Why does my cat always like to lick its lips? Cats licking their lips is not just for normal grooming. In most cases, licking their lips is a normal operation, but in some cases, this behavior may indicate something more serious. things. So when is lip licking normal, and when should it cause us to worry?

Normal reasons for lip licking

　1. The most common reason for cats to lick their lips is grooming after meals.

This behavior is because cats need to remove the scent traces after swallowing prey. Otherwise, the remaining scent may be picked up by other prey, which is equivalent to reminding them that their natural enemy cats are nearby. Moreover, cats are also prey of other animals because of their small size, so it is important to remove odor traces after eating. Although cats do not need to hunt now, it is already instinctive. Moreover, cats love cleanliness so much, of course they must lick their lips clean!

　2. Cats will also lick their lips when they are nervous and fearful:

We will find that cats sometimes lick their lips when they are nervous and scared. Although it is also the same action of licking their lips, the cat’s other body language can clearly tell you that it is nervous:

Ears back and down

Beard forward

Body posture retreats

In a tense state, cats can relieve a certain amount of stress by licking their lips!

Reasons for attention

Under normal circumstances, lip licking behavior is not too frequent and often only occurs in specific situations, such as just eating, changing to a new environment, meeting strangers, etc. However, if in daily life, If a cat licks its lips frequently, it may be caused by discomfort.

3. Oral pain:

Licking your lips may indicate oral disease or pain in your mouth. Cats may also experience drooling, bad breath, and loss of appetite. At this time, we need to check the cat’s mouth to see if there is any inflammation or injury.

4. Premonition of vomiting:

Lip licking accompanied by swallowing may mean that the cat is feeling nauseous at the moment and may vomit soon.

5. Upper respiratory tract diseases:

Upper respiratory problems or allergies may cause cats to lick their lips frequently. If a cat has a stuffy nose, it will lick its mouth more frequently. When the cat sneezes, it will also lick its lips.

6. Lip licking triggered by drooling:

If your cat is drooling, this will trigger the cat to lick its lips frequently. This could mean there is a more serious health problem. Including ingestion of foreign bodies, tumors, stomatitis, oral injuries, abscesses, kidney disease, upper respiratory tract disease, ingestion of toxic substances, etc.

7. Dry mouth:

Extreme dryness of the mouth, called xerostomia, may lead to frequent lip licking. Causes of extreme dry mouth in cats may include: fever, dehydration, kidney or liver problems, endocrine disorders, side effects of certain medications, etc. Of course, cats may also experience dry mouth when they are very nervous or scared.

Finally, the above are the 7 reasons why cats lick their lips! The last five reasons all need our attention. Sometimes, it is often because we ignore the minor symptoms of cats that the disease becomes more and more serious, so , to become an excellent shit shoveler, don’t ignore the details.