Cat licking is a problem with some felines and not others. Some of the factors that may cause this behavior are: excessive grooming, or just being a slightly immature cat. Another reason for this could be some sort of allergic reaction. Cat’s also lick wounds. They may lick after surgery. You could cover the wound with a bandage.
Licking is an instinctive behavior to cats. Sometimes their normal grooming changes over into obsessive behavior. However, if you see your cats licking has gone from normal to obsessive you can do somethingabout it.Since cats are frequent groomers their owners don’t usually notice a problem until they notice overt skin loss or lesions. You can at this point stop the behavior by telling the cat to stop, covering the wound or using tabasco sauce or a bitter agent to deter the behavior.
A reason that cats may lick may have to do with their body being itchy or painful. You may need to notice and get your cat checked for disc disease or anal sac impaction. You may also check to see if your cat has an itchy disease if the cat has this of problem the licking is more widespread.
If your cat has a licking problem, check for flea infestation. This normally causes the cat to lick the head of the tail. Your cat may have this issue. In addition, cats with pollen or food allergies may lick on their back, their abdomen or other areas of their bodies.
These are things to notice and discuss with your vet. Cat licking is something that should be addressed as soon as possible before it gets worse and seriously affects the health of your cat. Your cat that licks to the point of getting hairballs is licking abnormally. If you see your cat throwing up hairballs you may look to see if your cat is licking or grooming abnormally.
Licking that causes bald spots is abnormal and should be investigated by both you and your vet. The cat licking could progress and cause further problems for your cat. The bald skin can be more prone to sunburn or frostbite or other problems with the outdoors.
Cat licking is a behavior that can be stopped by disciplining the cat, using a bitter agent or covering the wound with a bandage. It is a trying problem but you can stop cat licking.