Many owners ask surprisingly about the licking behavior of cats. It is strange to see the cats obsessed with licking. Especially every cat is peculiar. They choose different objects of their own and start licking them. They are keen on marking their territories and having a secure place. But this does not resolve the problem entirely. It gets weird when they start licking the clay pots, sand, and rocks.
Well! Amongst all other objects, licking the clay pot makes the owner go puzzling. It is not the case with only one cat. It feels like a familiar pattern of behavior among domestic cats to lick them. In this article, we are going to find possible solutions for the same.
What do you need to understand?
First of all, licking the clay pots is a normal behavior in the cat. But you need to pay attention to where this comes from. Observe whether this is a behavioral change, or your kitty has any other health concerns.
Normal Licking behavior
Some cats tend to chew all kinds of objects. Whether they eat food or not, they roam around and start chewing a different type of fabric, lick the furniture, vessels, plastic, and playthings. If you had noticed this in the early stages, this could be easily controlled by training the cats.
But if you think your cat is overdoing this, you need to be careful; it can even lead to severe many ingestion problems, and they suffer a lot from stomach aches.
Licking the clay pots
Generally, licking the clay pots is medically sensed as a lack of nutrients and minerals in the diet. Although it does not prove anything, you may need to oversee them more than ever. If you think there are no changes in the behavior, then you don’t have to worry. It is probably because of environmental factors such as stress or boredom. If there are no such changes, there is no severe illness in them.
When do you need to visit the doctor?
While cats lick the clay pots and simultaneously becomes tired, it means that they are very anemic. Mostly, cats show this behavior due to the reduced number of Red Blood Cells (RBC) or hemoglobin (Hb) or both in the body.
Hence licking the clay pots cannot be considered as a specific disease. Still, it’s a process by which the cats try to communicate.
What are the other signs that show that the cat is anemic?
The anemic cats can be easily found if you had observed them for three to four days together. Most vets say that the standard clinical sign is that the cats’ gum turns pale pink. In extreme scenarios, the gums may even look more whitish.
Secondly, they lose a lot of stamina. Even though you feed them regularly, they might feel lazy and do not seems to very active. In adult cats, you can even see the signs of blood loss. A slight color change in urination also indicates that your cat might be anemic.
Why cat lick pots while anemic?
The answer is pretty simple. When cats have less blood or blood-producing cells in the body, they tend to acquire it through some means or the other. Food is not the only resource. They tend to chew and lick the objects that have more iron content.
Just like humans, to improve blood in the body, even cats require iron. Since clay and muddy objects contain a high level of iron and magnesium, the cats naturally start to lick them. Their olfactory muscles help them to understand the nutrient content in these objects. Because of the strong iron smell from the clay pots, the cats start to lick the clay pots.
Focus if your cat is pregnant
When the cat is pregnant, there is a natural loss of blood cells & it may need inadequate for the growth of the baby. Also, during pregnancy, since they lose a lot of blood, it is natural for your kitty to gain it back through the resources. If their diet is not proper or does not have enough iron, they tend to lick the clay pots and materials made of sand and its mix.
What else should you remember?
The following table will help you understand that the different objects are licked by the cats and what does it mean.
| Objects licked by cats | What do they mean? |
| Furniture | Cats that tend to lick furniture means that they are trying to mark the places that they have used. It is communicating that this furniture only belongs to them. |
| Fabric | Cat’s licking fabric is one of the compulsive behaviors that can be seen, especially during stress. They signal that there is something uncomfortable about the environment. |
| Walls | The cats start licking the wall since it naturally creates a curious smell. They also seem to like the adhesive used in these compounds. |
| Plants | Cats start chewing plants because something is bothering them in the stomach. Probably some insects in the intestine. |
| Cement | When cats suffer from a deficiency of Vitamins and minerals, they develop the habit of licking the cement. |
Therefore, when you find some abnormalities in the licking behavior of cats, you must take the steps.
What can you do?
The first thing you can do when you notice that your cat is licking clay pots, probably reach out to the vets. See if the behavior stops after some days. It is suggested to give them some iron supplements that can balance the nutrients unavailable in their body. Check Purina Pro Plan Veterinary supplements that can offer probiotic nutrients.
Conclusion
In most cases, cat licking is harmless when there are no additional symptoms. Cats lick for curiosity. They love to know the unique flavors surrounding them. Even if you notice them occasionally licking the non-food items, it’s just they want to explore the taste. But it would be best to visit the vet when there is a change in behavior or any other physical changes. You have to spend time with them now and then to see if there is any constant behavioral change in them. Clay pots are not an exception.
