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Who doesn\u2019t enjoy watching a cat take a lick-bath? It\u2019s almost mesmerizing\u2014hypnotic and a little intriguing to see some of the positions she gets into and how intent she is in the cleaning process. It\u2019s sometimes like a hypnotic adventure for the cat as she focuses so meticulously to the task at hand.<\/p>\n
But cats don\u2019t give themselves lick-baths just to entertain us. There are actually a couple of reasons why they do this and one of them is purely a reflection of ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LilyLickPaw-e1580934097221-225x300.jpg\")
their heritage. Cats seem to like to be clean, but their after-dinner bath ritual has a deeper significance than that. Their wild ancestors learned the extreme importance of cleaning themselves after a eating so predators\/intruders couldn\u2019t detect them by the scent of their meal.<\/p>\n
Did you know that cats also lick their fur to cool themselves in the heat and to help distribute natural oils into their fur to keep it healthy. This is also a way to help rid their fur of parasites and dirt or to tend to a wound.<\/p>\n
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If you know cats, this won\u2019t surprise you, because cats are such Zen animals. Licking is another method of calming themselves.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll like this concept: experts say that when a cat licks another cat or she licks you, it is most likely their way of expressing their love. (The article said they are showing they like you\u2014I\u2019m the one who elevated the like <\/em>to love<\/em>.)<\/p>\n However, and there\u2019s usually a however when you\u2019re dealing with animals\u2014in particular a cat\u2014there is If you\u2019re stressed, go find one of your cats and watch her give herself a lick-bath. Ahhhh, relaxing.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Who doesn\u2019t enjoy watching a cat take a lick-bath? It\u2019s almost mesmerizing\u2014hypnotic and a little intriguing to see some of the positions she gets into and how intent she is in the cleaning process. It\u2019s sometimes like a hypnotic adventure … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/lilycontortionist-1-300x225.jpg\")
such a thing as excessive licking. Our 17-year-old tortie, Sophie, has a tendency to excessively lick certain areas along her side until the fur is almost gone. Why? The veterinarian says this is stress-related. The first time she did this was after we\u2019d evacuated during the Thomas fire here in our area. I took the cats to my mother\u2019s for a couple of days and, while Sophie seemed to take this in her stride, we found out later it was a very stressful experience for her.<\/p>\n