Why do We Kiss our Pets?

[Methuselah]

This is a question that has always bugged me: just why do we kiss our pets? 

When I was wee, I'd let my border collie lick my face, knowing full well she'd have been dining on other dogs' poo only minutes before. And now I kiss my cat!

I've given this question a lot of thought over the years, and the only conclusion I can come to is Evolution: we don't acquire all our gut-flora via our mothers' birth canals.

What do you think?

[Frost HoIIow]

I've always kissed my dogs, of course you get a sloppy lick back but that's an indication of giving affection back. They appreciate you. More than can be said for some human family members!

[RebsAbbo]

I don’t kiss my dogs on their mouths, yuk! Side of their faces or top of their heads occasionally but they don’t want to be kissed (they’re as much on the spectrum as the next person) & I certainly don’t want to be licked by them, I have trained them not to lick!
As you say, I know where those mouths have been and no thank you …….I’ll stick to getting my gut flora topped up by Yakult thank you very much

[Methuselah]

8 minutes ago, RebsAbbo said:

I don’t kiss my dogs on their mouths, yuk! Side of their faces or top of their heads occasionally but they don’t want to be kissed (they’re as much on the spectrum as the next person) & I certainly don’t want to be licked by them, I have trained them not to lick!
As you say, I know where those mouths have been and no thank you …….I’ll stick to getting my gut flora topped up by Yakult thank you very much

Aye, but a dog or cat lick costs nothing. A pot of Yakult costs an arm and a leg!

[Sprites]

Because we love them 

My cat licks my hand and sometimes face. It also sometimes preens my face/cheek using it's front teeth, a bit painful 

Edited October 25, 2022 by Sprites

[Puddy Galore]

I munch my cats to within an inch of their lives sometimes because love them ….well most of the time unless they are tripping me up or squabbling with each other!  I receive affection in return with nose bumps off Lewis and Rupert in particular and Prudence will snuggle up to me and sometimes places her paw on my hand as if to hold it.  

I often wonder if there is a scientific reason as to why cats insist on walking right in front of you so you can trip up or insist on sitting in the middle of open doorways/on steps so you can’t get passed them? 

I refuse to kiss the tortoise though

Edited October 26, 2022 by Snowycat

[Snowyowl9]

WE don t...they could ve been licking anything from backends to dead corpses..