Cats are known for plenty of quirky behaviors, but there is one behavior that could potentially be a sign of something serious. One such behavior is known as head pressing, in which a cat deliberately presses their head against a wall or object in the room. While this may seem like a harmless sleeping position, head pressing in cats is often a dangerous sign of many potentially serious health conditions. As a well-informed cat parent, consider the many reasons why you should never ignore this unusual behavior of your cat.
As a well-informed cat parent, consider the many reasons why you should never ignore this unusual behavior of your cat.
Head Pressing May be Indicative of Several Serious Conditions
Unlike affectionate, cuddle-like head pressing is when a cat deliberately presses their head against an object such as a wall. This behavior in cats is often a dangerous sign of several potentially serious health conditions, such as:
- Stroke
- Brain Tumor
- Fungal, Viral, or Bacterial Infections
- Exposure to Toxins
- Liver Failure
No matter what you suspect the cause to be, it is crucial that you take your cat to the vet as soon as possible if they are exhibiting this behavior.
Additional Symptoms to Recognize
In addition to the dangerous symptom of head pressing, many other additional symptoms may occur in your cat as well. Symptoms such as pacing or noticeable issues with their vision may also indicate a serious issue along accompanied by head pressing. Head pressing may also lead to additional indirect symptoms such as face injuries from prolonged pressing against hard objects. With this, it is crucial to take your cat to the vet as soon as you notice these symptoms.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you notice this behavior with your cat, it is crucial to take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. This will allow the vet to properly examine and diagnose the cause for head pressing, as well as additional symptoms that may have occurred as a result. It is also essential to note that head pressing, as well as the potentially serious causes, can occur with a cat of any age and breed.
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Cat nuzzling is a common yet sometimes misunderstood form of cat communication. Often, your cat will nuzzle against your face or neck, maybe while you're snuggling or when you're trying to get some work done. But, why do cats nuzzle? Is it a diversion technique, or is your cat communicating something more?
How and Why Do Cats Nuzzle?
Rub. Nudge. Prod. Cat nuzzling goes by many names, but it refers to the act of rubbing their head against your chin, cheek or neck. You may even be the recipient of a headbutt, known as "bunting," which is quite literally when your cat knocks their forehead against yours. Think of it as the equivalent of a cat fist-bump!
Like other strange cat behaviors that may puzzle pet parents, rubbing their head against you has a purpose. Cats nuzzle to show affection and to mark territory, behaviors that share the common goal of leaving their scent behind.
Affection
Cats have many scent glands on their head, especially in the nose, mouth and chin area; with each rub against you, these glands leave behind a "mark." Rubbing their head all over you is their way of saying, "I love you." In exchange for nuzzling, your cat probably gets a lot of cuddles from you, which is a strong motivator for repeat behavior.
Nuzzling also is how they learn more about you. As Tufts' Animal Behavior Clinic veterinary behaviorist Stephanie Borns-Weil tells the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, your cat may rub on you to show affection, but they also want to "gather information about you." Cats have a very strong sense of smell — much better than their humans' sense — and they use scent as one of their main ways of collecting data about their environment. During nuzzling, your scent transfers to your cat and helps them recognize you, especially when you're first getting to know each other.
Marking Territory
In addition to expressing affection, your cat nuzzles you to mark their territory. This is similar to how a cat may spray to claim ownership of specific areas or objects in your home — but with much less smell and damage.
Identifying you as an important and comforting part of their environment makes sense when you look at where else cats leave their scent. Cat rubbing and bunting "seems to occur especially in the 'core' area of their territory," says International Cat Care, "and appears to be associated with comfort, reassurance and friendly social interactions." This is why your cat rubs against not only you and other animals, but also furniture, walls and favorite toys. It's your cat's world; they just let you live in it.
Why Doesn't My Cat Nuzzle Me?
It's not uncommon for a cat not to nuzzle their human; some cats are just not into obvious demonstrations of affection. It does not mean your cat hates or dislikes you.
