Why Do Cats Lick Themselves When Grooming
Cats are pretty good at grooming. They spend a lot of time doing it, and they dont mind where they do it. Youve more than likely been in that awkward situation where youre chatting with guests, and your kitty plops down in the middle of the living room, whips a leg up into a 90-degree angle, and gets right to it. But why do cats lick themselves so much? It seems like they can never get clean enough to meet their own high standards. Russell Hartstein, Certified Dog/Cat Behaviorist and Trainer and CEO of Fun Paw Care in Los Angeles, gives us all the answers to common questions about your kittys grooming routine, from Why do cats lick themselves? and Why does my cat lick me? to Why do cats lick each other?
Is It Safe For Cats To Eat Mice
In both domestic settings and the wild, cats naturally hunt mice. They are the perfect predators for these rodents, and mice serve as the ideal prey. As such, it seems outlandish to think your cat will be unsafe eating a mouse. Surely its digestive system is perfectly built to handle this prey.
In truth, mice are dangerous to cats because of what they carry, not what they are. A mouse that has been raised in a clean environment and kept free of parasites will be a safe meal for your cat. There is nothing in a mouses biology that makes it toxic or harmful in any way to felines.
However, much like other pests, mice spend their time in dirty places. They scavenge through trash, feces, and damp places where bacteria and fungus will thrive. They eat nearly anything and are targeted by homeowners with dangerous pesticides. As fairly resilient creatures, some mice will survive exposure to these contaminants, at least in the short term. This allows them to carry these toxins and pathogens on their:
- Fur
- Feet
- Mouths
When a cat follows its natural instinct and snatches up a mouse, it then ingests these contagions. At the minimum, playing with the mouse for a long period of time increases the chance of:
- Harmful bacteria getting in the cats mouth
- Parasites transferring to the cats fur or skin
- The cat ingesting or inhaling some amount of pesticide
How Dirty Are Your Cats Paws
Every day, your cat goes to the litter box, walks around inside it, and even covers their business up before they leave. Then they may go straight to jumping on your nice kitchen counters, into your lap, or onto your dining room table.
Is this sanitary? Have you ever wondered just how dirty your cats paws are?
Heres the dirt on how clean or not clean your cats paws might be, and what you can do to stay sanitary.
You May Like: How Can You Tell The Gender Of A Cat
Its All About Coat Appeal
The most obvious reason why cats lick themselves is for cleanliness. And the easiest way to stay clean is for cats to take care of it with their own tongue. Its like a built-in brush with tiny spines that are angled backward toward the kittys mouth. With this handy tool, cats can rake through their fur, making it shiny and dander-free. Hartstein explains that, Cats groom themselves for their general coat condition to remove dander and loose hairs, and to spread sebum, which also gives them a nice, beautiful coat as they spread the oils around their fur. The tongue can also comb out fleas that have made a home in your cats coat. As a nice side benefit, licking the coat helps promote circulation and natural blood flow.
Sign In To Add A Tale To Your List Of Favorites
A long time ago a cat caught a sparrow, and licked his lips in anticipation of the delight he would feel in devouring it. After playing with it for a time, as cats will, he was going to eat it, when the sparrow spoke to him.
The Emperors cat, said the sparrow, and all his family, never begin a meal without washing themselves first. Everybody knows that such is the custom in polite society.
Really, answered the cat, well, I will do as the Emperors cat does! And he let go the sparrow and began to wash his face. Feeling itself free, the sparrow flew away, and alighted safely on the branch of a tree well out of reach.
It serves me right, muttered the cat, for being so easily taken in.
And ever since that time cats have always washed themselves after their meals.
You May Like: Tuxedo Cats Lifespan
Why Cats Lick Their Paws After Eating
As mentioned, cats groom throughout the day. However, when it comes to food-related grooming, you will observe that they do it both before and after eating.
There are two reasons why cats groom before eating: anticipation and elimination of their odor. Similar to how you salivate or smack your lips when your food is about to arrive at the table, cats groom their faces when anticipating a meal.
However, in the wild, there is no such thing as a meal being delivered to you you must hunt if you are a predator. This is where grooming serves another purpose-to mask their scent. This allows cats to come as close as possible to prey without their scent blowing their cover.
Cats must also groom after eating to avoid being discovered by other predators.
Nonetheless, what is the purpose of licking their paws considering that they typically use their tongues to groom themselves? Well, despite being renowned for their dexterity, there are areas cats cannot reach with their tongues, such as the face and back of the head. For those areas, cats use their front paws as washcloths.
