Why does my cat lick his chest when you scratch his butt?

He is hypersensitive in that area – when you stimulate it by scratching, it elicits a licking response (like a dog’s back foot going when you scratch an itchy spot on his belly). I would theorize that the sensation is so intense, he’s too immobilized to turn around, so he licks the nearest area (his chest).

emotional response from being licked my its mother…maybe your cats turned on.

My cat always does that too. He’s a perfect cat in every other way so it must be the right thing to do.

More than likely, for the same reason my cat and dog both arch their back and thrust their behinds in the air when you pat their butts – it’s simply their way of reacting to what you’re doing.

Of course, the dog loves having his butt patted and will stand there for hours if you’re willing to keep patting. The cat will tolerate it for a few seconds, then turn around and try to lay you open with his claws.

My cat licks my other hand when I scratch him above his tail. I think it is just a automatic response because he can’t get to it himself. I woudn’t read to much into it!