If you’re lucky enough to have a feline in your life, you may have experienced a cat headbutt, also known as cat bunting. But, why do cats headbutt? It’s a way for them to deposit their pheromones. This behavior can help self soothe, create bonding, and more. Learn more about the meaning of the cat headbutt below with Rescue Vets!
What is Cat Headbutting?
During a cat headbutt, the cat will bump their head against you or an object, and then move to rub their cheek. Whether it’s you, a piece of furniture, or another cat, this signature move is cat bunting.
Why do cats headbutt? They engage in this behavior to help create a colony scent. During this process, they are using some of their scent glands, which are located in their cheeks, lips, forehead, flanks, paw pads and tail, to leave their scent on you or another object. This scent comes from their pheromones, which we can’t smell, but is clear to themselves and other cats. Leaving their scent helps cats with:
- Marking their owners to create a colony scent
- Bonding with other cats
- Mapping their “safe zones”
- Self-soothing
Is Cat Bunting a Sign of Affection?
Cat bunting is more about marking you as part of their safe zone. However, your cat wouldn’t do that if they didn’t trust you and feel safe with you. So, in that way, it can be considered a sign of affection.
Headbutting Between Cats
If you have multiple cats, they may engage in headbutting with each other. This helps create a colony scent, and is also a sign that they feel safe and bonded with each other.
Are Cats Marking Their Territory?
Not in the way many think. They aren’t just claiming something as theirs, but instead creating a scent to indicate that the area is safe.
What if My Cat Doesn’t Headbutt?
Some cats are more likely to engage in bunting than others, so a lack of bunting isn’t necessarily an indicator of a problem. If you’ve just adopted a cat or your cat is in a new environment, it may take some time for them to warm up. Otherwise, as long as your cat seems comfortable, they may not just be big on the headbutts.
Find Out More About Cat Behavior and Care With The Rescue Vets
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Jan 1, 2021
A cat that nuzzles your head is essentially saying you're part of the team. A subordinate, but still part of the team. / Photo by Krysten Merriman from Pexels
You can lose your mind trying to understand why cats exhibit certain behaviors. Why do they invite affection, only to greet it with a flash of claws and teeth? Why do they like to hang out in sinks? What is it about cucumbers that terrifies them? And why do cats like to bump heads with their human companions in a cross-species version of a fist bump?
Unlike many cat habits, this one has a relatively clear explanation. Cats have scent glands on their foreheads that release pheromones. Since cats use scents to recognize friendly life forms, a cat rapping its head on yours transfers those pheromones to you, essentially signaling that you’re part of the pack.
This action is actually known as “head bunting,” not headbutting, and is typically reserved for leaders of a cat colony. They may also bunt on your leg or arm.
While you might perceive it as somewhat derogatory—that a cat is marking you as its territory—it’s more affectionate than that. Cats tend to bunt only when they like their target. You can bunt back, or pet them to return the affection.
Keep in mind a bunt is different from a cat resting its head on you, which may be a sign of discomfort and could warrant a visit to the vet.
[h/t PetMD]
When [your cat] comes up to you, lowers his head, and seems to butt it gently (or sometimes not so gently) right in your face he may me doing what is referred to as bunting. This is a very affectionate behavior that is displayed only toward another companion animal or human family member. Bunting is a very respectful way that a cat shows affection.1
Bunting also leaves a “you’re in my club” scent mark on the “buntee.”
Some cats are quite enthusiastic with their bunting. You may occasionally get your eyeglasses knocked slightly askew, or be momentarily startled when your cat affectionately rams his head into your nose. Of course, that’s a very small price to pay for genuine kitty love.
When you come home and your cat trots over to greet you, you may want to kneel down and lower your head (and perhaps brace yourself) so your cat can execute a full head bump and give you a proper feline welcome.
Bunting is often the equivalent of a spirited “high five.” Or it can be a spontaneous expression of happiness or appreciation. At times it may mean much more, as in this anecdote:
Several years ago, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary had just completed construction of a new building for feral cats. The facility had all the amenities: skywalks, hiding places, scratching posts, soft beds, high perches, and screened-in porches. The construction took months and now the big day had arrived. A shelter volunteer let the first cat through the door to render judgment. The cat, a semi-feral, ventured a few steps, took a good look around, walked straight over to the volunteer and gave her a powerful head-bump to signify his approval. You could write a long thesis about the new feral cat building but it would not be nearly as eloquent as that one head-bump.
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