Cats are regarded to be clean pets as they groom themselves constantly. A regular cat spends most of its time licking itself. Curious cats go further occasionally to lick plants, furniture, clothing, and walls. While this is pretty unusual, cats can develop the habit of excessively licking non-food things. You might have observed that your cat has an affinity for licking walls. Meanwhile, licking walls serves no use from our perspective. It can’t be enjoyable and shouldn’t have any nutritional value.
Therefore, why then would your cat be licking walls? This article will discuss the reasons for your cat’s wall-licking behavior and solutions.
Your cat may enjoy licking walls for the following reasons:
Stress
Anxiety and stress are typically associated with compulsive behavior. If your cat is licking the wall and you can’t persuade them to stop, it may indeed be agitated. When your cat has obsessive tendencies, it is usually impossible to distract them from their work. This means that a bag of candy or a favorite toy will not be enough to tempt them away.
You may notice that your cat licks more obsessively after moving to a new home, bringing a new cat to the family, or altering the litter box location. Paying attention to your cat, playing with them more, or simply snuggling with them more will encourage them to stop grooming the wall.
Unfortunately, nothing can be done to stop compulsive behavior. If your cat is stressed, relieving their discomfort is the only method to keep them from misbehaving. However, because this isn’t always possible, you might have to play the waiting game. Alternatively, you might ask your veterinarian for medication to help your cat relax.
Imbalanced Nutrition
When your cat exhibits pica, it seems interested in eating and licking objects that aren’t food. Pica is a medical condition characterized by an intense craving for non-food things like walls. Though some cats seem more prone to the condition, the actual causes for pica remain unknown. A nutritional deficiency, such as a lack of fat, fiber, or iron, might be to blame. The cat’s body attempts to compensate for the deficiency by licking items that aren’t ordinarily considered food. This makes sense in the wild, where the cat may exploit mineral riches. However, this is not the situation in our homes.
If your cat often licks random items, consult your veterinarian about their food requirements. Examine your cat’s food to determine if it’s appropriate for her breed and size. Ensure to alter it as your veterinarian suggests.
Boredom
It’s conceivable that your cat can be bored for the entire day. This might result in odd actions such as licking the wall. This behavior is typically easy to stop since your cat is simply seeking something to do.
Moisture
Walls typically gather moisture and humidity. This is especially true if you live in a humid climate. If the wetness on the wall tastes delicious to your cat, they may try to lick it off. Cats may do the same thing if they don’t have access to fresh water, even if they don’t like the taste.
Taste
Cats lack the same taste receptors as humans. As a result, they regularly discover tasty materials we would never eat, such as walls. It’s conceivable that your paint tastes delicious from time to time. Some cats are more prone to lick walls because they enjoy the taste and feel they provide.
The presence of chemical remnants that have recently been spilled or adhered to the wall may entice your cat to lick it. Because cats are naturally curious, sniffing or licking the surface is common. Varnishes and adhesives are also enticing to cats because they include components that smell good or that they can eat. The same may be true about plastic, which may tempt them with its aroma and flavor. Because of their hallucinogenic properties, several volatile compounds in paint or wall coverings may entice your cat. This is why cats like to bury their heads in plastic bags and lick and gnaw on them. The fumes from the plastic provide a fantastic, euphoric feeling for cats.
Although little quantities will not endanger your cat, you wouldn’t want your cat to do this repeatedly.
Texture
Sometimes cats lick walls and other surfaces for texture rather than flavor. Cats get pretty fascinated by the smooth glosses, soft flock wallpapers, and tactile textured paint that people employ as wall coverings in their homes. A cat may desire to seek out the sensations produced by running its tongue over the surface if it is feeling understimulated since they are highly drawn to wallcoverings with a range of textures.
Bored cats may seek stimulation by pressing their tongues against the surface of a wall. A major indicator of a tactile problem is the cat licking other surfaces with a similar texture. If your cat licks flock wallpapers as well as suede or velvet fabrics, she’s probably doing so because she loves and enjoys the sensation.
Here are a few ways to help keep your cat from licking walls
- Maintain your cat’s hydration and make sure fresh water is constantly available.
- Change your cat’s diet to one that better meets its nutritional needs.
- Try out several ways you may make your cat feel less stressed.
- Using bitter-tasting pet deterrent sprays or other scents that cats dislike on the walls can help keep your pet from licking them.
- Book an appointment with your vet if you suspect a case of pica.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several probable explanations for your cat licking the wall. You can discover a remedy after determining what’s causing your cat’s behavior.
Perhaps you might help your cat de-stress, or maybe you should get your cat a new water dish. Do whatever it takes to get the wall licking to stop. If nothing seems to be working, contact your veterinarian and explain the licking activity so that your veterinarian can determine what measures to follow.