In a viral social-media post, a cat owner cuddles up with her feline—and what the kitty does to her face while snuggling melts hearts among viewers.
The heartwarming clip, shared on Reddit Tuesday under the username u/GapAffectionate1221, shows the poster lying on the couch, cuddling with her black-and-white cat, who can be seen making “biscuits” on her face. “What is she doing?” the owner asks in the caption, “This 7-month-old lady always make biscuits on my neck and put her face like this, sometimes she licks. She does this maybe 5-6 times a day (I love this affection, feel like I honored by cats).
“I also have 3-year-old gentleman cat and he was doing the biscuits on my neck as well. They are not showing this behavior to my husband or any other people except me. What should be the reason my both cat does the same thing on my neck specifically?”
The poster, Öznur M. Albayrak, from Turkey, told Newsweek that her kitty Maça is a 7-month-old female that she adopted from her friend’s warehouse a few months ago.
“She started this behavior when she is 4 months old. She started suckling and making biscuits on my neck and face,” Albayrak said.
“Since she is still a baby, we think that [this behavior] is cute and [will] fade away as she grow up. But she still does that everyday [at least] five to six times when she sees me. She is a lap cat and loves people. [She’s] not aggressive; she just purrs and enjoy.”
Albayrak also has a 3-month-old feline named Odin, who behaves the same way. “Both cats are not doing this behavior to any other household member except me, which is very interesting for me.”
While this behavior might seem unusual, it is actually a form of flattery coming from a feline. Dr. Chyrle Bonk, veterinary consultant at Embrace Pet Insurance, told Newsweek that kneading is one of cats’ more-endearing qualities, but to them, it is all about expressing their contentment and relaxation.
Bonk said: “It likely stems from kitten hood when they would knead their mother’s mammary glands in order to help stimulate milk let down. As adults, the repetitive action can actually be calming to them, so you may see it when they’re happy but also when they’re stressed or anxious.”
Bonk added that cats have scent glands located on their face, the base of the tail and paws, so kneading may also be a way of spreading their unique scent to objects they claim, such as their comfy bed or their beloved owner.
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 17,000 upvotes and 585 comments on the platform.
One user, Odd-Worth7752, commented: “Nursing. She sees you as her mommie, unless/maybe you’re wearing some catnip adjacent scent.”
Master_Lord-Senpai posted: “Stealing your soul and whispering that it will be OK. Psst psst.”
Sea-Vast-8826 wrote: “She’s living her best life and she’s thanking you for providing it to her.”
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