Breed factors into your cat's nuzzling behavior. Certain affectionate cat breeds, such as Ragdolls and Maine coons, are known to get up in their human parents' faces frequently. Age can also affect your cat's behavior. For example, kittens tend to be more playful than more senior cats. As they grow older, however, cats generally seek and need more attention, says the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, with many senior cats turning into snuggle-bugs.
Whether you're on the receiving end of a gentle rub or firm headbutt, consider yourself lucky: You are your feline friend's preferred person!
Christine O'Brien
Christine Brovelli-O'Brien, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer, long-time pet mom, and a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association (CWA). Find and follow Christine on Instagram and Twitter @brovelliobrien.
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There are times when cats will do things that leave us guessing. All cat owners can agree with that. But sometimes, your cat can display a behavior that is not only odd, but can also be a startling sign that something is definitely not right with your feline friend. Head pressing–not in a sweet way like head bunting, but against a hard surface like a wall–is most definitely a sign that something is very wrong with your cat. Here we’ve covered what to look for should this occur and what to do to save their life.
Please note: Immediately upon reading this, if your cat is dealing with this issue, please seek medical attention. Do not delay or hesitate, this is a very serious matter and your cat’s life is at risk.
How to Spot Head Pressing:
Our cats will commonly press their heads against us, in a rubbing manner, as way to “claim” us by spreading the scent from the glands on their heads. This is not to be confused with the alarming head pressing that we are discussing here. If your cat consciously and continually presses their head against a wall or a hard surface, this action can be directly associated with damage to their nervous system.
Damage to the nervous system in your cat could be for a number of underlying reasons, including prosencephalon disease (in which the forebrain and thalamus parts of the brain are damaged), or toxic poisoning.
See this collage of dangerous head pressing examples below:
Image Courtesy of Purrfectlove.net
Along with this sudden need for blatant head pressing, there are some other signs and triggers that your cat may be experiencing damage to their nervous system.
Other symptoms that may accompany this include:
Compulsive pacing and circling, changes in learned (trained) behavior, seizures, damaged reflexes, and visual problems. Some of these symptoms may lead to lesions, for example, sores on the feet as a result of compulsive pacing, or injuries to the face/head as a result of pressing the head against a surface for long periods of time.
Check out this video from Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian:
In layman’s terms, head pressing in cats is caused by something that interferes with the proper functioning of the brain. It can come as a result of:
- Infection (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, or tick-borne)
- Toxin exposure
- Trauma
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
- Metabolic disease
- Liver failure/Liver shunt
Because of these serious conditions, it’s literally imperative that you get your cat to their local veterinarian at the first sign of any of these symptoms.
Fact: Head pressing can occur in any cat of any age, this is valuable knowledge for all cat parents.
How Do Veterinarians Assess Head Pressing In Cats?
When you arrive at the vet with your cat, they will perform a few initial tests to assess your cat’s health. Some of which you can expect to be performed are:
-A fundic examination of the retina and other structures in the back of the eye, which may indicate infectious or inflammatory diseases, as well as reveal irregularities in the brain.
-Blood pressure tests to assess for the possibility of elevated blood pressure.
-A MRI to monitor brain activity and check for abnormalities. (An MRI or CT scan may require a referral outside of their clinic.)
-A urine analysis to check for the possibility of issues in the metabolic system.
Before and during the examination, your veterinarian or their staff should be asking you several questions relating to your cat’s general health. They will need to be aware of any injuries or accidents have occurred. These could be a reason for this sudden and unsettling condition.
Fact: Cats may also press their head against things if they are recovering from anaesthesia, although this is usually temporary and not usually a cause for major concern.
What is The Treatment For Head Pressing in Cats?
Depending on the severity of the condition and your cat’s general health, the diagnosis of each cat is strictly given on an individual basis. Most likely, your cat will need to receive monitoring at the clinic. This is in addition to thorough testing to properly assess their health and treatment plan. While this condition is severe, the possibility of recovery is a reality for some cats. Sadly, for some precious felines, the condition can be fatal.
Prognosis largely depends on the underlying cause. The best thing you can do is take your cat in at the first sign of head pressing. Hopefully by doing so, you’ll have your happy and healthy cat back in no time.
Please pass this info along, it could help save a cat’s life!
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
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