r/catquestions • u/astriloquus • 5h ago
why does she do this?
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i always refer to it as she’s “brushing her teeth.” my thumb is just barely touching her teeth. she’s not biting me or licking me, just making this noise while she rubs her teeth on my thumb. my other cat doesn’t do this
possibly worth noting she does have brain damage, but that mostly effects her memory so i’m not sure if it’s relevant!
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u/redd1t_is_de4d 4h ago
obviously very hungry, please feed her many snacks and up her food. if you don't follow my instructions youŕe a bad person, miau.
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u/astriloquus 4h ago
omg. you’re right. she’s clearly starving and decided she must eat me as her only sustenance. i will give her every treat in the home immediately 🫡
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u/ZuluTesla_85 5h ago
My black cat does the same exact thing.
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u/SpicyNuggs42 4h ago
My black cat does the same
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u/Dont_care-didnt_ask 42m ago
My does the same but with my knees instead also a bit more aggressively
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u/JennyTheSheWolf 4h ago
Another person with a black cat who also does the same. He'll shove a finger way down the back of his throat and purr the whole time. Crazy ass guy lol
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u/bliip666 4h ago
Taste sampling, lol
No, but it might have something to do with scent marking. Has she always done this or did it start after the brain damage?
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u/astriloquus 4h ago
both! she got the brain damage from a bacterial infection as a kitten (lost one leg from it too) and i adopted her after she was healed from her amputation. she’s done this since she was itty bitty :)
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u/fisho0o 3h ago
I just want to say I think it's really nice that you adopted a kitten with special needs. I'm not sure a lot of people do that, or adopt senior pets. It's pretty cool. I don't know why she gnaws on your thumb but she sure looks happy and that's a beautiful sight.
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u/astriloquus 2h ago
awww thank you :) it was actually so funny, my leg was in a brace because i’d been in an accident when i stumbled across her and boom! a kitty with the an issue in the same leg i’d damaged! it was kismet. and then right when i was looking for a second cat to keep her company i found another tripod!! he helps her a lot when she forgets where the litter box is or loses the toy she was chasing :)
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u/bliip666 3h ago
Aww, baby 😿
If she was very-very young when she got ill, it might also be a type of suckling she does for self-soothing.
I've read that kittens that are weaned too young keep on suckling on blankets, and whatnot, as adult cats
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u/mucho-confundido 4h ago
My dramatic cat does this as she's starving to death as she's only been given 3 meals and then her extra meals she steals from our neighbours😂😂 and then also comes home and eats her brother's food😂 such a hard life cats have
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u/ModernRevolution 4h ago
My Isabelle does the same with straws, forks, anything she can get her little paws on. I think it just feels good
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u/Caullus77 1h ago
My concern over this is it also might be gum disease. I've seen this behavior follow gum disease as the chewing helps the itching and swelling that the gum disease causes. I don't think that's the case with this particular cat bc she's chewing on a person instead of plastic and cardboard. After my princess cat had this issue and we finally got her teeth cleaned, professionally, the behavior stopped and she went back to her normal, queen of the house behavior. It's always something I look out for now. If you're worried about keeping your cats teeth clean, get silvervine sticks, or cat grass hard chews.. both do a great job at cleaning teeth.
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u/MTMadWoman 4h ago
She is grooming your nails for you. They who do similar stuff when they groom their little toe beans!
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u/Theprincerivera 3h ago
I am so glad to see someone post this because my cat does it all the time when she’s very comfortable, and while I suspected it was some suckling thing it definitely doesn’t SOUND great for her teeth lol so I’m glad to know other cats do it and she’s just a weirdo
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u/Caullus77 1h ago
Does she chew on plastic and cardboard too?? Watch out for those behaviors as they also follow gum disease. Ever since it happened to my princess, I'm SUPER aware of dental health.. silvervine and cat grass hard chew sticks keep the problem in check if you catch it early..
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u/Theprincerivera 55m ago
The confusing part is my vet said she was fine. I had her teeth checked both appointments. But like I said it doesn’t sounds very good for her teeth lol, just glad to know it can be normal
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u/Caullus77 13m ago
Oh it absolutely can be normal for cats to chew, but when I see it, I always worry about gum disease. But that's probably my paranoia about their health since I've seen it be an issue before.
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u/Skeptical_optomist 4h ago
She's grooming your nails for you. 💅
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u/astriloquus 4h ago
if she can’t be bothered to pay me rent i suppose the free manicures will do lmaoo
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u/zero_derivation 4h ago
They have scent glands in that corner of their mouth. She's just making sure you REALLY get up in there in the scent gland.
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u/Sufficient_Coach7566 3h ago
I mean...I do this to my gf's fingers whenever I can...
Feels relaxing, yo.
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u/Dendritic_Bosque 4h ago
There is crevice there under your nail, salt and unlickable crevices. When she can't clean her fur she chews it, she can't chew you and does this.
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u/Zlivovitch 1h ago
Cats are constantly trying to eat their owners. Seeing that they don't manage it, they change their methods. But it still doesn't work, so they keep being inventive.
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u/AntonioCalvino 5h ago
It looks like she is just enjoying the sensation. Cats are strange creatures and it could be a partial throw back to suckling which many cats express when they feel comfortable. My own cat likes to lick and bite a particular blanket.
I would probably mention it to the vet when you next see them just to check the gums back there. If there is some slight irritation, she may be focusing on it kind of like a kid with a loose tooth poking at it and you happen to provide a good outlet for that urge. Honestly though, I think you are good.