Bunting (animal behavior)

[3] Bunting is generally considered to be a form of territorial scent-marking behaviour, where the cat rubs the scent glands on its cheeks and forehead on the object being marked.

[5] Bunting and allorubbing (using touch to communicate closeness) are also part of feral cat behavior within colonies.

[6] This behaviour in domestic cats involves a system of hierarchy and may have evolved as a way to channel aggression where the costs of a conflict is too high.

[8] Bunting is a normal animal behavior, and should be distinguished from head pressing, which is abnormal and typically a sign of illness.

[9] The practice of bunting stems from the behaviour that arises when kittens are very young and seek stimulation from their mother by rubbing and kneading.

This reaction of the mother can be any form of defensive behaviour from a nipping bite, moving away from the young, or a jab of her horns.

[13] Bunting in domesticated and wild cat species has olfactory roots and has a range of uses which include, but are not limited to, mother-young association bonds, greeting/welcoming of kin, diffusing potential aggression in social environments, and distributing scent on areas to cultivate familiarity.

This occurs when one animal shows submission during the final moments of a feud; this specific behavior is calling clinching.