Table of contents:
- Keeping yourself clean
- To make friends
- Eat delicious things
- To explore their environment
- Coping with negative feelings
2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39
In addition to licking their food bowl, cats like to lick a lot of things, some of which are a little strange, such as a plastic bag or even the bathtub. But why do they do it? Here are some of the reasons why cats love to lick.
Keeping yourself clean
Forget shampoos and showers - cats only need their tongues to keep themselves clean. Their tongue is covered with hundreds of tiny bristles, called papillae, which point backwards and which allow them to be an effective treatment tool, very similar to a comb.
To make friends
Cats not only lick themselves but other cats as well as a method of bonding. Licking is a way to demonstrate social ties with other cats and with humans. This is a behavior they learn from theirs mom licking her puppies to show affection and stimulate their breathing and breastfeeding. If you notice that your feline friend is licking you, it means that he loves you: in fact, most studies suggest that cats they lick people as a sign of affection.
Eat delicious things
The feline tongue has a layer of tiny, prickly spoons, so that when a cat licks itself, it can scrape off a surface, collecting material in those little teaspoons. Also, while eating, cats only use their tongues to pick up and swallow small pieces of food.
To explore their environment
Cats they lick really weird things, such as plastic bags, blankets, and even sinks - this could be caused by their curiosity or a way to control things. Licking harmless, non-food items without ingesting is probably okay, but that natural sense of curiosity can sometimes get our friends in trouble as, occasionally, they may taste toxic food or residues which could be very harmful.
Coping with negative feelings
If your feline friend starts licking everything in sight that isn't his dinner, including his own fur, it could be because he's anxious or simply bored. When, however, the licking begins to take away a lot of his hair, it would be appropriate to intervene: a Excessive lickingIn fact, it could be a sign of parasites, neurological diseases, food allergies and endocrine diseases and could lead to skin irritations, infections and even hairballs.
To direct your cat's attention to something other than excessively licking himself or other objects, you could try to involve him with some games to distract him, but if the problem persists, consult a veterinarian.
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