Research overview: scent marking by rubbing and bunting in cats

Cats deposit scent from glands on the face, flanks, and tail base when they rub against objects, people, and one another, a behaviour called bunting or allorubbing. This overview surveys research on the social and territorial functions of rubbing, including the creation of a shared group odour in colonies and households, the marking of salient objects within a home range, and the role of facial pheromones in conveying familiarity and reducing anxiety. It connects these findings to the commercial use of synthetic facial-pheromone analogues. The topic explains why rubbing is both an affiliative social signal and a spatial marking behaviour.