Bunting (animal behavior)

Bunting is a form of animal behavior, often found in cats, in which the animal butts or rubs their head against other things, including people. It is generally considered to be a form of territorial scent-marking behavior, where the cat rubs the scent glands on their cheeks and forehead on the object being marked.[1] Bunting and allorubbing are also part of feral cat behavior within colonies. An elaborate ritual which can take several minutes, two cats will rub along the side and tail of the other cat.[2]

Bunting is a normal animal behavior, and should be distinguished from head pressing, which is abnormal and typically a sign of illness.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Elizabeth Wasserman. "It's All Mine! Cat Marking, Explained". Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Crowell-Davis, Sharon L.; Curtis, Terry M.; Knowles, Rebecca J. (March 2004). "Social organization in the cat: a modern understanding" (PDF). Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery. 6. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
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