You sit on your couch with your cat comfortably laying on your side when suddenly, your cat starts kicking itself in the face!
Do you intervene? Or should you just let your cat continue what it’s doing?
In today’s article, we will be answering the question, “Why do cats kick themselves in the face?”
There are a lot of things they do that seem incomprehensible to ordinary humans like us.
For example, they shake their paws.
However, they do things that have an excellent explanation, and one of those things is kicking themselves in the face.
Have you ever wondered why?
Well, here are some answers.
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It is a reflex
One of the reasons cats kick themselves in the face is because it is a reflex.
When cats bend themselves in a particular position, say that they are on their side.
They trigger this response, and they suddenly kick themselves uncontrollably in the face.
It is why you will notice that cats often have to bite themselves when doing this to override their nerve signals, telling them to keep on kicking.
This is comparable to a person who starts twitching out of nowhere, and the only way to snap out of it is by pinching yourself.
VIDEO: Cat Kicking His Own Face
It is a defense mechanism
Another answer to the question “Why do cats kick themselves in the face?” is because it is a part of both their defense mechanism and hunting instincts in one.
If a cat is tracking down prey and it cannot subdue it with its teeth, it would need to use its hind feet to continuously kick at it while biting and clawing it at the same time.
There may be times when this reaction occurs in a cat.
For instance, when they suddenly become startled by their tails, the tendency is they will try to bite their tails and kick themselves uncontrollably in the face until they realize that there is no danger, and it is just their fuzzy little tail.
They are exhibiting playful behavior
Cats also tend to kick themselves in the face with their hind legs when they are in a playful state or when they want to “wrestle” with you or with another cat.
You will notice that they do this on certain occasions whenever you pet them, play with their toy, or play with another cat.
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong with a cat kicking itself in the face because it is in its nature to do that.
However, if you see your cat doing it too often and if they end up with bruises or lots of scratches in the face after, then it is time to consult your vet to figure out the underlying reason why your cat does this.
There might be something else that is causing this behavior, so it is better to get your cat some professional help.
