There's one thing that every pet owner here does every day, believe it or not!
That is—licking your lips.
After eating, we lick our lips:
When we're nervous, we lick our lips:
When we're being silly, we lick our lips:
Nothing else, it's just fun to lick:
Not only us, but cats also lick their lips every day:
What does it mean when a cat licks its lips?
normal behavioral habits
Cats lick their lips in their daily lives. For example:
While waiting for the meal to be served
While waiting to open a can of food, many cats can't help but lick their lips...
This is partly due to the stimulation of food smells, and partly due to the association of seeing food with eating, which naturally causes the salivary glands to secrete saliva.
On the other hand, it could be a way of telling its owner, "I want to eat."
According to research on dogs by Miklósi et al., dogs may unconsciously lick their lips when they see delicious food. After noticing this behavior, owners may give the dog the food.
This unconsciously "rewards" the dog's licking behavior, so the dog learns to use licking to signal to its owner that it wants food...
Right after eating
Similarly, cat owners will notice that their cats lick their lips after eating or drinking.
This is to clean food residue and water droplets from the lips and the area around the mouth.
When dreaming
Some cats smack their lips in their sleep. Why is that?
Research suggests that cats dream while they sleep, usually dreaming of scenes they experienced while awake, such as hunting or fighting.
When cats sleep, they might stick out their tongues, murmur, or knead; this could be because they're dreaming about delicious food or their owner...
It could be a sign of nervousness.
Sometimes, a cat licking its lips may be related to emotional stress, which is something pet owners need to pay special attention to!
Relieve tension
For example, when taking a cat out, to the vet, or when a new cat comes to the house, the cat may feel fear and stress and will lick its mouth to soothe itself.
Just like some people bite their nails when they're nervous, this is a common "distraction behavior" when facing negative stimuli, used to distract oneself from anxiety, tension, fear, etc.
Research has found that licking a dog's lips is a response signal to acute stress (Beerda et al 1997). In experiments involving aversive stimuli, dogs were found to relieve stress by licking their lips.
Therefore, whether a dog licks its lips has been used as an indicator of its stress and to ensure its well-being.
Although no relevant research has been conducted on cats, actual observations have revealed that cats do exhibit this behavior.
other
Cats suspected of having hypersensitivity syndrome, as well as some cats with obsessive-compulsive disorder, may also exhibit excessive lip licking.
Some speculate that this may be related to epilepsy, while others believe it is related to stress and anxiety.
health issues
Cats may lick their mouths when they are unwell. The most common reasons are nausea and oral problems.
Feeling nauseous
When a cat feels nauseous, in addition to excessive licking of its mouth, common signs include loss of appetite, constant chewing, drooling, and vomiting.
