Hi , I read your post with interest. My old cat (16 year old female) does the same thing and I am wondering what it could possibly mean! She would NEVER stop unless I stop her from licking me. It starts to hurt after while, so I do have to stop her, or else she really irritates the skin on my hands. Does anyone in the Pet Talk audience have any light to shed on this anomaly?? Just wondering over here in Montreal....gotta go...here she comes now for her morning licking session! regards from Deborah in Montreal, Canada