Why does a cat lick itself?

May 02,2024
3Min

The reasons why cats lick themselves:

1. Cats are cleaning themselves. Cats are very clean animals, so they lick their fur every day to remove dust and dirt from their bodies and keep their fur smooth.

2. It may be to eliminate odors. Cats will use saliva to clean up and cover up other odors when they are exposed to a smell they don’t like or are dirty.

3. The cat has skin diseases or parasites. At this time, cats will feel itchy on their bodies, and they will lick or even bite parts that cannot be scratched by their claws to relieve the itching.

4. It may be that the place where the cat licked was scratched by a foreign object. The owner can use iodophor and alcohol to disinfect and clean the wound, and put an Elizabethan ring on the cat to prevent it from licking the wound and causing wounds. inflamed.

5. Cats may lick themselves to relieve stress. If they are scolded by their owners, licking their fur is a common way to relieve stress.

6. If it is summer, cats may lick their fur to dissipate heat, while in winter, licking their fur may be to keep warm.

7. It may be coquettish. After making a mistake or being ignored by the owner, it licks its body to attract the owner's attention.

8. Cats licking themselves may be a problem with hairball syndrome. Cats suffering from hairball syndrome will show some discomfort and even lick themselves frequently. Typical symptoms include frequent retching, occasional hairy vomitus, and sometimes nothing at all.

9. It may be boredom. Cats will lick their own hair when they are bored.

Precautions when cats lick themselves:

1. Owners should pay attention to the hygiene of the cat’s living environment and disinfect it regularly. In this way, the cat will not eat a lot of bacteria due to frequent licking.

2. It is best for owners to feed cats cat grass or hair removal cream regularly. Because cats may eat a large amount of hair when licking their fur, and the accumulation of hair in the cat's intestines and stomach will form hair balls. If not eliminated in time, it can easily cause gastrointestinal diseases in cats.

3. Owners should pay attention to the cat’s physical condition. If you find that your cat always licks and bites a certain area, you should check to see if the cat has a skin disease.

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