Attention cat and dog owners!

I saw a post on Instagram of someone's cat doing what has been come to be known as head pressing, and they thought it was funny/cute. They obviously did not know that this is not a cute thing - it's a dangerous sign of serious neurological damage, or even a symptom of a toxin in their systems. I ran across an image similar on Tumblr years ago, and the poster thought it was cute, but MANY Tumblr users jumped to correct them. After seeing another uninformed image on Instagram, I felt like I owed it to my own animals to get the word out.

What is head pressing?

Head pressing is a compulsive act in cats and dogs (researchers are looking to see if it is also present in other mammals) for reasons scientists and vets are still not too certain of. Some believe that the act of pressing the forehead on a wall (as is most common) somehow relieves pain, or perhaps fulfills an instinctual compulsion that has no apparent health benefit, but somehow relieves the animal in question. 

Head pressing in cats is not headbutting - headbutting is perfectly normal and natural in cats. Head pressing, however, is not. So if your cat headbutts you or an object, that's fine. You can tell the difference between the two fairly easily. Headbutting is a continuous motion and will often follow up with the cat rubbing the rest of their head and body on you or the object. Head pressing results in the cat just sitting there and not moving with its head on a flat surface. 

Both dogs and cats can and have done head pressing. The cause can range from anything from a head injury, a pre-existing disease, toxins, etc. 

Images of head pressing - if your dog or cat has shown these examples, GET THEM TO A VET.



Cases of head pressing are fairly distinct - the top of the animals' head is literally pressed against the wall. So if your animal just STARES at a wall, and its head is not physically touching it, it's NOT head pressing. (You may want to have them checked out though if they stare at walls for prolonged amounts of time and do not move. They might have an issue with their eyes or something else going on in their brain.)



Dogs and cats can head press while standing, sitting, or even laying down like this cat in the image above. 



Sometimes walls are not used all the time, though it is the most common. Cats have more flexible bodies and shorter muzzles, so it is not unheard of for them to head press like in the above image. If your cat presses like this, you need to take them to the vet. This is NOT a natural position for cats to sleep in - the deliberate press of the head is blatant, so you should be able to tell when they are pressing, or just curling up. The image above shows a cat who is not trying to curl up, but head pressing. 

Causes of head pressing vary, but common ailments that result in it include, but are not limited to...

- Hydrocephalus (water in/around the brain)
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
- Head trauma
- Inflammatory and/or infection 

Guys, I'm serious - if your cat or dog does this, GET THEM TO A VET. Do NOT just ignore it and hope it passes. Your animal does not have the ability to go up to you and say it does not feel well, and it cannot let you know if it hurt its head when you weren't around. Your pet can't take itself to a vet either, nor does it have the ability to fix ailments itself.

Below are some links to the symptoms, causes and other information for dogs and cats who head press. If your cat or dog does NOT head press, but exhibits other symptoms, you should still take them to a vet. One symptom excluded from the lot does not mean there isn't anything wrong, so even if your pet does not head press, GET THEM TO THE VET.

Head pressing in dogs - www.vetary.com/dog/condition/h…

Head pressing in cats - www.vetary.com/cat/condition/h…

Please take care of your pets - they rely on us for help and ask for nothing but love, food and shelter in return. 

~S~