Why does my cat headbutt me, rub against me and put its butt in my face?

Your cat marks you with its own scent so you smell familiar and safe to it. The scent fades, so it keeps topping it up. It is not a claim of ownership like spraying urine: the cat makes you part of its safe space.

Cats that live together rub each other, and their scents mix into one group smell they all carry. When your cat rubs you, it adds you to that group. Cats mostly do this with cats and people they know well. After cleaning or a vet visit a cat often rubs more, to make everything smell the same again.

Rubbing its head or body on you is a cat greeting. Cats do it to each other when they meet, and they do the same with people. That is why it so often happens when you come home, get up or walk into the room, often with the tail straight up. Friendly strays greet strangers this way too.

With a headbutt your cat briefly puts its face and eyes against you. It only does that with people it trusts and likes, and often most with the person it is closest to. Friendly cats sometimes rub each other for minutes at a time, often while purring.

A rub or headbutt is also a polite way of asking: for a stroke, a meal, a game or a door opened. If it works, the cat does it more. An affectionate rub comes with purring and a loose body. A request is more insistent: the cat waits, follows you or meows, often near meal times or early in the morning.

Cats rub their cheeks and chin on table corners, chair legs, door frames, the sofa and your phone or laptop. That makes the place smell known and safe. They do it more on new things and on things that smell of another animal, and mostly pick large items that stand out. This is not the same as spraying urine.

Cats often look relaxed while they rub, and may flop down and purr afterwards. Face rubbing seems to calm a cat and can help it settle in a new or stressful place. The idea is that the familiar smell lowers stress. That has not been measured in an ordinary home yet.

Is your cat suddenly rubbing much more than usual? That can sometimes mean it feels a little unsure, for example after a move, a new pet or a big clean that took its scent away. It is then building its familiar smell again. Look at what changed: it is not a problem in itself.

Cats greet each other by sniffing the head first, and sometimes the rear. The rear has scent glands too, which tell who you are and how you are. Does your cat lift its tail and put its butt in your face? Then it is greeting you the same way. With the tail straight up, it is an open, friendly hello.

A cat only turns its back or rear to you when it feels safe. Sitting with its back to you, it trusts you and can watch the room itself. It is not rude and not a power game. Some cats do it when a headbutt got no response, as a clearer way of asking to be stroked.

A female cat that is not spayed may rub on people and things more than usual while she is in heat. She is also restless and loud then. It passes when the heat is over.