Giving a home to a dog or a cat (or both!) can be an immense enrichment of life. They make us laugh with their goofy moods and challenge us to get in touch with our inner child. Playtime with our pet is the best part of working from home, right? Like every member of our family, we care about them deeply and only want the best for them. That's why it get can especially tough when our four-legged friends are ill. Cats and dogs have their own unique ways of communicating with us, learning their body language ensures that we know when something's wrong. If you haven't heard of head pressing in dogs and cats, you should go to the next page to read about the warning sign:

The term “head pressing“ describes cats' and dogs' behavior of literally pressing their head against a wall, for an extended period of time. You can see what that looks like on @themeowingvet's Instagram post. What might look funny at first has a serious background and can be a sign that your pet is dangerously ill.

Pets use this technique to distract themselves from pain. Based on this, you know that your pup or feline must be feeling unwell.

A myriad of pictures showing pets who exhibit just this behavior circulate online. Many people simply don't know that it's not cute, but a defense mechanism, caused by a potentially life-threatening illness.

On the next page, we'll tell you which diseases can cause head pressing:

Head pressing can have different roots: The pain causing your pet to behave this way can come from a tumor, poisoning, and even a stroke. Inflammation of the brain or of the nervous system can be further reasons for head pressing. You can find another example of this behavior on @azmira_mexico's profile.

All of these are severe diagnoses which call for an immediate visit to the vet. Only they can safely determine what your pet might be suffering from. Always remember: The sooner you know what's wrong with your four-legged friend, the better the chances of recovery.

If you notice changes in your pet's behavior, it's advisable to consult your vet right away. For example, if dogs constantly go around in a circuit, they could suffer a stroke.

Did you know that many people don't share their bed with their pet for a good reason? If you want to learn even more about your cat's body language:

Learn more about your beloved pet!