Does your cat lick your skin or your clothes? Sometimes our cats will lick us out of love, but often times cats are attracted to the smell of your skin or detergent. This isn’t always safe either.
When your cat licks you it is a bonding behavior and a special show of affection from your cat to you and their fellow felines. Just be mindful about WHAT your cat is licking on your body. Lotions, hair products, muscle creams and many other products aren’t meant to be ingested. These substances can be dangerous or even toxic to our kitties.
Our cat, Mr. Bittles, used to love the minty fresh smell of Ben Gay muscle cream when he was young. Adrienne has carpel tunnel in her wrists, so she used this product often. She would put it on before bed and every time Mr. Bittles would come running. One of the first times this happened we watched as he licked and licked her arm and laughed… until he started foaming at the mouth. That was a scary situation.
Fast forward a few years and he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Upon further research, it’s possible that the muscle cream we allowed him to ingest as a young cat contributed to his kidney failure. Everything that our cats ingest have to be flushed through their organs. This is why we are such advocates for a species appropriate, fresh food diet for cats. This is also why we recommend not over-medicating our kitties.
A cat lick is a sweet gesture, usually, and you are a lucky human to have such an affectionate kitty. Please just be mindful about the products you use that your cat may be cleaning off of you.
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