusion
Sometimes, cats can be strange creatures and there really isn’t any rhyme or reason to the things they do. However, you know your cat better than anyone else so you can probably get a good idea based on body language alone.
Remember, even though it’s great for your cat to gently put his paw in your mouth, it can cause many different issues in the long run. It’s very easy for your cat to transmit germs, bacteria, and other problematic issues to you through your mouth.
In any case, with each of them, we just think it’s important for you to know the risks!
Featured Image Credit: Nataliabiruk, Shutterstock
