You’re sitting in a chair and your cat jumps up onto your lap and starts purring. He moves closer to your face and then literally butts his forehead against your cheek or chin. Sometimes it’s a gentle nudge and then at other times it’s almost a head-to-head bone-crusher. There are also times when kitty may just rub his chin, forehead or cheek along your face. Although it may not be as startling as the bone-crushing head butt, you usually end up with a mouthful of cat hair. So just what is this behavior all about?

Head Bunting and Allorubbing Behavior in Cats

The behavior that is often described by cat parents as “heat butting” is actually head bunting. Cats have scent glands all over their body and they use them to leave a scent mark on objects (and in this case, YOU). The bunting and rubbing are reserved for bonding, social, comforting and friendly purposes. When your cat engages in head bunting or head rubbing, he is placing his scent there as a social and affectionate gesture. Cat-to-cat head bunting and allorubbing are reserved for cats who already have a familiar and friendly relationship. Cats typically display head bunting toward other cats, dog companions and humans. Lip rubbing is often reserved for marking objects.