Does your cat spend long hours licking itself? Has he started licking you like he wants to wash you? On our site we want to help you discover the reasons that lead our cats to constantly lick and clear all your doubts about it.
Cats are animals that need to be cleaned often to remove possible dirt, parasites or dead hair from their fur. However, this is not the only reason that leads them to lick each other at all times. Contrary to what many think, cats are very grateful to their owners if they treat them properly and provide them with a decent life. Keep reading this article to discover all the causes that motivate this type of behavior and be able to answer the question why do cats lick
The cat's tongue
Before delving into the causes that cause cats to constantly lick themselves or even their owners, it is essential to talk about the characteristics of their tongue.
When his tongue comes into contact with your skin, you will have noticed that the sensation it produces is not soft, but quite the opposite. While the dog's tongue is smooth and soft like ours, the feline's is rough and rough, why? Quite simply, the upper part of the cat's tongue is covered by a prickly tissue called conical papillae. Said tissue, in appearance, is nothing more than tiny spines formed by keratin, the same substance that makes up our nails, placed in rows in the same direction.
These small spines allow them to drink water more easily and, above all, to groom themselves and remove the dirt accumulated in their fur. However, by acting as a comb, this causes the animal to swallow an inordinate amount of dead hair and, therefore, the dreaded hairballs appear.
Now that we know what the cat's tongue is like, Why do they lick so much?
For hygiene
As we all know, cats are excessively neat animals by nature. So much so that, unless their coat has gotten too dirty, they hardly require baths from us. So, if you notice that your cat is constantly licking its paws, back, tail or belly, don't worry, just take care of its hygiene by removing the hair dead, possible parasites and accumulated dirt.
Paying attention to our pet's behavior is vital to notice possible anomalies that may arise in them. For this reason, it is very important that you observe how often he usually licks and intensity. Animals, like us, are routine beings that also tend to carry out their tasks always in the same way. If you see that your cat stops licking itself and this neglect of its daily hygiene is accompanied by general apathy or discouragement, do not hesitate and go to the vet as soon as possible to have it examined, it could be developing some pathology.
As a token of affection
As we discussed in the previous section, cats are animals that need to always be kept clean, however, and although they are considerably flexible, they do not have the ability to reach each and every one of their body parts. At birth, the mother is in charge of keeping them well groomed by constantly licking them. From the age of three weeks, kittens begin to clean themselves and lick each other, both to wash those unreachable areas, such as the ears and neck, and to reinforce the bond between the kittens. pack members
At this point, the kittens, in addition to grooming their siblings, will also lick their mother to show her affection. In this way, if your feline lives alone with you, without the presence of another cat, and licks you often, do not be surprised, it is a good sign. When your cat licks your hands, arms or even your face, it means that he feels you are part of his pack, of his family, and he wants to show you how much he appreciates you.
Yes, despite the prejudices that these animals have aroused for years, cats can also be affectionate. In fact, there are many signs of affection that they can show their owners if they treat them as they should, providing them with the basic care they need, the right food, toys to release stored energy, scrapers to file their nails and a box of sand to relieve himself.
Does your cat have stress?
In the first section we pointed out the importance of paying attention to our cat's behavior The development of a serious pathology can cause a loss of mood that can lead our cat to neglect their hygiene. But, what if what happens is that you clean more than necessary?
If our cat has gone from grooming normally to doing it with greater intensity and at all hours, it is very likely that he is suffering from stress or anxiety. Keep in mind that cats tend to clean themselves, in addition to hygiene, to relax. Licking produces tranquility, calm and serendity. In this way, when they feel stressed, they turn to the lick to seek relief and rediscover that much-needed peace.
If you suspect that the reason that answers the question why your cat licks is this, it is essential that you try to find the focus of stress and, above all, go to the vet as soon as possible.
