Definition
Pressing the cheeks, chin, or forehead against a person, animal, or object to transfer scent from sebaceous glands. A form of social bonding and territorial marking.
What happens during bunting
Cats have clusters of sebaceous (scent-producing) glands on the chin, cheeks, forehead, and around the lips. When a cat rubs these areas against something, it deposits a mixture of pheromones and individual scent. The resulting scent signature is invisible to humans but chemically meaningful to cats.
Bunting on a person is distinct from bunting on furniture. When directed at you, it is an affiliative gesture — the cat is identifying you as part of its social group and leaving a familiar scent that may reduce its own stress. When directed at a doorframe or the edge of a sofa, it is more likely territorial marking.
Why cats bunt people they trust
Domestic cats retain many of the social behaviours observed in feral colonies. In multi-cat groups, mutual bunting between affiliates (cats that groom each other and sleep together) is well documented. Research published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science confirms that bunting frequency correlates with relationship quality — cats bunt more often with individuals they show other affiliative behaviours toward.
For a domestic cat, a trusted human becomes part of the social group. Bunting you is functionally similar to a cat bunting a bonded companion.
How to respond
The best response is simply to allow it and — if the cat seems to invite it — to offer a gentle scratch behind the ears or along the cheeks, which stimulates the same glands. Forcing contact during a bunt disrupts what is a voluntary social gesture and can make the cat less likely to repeat it.
Some cats also respond positively to a slow blink from their owner, which functions as a low-intensity positive signal. See our glossary entry on slow blink for more.
When it is not bunting
If a cat is pressing its head firmly and persistently against a wall, floor, or other hard surface — not at people or soft objects — this is called head pressing and is a neurological symptom. It can indicate a serious condition such as brain swelling, poisoning, or a metabolic disorder. This needs an urgent vet call.
Head pressing looks completely different from bunting: the cat does not move, does not seem social, and may appear confused or in pain. If you see it, contact your vet immediately or read our guide on signs it is time to call the vet.