Watch most team sports and you’ll see a common cat behavior exhibited after a great play, the headbutt. Similar to our human use of this action, cats have used head butting for eons for bonding and social purposes. More appropriately, this action is called head bunting.
Source: Catster, November 8, 2017.
Cat behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett says, “For the cat to place his face so close to yours and engage in this bonding behavior is quite an act of trust.” People often inaccurately think that the cat headbutt is just a means of marking territory, but it’s a lot more than that. Scent communication is complex, and while cats do use scent to mark their territory, cat bunting can also be used to create familiarity and show respect, or it may be attention-seeking behavior.
INSIGHTS: Understanding cat behavior is a key to happy cats and happy pet owners. Share this article with customers via websites, newsletters or in social media posts. You can include a home video of the office cat headbutting one of the staff just for fun.