The purpose of licking the paw is to dampen it with saliva and then use it to wipe themselves. This way, your kitty removes all traces of food, including scent, from their being.
Do Cat Fleas Live On Humans
In spite of their domestication, house cats are still predators. And all predators — from polar bears to ladybugs — clean themselves after they eat. Any cat that neglects her washing ritual needs to see her veterinarian, because a lack of grooming is abnormal in this fastidious animal.
Read Also: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
Why Does My Cat Lick My Hair
Cats lick their owners hair for the same reasons they groom their owners. Its either their way of showing affection or their expression of stress and anxiety.
What makes the hair their specific target for licking is because it closely resembles fur. Of course, your hair has a very different texture compared to cat fur, but its the closest one that cats associate their fur with.
When this happens, its advised that you give them a toy for them to lick and chew on.
Cats can also be attracted to new smells or the smell of the shampoo youre using. If you think theyre attracted to the smell of your hair you can try to give them some catnip or a catnip toy as a distraction.
Grooming Implement #: The Teeth
Cats use their tiny front teeth to remove fleas and ticks, work mats out of their fur, and remove plant material stuck deeper in their fur than their tongues can reach. They chew on their claws with their back teeth to remove worn claw husks and replace them with sharp, new daggers.
Now, moving on to the why, here are some of the reasons why cats groom themselves.
Don’t Miss: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
Let Us Help Your Cat With Grooming Today
Oursalon is open 7 days/week from 8 am to 5 pm to fit your busyschedule. To set up a mobile grooming appointment in the convenienceof your home, call 310-784-0566, or to set up a salon groomingappointment, call 310-784-0775. You can also contact us through ourwebsiteformanytime! We look forward to serving you and your cat.
2923Rolling Hills Rd
Is Cat Saliva Clean
For cats purposes, yes, their saliva is very clean. On top of having magical hairs to clean their fur, cats saliva also contains a natural cleaning agent that helps clear their fur of dirt and other debris.
However, this cleanliness does not mean your cats saliva is clean for you. The cleaning agent, along with the bacteria on a cats tongue, can cause rashes and other allergic reactions in humans, depending on your skin type. Just be aware of that if your kitty wants to shower you with kisses!
Read Also: Lavender Safe For Cats
Why Does My Cat Eat Poop
Sometimes, your cat will eat feces if there is undigested food in their poop. Also, animals that eat poop may be doing so as a response to recent punishments/time-outs or from the addition of a new pet in the house. This leads your cat to act out to draw attention to themselves and away from the new family member. Consider the following questions:
Consider some safe alternatives for chewing like growing organic greens for your cat.
How To Stop Your Cat From Eating Non
Here are some helpful tips to get your cat to redirect their attention and tendencies away from eating non-food items:
- Playtime: Increase play activities with interactive toys, cat trees, scratching posts, and other forms of stimulation.
- Window time: Place their cat tree near a window so your feline can watch activities that are going on outside.
- Outdoor time: Consider a cattery or try leash-walking your cat. Does your feline love to play outdoors? Does he or she love to go outside? She would like some organic sunshine to bathe in. Purchase or create a safe outdoor enclosure for your cat to run and play in. Train your cat to walk on a leash and harness or ride in a cat stroller. Get them to go outside and run off some of that extra energy!
- Chew time: Consider some safe alternatives for chewing like growing organic greens for your cat. Rye, oat, wheatgrass, or catnip are all good options. You can buy cat greens at your local pet store or buy an already grown square of grass from an organic health food store.
Yummy! I love paper . . . now time for some plants.
Also Check: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
Why Has My Cat Stopped Self
Cats are notorious for being neat and clean. They groom themselves quite often. In fact, on average, cats clean themselves during half of their waking hours.
So if your cat has suddenly stopped self-grooming, this can be a sign that something is very wrong, and they may need to go to the vet right away.
Here are a few things you should know about why your cat may not be self-grooming as much as they should.
Why Do Cats Lick Their Front Paws Thoroughly After Eating
Typically this is done to clean their paws. However, there is another dimension to this. You need to understand that cats are definitely agile creatures.
However, there is a limit to their agility. Meaning, areas such as behind their head, face, and chin is not easy to be touched without using their front paws. Think of their paws as a cleaning cloth in this regard.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser thatsupports HTML5 video
After they eat, they will firstly clean their paws. But, then moisten their paw, so that they can then wipe and clean their face.
Also, you should expect your cat to be doing this kind of grooming regularly. If they are not doing it, then there is clearly is an issue.
