Cats constantly move and behave in ways that make no sense to people.
They’re natural athletes and can run at the speed of thought. When they’re agitated, they’re calm enough to try affection.
Licking their lips is one of their most common ways of expressing affection. So, why do cats lick their lips when angry?
Cats lick their lips when angry for several reasons. First, it releases pheromones that cause other animals to feel safe and submissive.
Second, licking lips is another way cats can release pheromones to calm themselves down when they’re upset or stressed. Finally, licking lips releases endorphins which reduce pain and anxiety in cats.
Cats lick their lips when angry to reduce stress and calm down.
Let’s dive into this problem.
Why Do Cats Lick Their Lips When Angry?
When cats are upset, they lick their lips as a way to release pheromones.
Cats lick their lips for a variety reasons in the following.
Dental or Oral Disease
Unfortunately, cats are especially prone to dental or oral disease.
This might result in your cat biting their lips and rubbing their cheeks against the furniture or walls when they’re in pain.
Our cats, as we all know, do not wish us to cure them of mouth disease, but when their mouth needs us to help, they will act in ways that reflect their misery and discomfort.
Infection of the Upper Respiratory Tract
Colds are rather common in cats, too, which can result in them licking their lips and rubbing their cheeks.
Licking the lips, accompanied with sneezing, wheezing, a runny nose and watery eyes can indicate an upper respiratory tract infection in your cat.
This is usually swiftly followed by lethargy and loss of appetite, so if your kitty is acting abnormally you may need to call the vet.
Too Much Saliva
Drooling in cats may be caused as a result of the pain or discomfort of the infected area or upper respiratory infection.
In reaction, they will lick their lips to comfort themselves.
Licking their lips might also indicate that your cat has something very unpleasant stuck in their mouth.
Your Cat Could Be Allergic
If your cat has allergies, it might lead to them licking their lips due to an allergy flare.
Allergies may be quite annoying, so they tend to disturb their sleep and cause them to rub their cheeks against bald spots to relax themselves.
Environmental or food-related allergens could cause allergies in cats.
Your Cat Is Feeling Nauseous
Cats do not like to tell us that they are feeling nauseous or dizzy. So, they may conceal the symptoms by not eating or drinking well, feeling lethargic and vomit.
If your pet licks their lips and rubs their cheeks too frequently, then it can be a sign of feeling nauseous.
This, along with excessive drooling or vomiting, can be due to motion sickness or nausea.
Nausea may occur for a variety reasons such as stress, hormonal imbalances or digestive problems.
Your Cat Is Nervous
If your cat licks their lips in reaction to a stressful situation, such as a visit to the vet, they might also start meowing a lot and sometimes try to hide in a different room from you.
They may be exceedingly agitated, disoriented or agitated or behave irrationally.
Cleaning
Anyone who has a cat in their homes knows that their feces and urine are icky and stinky.
Cats spend more than 5 hours cleaning themselves every day, so anything they come across can irritate them.
They want their fur to smell fresh and clean again and so they lick their paws and the fur on their faces as well.
Some cats demonstrate this behavior by licking their teeth and gums as well.
If you see your cat licking their lips excessively, then you need to find out the reason and try to figure out what you can do to stop them from doing it.
Some cats may be more obsessed with cleaning than other animals and feel that they need to do this all the time.
Begin paying attention to what is in their environment and what they might be reacting to and try to find ways to reduce the stimuli that is causing this behavior.
Do Cats Lick Their Lips Out of Anger?
Cats may lick their lips for many reasons, such as dehydration or eating something too hot or too cold.
They lick their lips when they are feeling anxious or stressed, so it is also possible that your cat is licking their lips out of anger.
They inherited a visceral reaction against something they found disgusting from their ancestors.
This natural indication drives them away from something that they feel is harmful.
Anger and concern are natural emotions that animals may experience, but licking one’s lips seldom means that they are angry at their owners.
Why Does My Cat Lick Their Lips When They Look At Me?
The context may reveal why your feline is doing this, which can help you to figure out how to deal with it.
If you’re upset with your kitty while he’s licking his lips, he’ll probably be even more upset and may become irritated and defensive.
If it’s dinnertime, it might be in anticipation or hunger that causes your cat to do this.
Our cats’ intense gazes are typically extremely purposeful, and if your cat is licking their lips while looking at you, you should exercise extra caution and attentiveness.
Why Do Cats Lick Their Lips When Fighting?
Cats lick their lips when they are fighting each other because they may be expressing intense feelings towards each other.
Direct confrontation with another animal is emotionally stressful for a cat and you may notice that your cat is rubbing its cheeks and licking their lips when they become aggressive.
They lick their lips just as their tails and paws may be twitching aggressively.
All of these actions occur due to the secretion of adrenaline from the adrenal glands, which prepares the body for the pains of physical fight.
As they utilize their body language to convey to the cat that it is time to stop, it is not uncommon for the aggressive cat to be licked by their opponent’s kittens or even their mother.
What Should You Do If Your Cat Is Angry?
A raged feline’s sharp claws and teeth can do a lot of damage, so a kitten or young cat may attempt to put you between itself and the source of its anger.
So, if your animal pal has recently been fighting and is licking their lips aggressively, you should attempt to divert its attention away from you and back towards its natural prey.
Before you attempt to calm an enraged feline, make sure you are not in the vicinity of a trapped cat.
Territorial aggressiveness, confrontation with another cat, pain, and hunger are natural triggers for a cat to attack and it is very dangerous for you to be in between the two animals.
Provide a Secure Environment
An angry cat may be soothed by the presence of another animal, so if possible you should separate your cat from the source of its anger.
Cat towers or condos are great accessories for allowing an agitated or isolated cat to vent out the rage by means of clawing and scratching on the posts.
When your feline pal is sad, it will want to hide away in the darkness and away from everyone else in a dark place such as a closet or underneath your stairs.
Disrupt That Behavior
It’s often a good idea to keep a litter box in a secluded area where your angry cat can calm down.
This will assist to reduce stress and relax your feline pal. Once your cat has calmed down after the madness has subsided, you should praise the cat softly.
However, a cat’s wrath or hostility should never be underestimated.
You may spray him with a miniature water pistol to remind him of the source of his anger.
Slowly Approach and Act Small
Fear may lead your cat to attack you without warning.
They may feel that something threatens their survival and they may lash out at whatever they perceive as the dangerous thing.
You may help them relax by rubbing their stomach or gently scratching their back.
Make sure you approach them with caution and provide them with the perfect opportunity to calm down by acting patient and calm.
One method is to lay on your stomach and rub your nose and mouth against theirs.
This shows you are not a threat and you are interested in playing with them.
It permits them to more calmly move through an area and as a result, it can prevent them from feeling panicky and anxious.
Also Read: Why do Cats Smack Their Lips?
Conclusion
Although your feline pet may lick its lips when welcoming a cat into your home, it may also exhibit other behavioral changes, such as biting and scratching.
You should not be alarmed if your cat starts to bite or scratch you; this is their way of trying to defend or protect themselves.
Although it may sometimes be a sign of anything more severe, such as anxiety, more often than not in felines it is an indication of playfulness or affection.
Furthermore, if you cat licks their lips excessively by licking their paws or from scratching their ears, it is normally just a sign of them being active or playful.