Facial Scent Glands in the Cat

My Magpie.
Always the willing model.

Cats are the most perceptive, inquisitive, intelligent, and brilliant pets alive. How else could you figure out how to run a household, survive  and still have nine lives, and adapt to any environment where you not only dominate, but also persist and proliferate?

There is an off-putting aloofness to the feline which makes mastering their whims and stubborn opinions a feat for both the determined and strong of heart.

There is a fine art to taming a cat. Patience and kindness are your only tools to success. You can't persuade them, convince them, nor reprimand them. They only choose to follow you based on trust. The aromatic can of  tuna will lay ignored for weeks if the cat doesn't believe it is safe for them to approach. The only way to convince a cat to do what you want them to is to figure out a way for them to believe that it was their idea to begin with.

When it comes to us humans there are cat whispers and tamers, but we are only promoted after years of relinquishing commands and accepting second fiddle to the squish of a dismissive tail as it bids us adieu. A quiet soul with a pure heart will be rewarded a thousand times over by the gentle adoration of the meditative qualities of a purr. To say that you "don't like a cat" is to admit "that you don't know one".

A happy cat is a worry free cat.

How do I know that my cats love me?

It's simple.

• They run to me every morning when I give my "Good Morning!" greeting.
• They choose to be near me at every quiet relaxing moment. After all nothing beats a quiet warm lap to sleep in.
• They are happy to be near me. A restful purr acknowledges a content heart.
• They give head butts and kneading massages.

Jitterbug professes his love..

Your cat claims you with a head butt by using the scent glands on their face between the top of the eye and the base of the ear. This area  of thinned hair allows them to not only spread their scent but collect others.

The area of thin hair (top of the eye to base of the ear) is the location of
scent glands on the side of the face,

They say "I love you" with a face press, where other scent glands on the sides of their face, or a kneading pulsating massage as their feet dance and jig a nest to lay on.

This blog was created to help a person who asked me on Pawbly.com. I was asked if thin hair on the side of the cats face was normal? In an effort to save me writing a thousand words I thought I would just take a few photos of my gorgeous cat Magpie. If you have a question, or a pet moment, advice, or knowledge please join us. Pawbly is free to use and free to share pet tips.

Or you can visit me anytime on Twitter @FreePetAdvice, or in the clinic at Jarrettsville Vet.

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