However, on the other extreme, if they are doing it excessively, this could also be a concern.
Recommended Reading: How Long Do Tuxedo Cats Live
Why Do Cats Lick Themselves After Theyve Had A Bath
In all honesty, cats should not really be bathed. They are not like dogs and do not like exposure to water in this way.
For that reason, you can expect your cat to aggressively lick itself after its had a bath. This is because, in your cats mind, she is unhappy with the fact that shes been bathed.
Therefore, she is frantically licking herself to replace the bodily fluids and scent that she believes should be there. Only bathe cats in extreme cases when its necessary.
Its Not Simply To Clean Their Fur
If youve been around cats, you have probably noticed that they spend time licking their fur. A lot of time. The main reason as you probably guessed is to clean themselves.
But theres more to cats grooming than cleaning their coats. KidsPost talked to Leigh Pitsko, who has experience not only with house cats but also with rather large cats. As assistant curator of great cats at the National Zoo, Pitsko takes care of six African lions, an Amur tiger and a Sumatran tiger. Their grooming behavior, she says, is the same as what you would see with pet cats.
When cats lick their fur to clean up, theyre using a tool thats better designed than your typical washcloth.
Their tongue is actually like sandpaper, Pitsko said. They have tiny hooks called papillae. When they glide across the fur, it acts like a comb.
So they de-tangle and remove mats in their fur as they bathe. The process also helps them stay comfortable, Pitsko said.
They spread a natural oil thats in their skin, she said. It kind of acts as an insulator and can keep them warm in the winter.
In hot weather, spreading the saliva all over their coats helps them stay cool. As the saliva evaporates, it releases heat from the body.
Theres also a social part of grooming.
Cats will groom each other to show signs of affection, Pitsko said. Our big cats … theyre always grooming each other.
As hunters, cats also wouldnt want a scent on them that would let prey know they are approaching.
Read Also: How To Train A Cat To Do Tricks
What Is Considered Too Much Grooming
Excessive grooming or psychogenic alopecia is a compulsive behavior that some domestic cats will experience. This is when grooming takes over other activities and is no longer functional.
If you notice bald patches or areas where the fur is broken, your cat may be over-grooming. This habit can cause trauma to the paws, tail, and skin anywhere on the body. The increased risk of skin infections and rashes makes excessive grooming dangerous for your cats health.
Too much grooming can be attributed to stress or other environmental factors. You should seek advice from a veterinarian if you notice excessive grooming with your cat.
Read more about psychogenic alopecia here.
When Can This Licking Become A Problem
In some extreme cases, you may find that a cat is grooming itself too much. In a way, it can become excessive. This can lead to physical problems.
An example, it could start to affect their skin and fur. Causing unsightly bald patches, or even skin sores. You may find some of these anxious behaviors for a few subtle reasons.
If there is a change in circumstance or something which is making your cat feel uncomfortable, this can trigger this anxiety.
Be mindful. This does not have to be anything drastic to us. If you recently moved house. Or maybe youve got a new addition to your family, such as a new baby, are you with me?
Don’t Miss: Why Do Cats Knead Before They Lay Down
Why Do Cats Always Lick Themselves After Eating
In the days when a person is struggling, he always hopes to be accompanied. I believe that most of the friends will choose to keep pets. If you are a cat owner, you should be aware that cats will start to lick after eating. Yourself, do you know why?
That is they are constantly cleaning themselves. Cats combing their own hair is their most primitive instinct, and it is also the first skill they learn from their mothers, but why they always choose to clean themselves after eating. Woolen cloth?
This is because they will get food crumbs when they eat. They choose to clean themselves more conveniently and comprehensively after eating.
They will clean up from their mouths. After all, they need to eat with their mouths. If their mouths are not cleaned, they will easily block their hair follicles, causing bacteria to multiply and cause infections.
After cleaning their mouths, they began to lick their paws and wash their faces to help them remove the food odor from their bodies. Why do you want to remove the food odors from your body? It is also to protect their own safety and avoid attracting other people’s food. Although they don’t need to worry now, this has become a way for them to maintain hygiene and it is also conducive to maintaining their own health.
So the cat licks herself after a meal for her own health!
How Often Should Cats Clean Themselves
Compulsive grooming Does your cat seem to be licking, biting, or nibbling herself incessantly? Keep in mind that most cats spend between 30 and 50 percent of their day grooming themselves. But if you start to notice obsessive grooming, hair loss, or skin lesions, it may be time for a visit to the vet.
Recommended Reading: Why Is My Cat’s Paw Swollen