Why Is My Cat’s Nose Wet? Is It Normal?

Many cat parents are curious as to whether or not a cat’s nose is supposed to be wet.

Yes.

But it isn’t always true, a wet nose can actually benefit your furry feline friend.

It is a myth that an excessively dry or wet cat nose indicates illness. Many cat owners believe this. It depends on the situation; even a cat’s body functions may vary from individual to individual. Some cats have a naturally dry nose and others have a wet nose. Temperatures may also vary throughout the day.

The skin inside the cat’s nostrils is known as the rhinarium, and it’s a sweat gland that helps keep the cat’s nose moist. We sweat in order to maintain our body temperature. The same process can be seen in cats’ wet noses, which help improve their smelling sense.

Why Is My Cat’s Nose Wet?

There are several possible explanations for a cat’s wet nose. You cannot conclude that your cat might have some serious issues. Several reasons can cause a wet or dry nose to appear on your cat.

• Cats always lick their nose: It’s their natural instinct that they lick their nose. to keep it wet & clean.
• Rhinarium Skin layer: They have rhinarium in their nostrils, which keeps the cat’s nose wet.
• Enhances Cat’s Smells: they keep the nose wet to strengthen the sense of smell.
• Hydration: If your car has a wet nose then it is a good sign that your feline is hydrated.
• Tears: when your cat’s eyes overflow, they are drained from the eyelid through the nasolacrimal duct. It may be a result of allergy irritation or a sign of illness.
• Upper respiratory infections: The upper respiratory infection causes runny nose, coughing & sneezing this infection leads your cat to a wet nose^[1].

Cat’s Noses Are Typically Wet for Picking up Scents

Cats are made for hunting they smell the prey with their strong-smelling sense. The wet nose helps them to pick up the scents & discover where the smell is coming from. It also helps them to know their enemy’s smells or predators.

Almost all the animals mark their territories with their scent clues when they rub on your with love. The territories have boundaries marked with their urination. Moreover, they use their nose to know the personality of the other animals through smell.

Fun Facts About Cat Noses

You will be amazed knowing that cats have 200 million odor sensors, which is 15 times better than humans. They can smell other female cats with their nose from far away, they also know when they are in heat. Here you will get to know the fun fact about cat noses^[2].

• Cat has amazing smelling power, that your cat’s nose can tell her about other cats in the area.
• Every cat in the world has different patterns on its nose, just like we humans have fingerprints.
• Cat lag in taste receptors they have only about 480 taste buds & we humans have approximately 9,000 taste buds.
• They have a keen smell sense & are irritated with fragrances like room fresheners & air purifiers.
• When the cart is cleaning the nose then it might be a sign of cleaning the nostrils & to enhance the smell sense.
• Cat’s noses can change color from light pink to dark pink, it is because of stress or excitement. This color change is temporary due to heart rate and blood pressure.

When to Worry About a Dry Nose

If your cat is having a dry nose then there is nothing to worry about, there may be many reasons that the cat has a dry nose. If we notice that every cat is different & they may have drier noses than others.

If your cat has a dry nose then you don’t have to worry in case you see any other symptoms. If you have seen any of the symptoms in your cat then it may be a sign that you should visit the veterinarian.

• Loss of hunger
• Inactivity
• Vomiting
• Trots
• Sneezing
• Lameness
• Constant Scratching
• Hair Loss
• Runny eyes
• Nasal discharge

This symptom leads to upper respiratory infection (URI) which is common in cats. Your cat will suffer this URI for at least one week or so, still, you should visit the veterinarian. They may prescribe your all the medications that can relieve the symptoms.

How to Care for Your Cat’s Nose

If you want to save your furry feline from respiratory infection, then you have to care for your cat’s nose^[3]. You will have to start cleaning the nose using tissues or a wet cloth. If you don’t do that the virus & bacteria that are present on the nose with occur into an upper respiratory infection (URI).

If your cat is suffering from upper respiratory infection (URI)then you should be careful with her health & cleanliness. You may see yellowish nasal discharge, which affects the smelling sense, moreover, your cat might suffer from temporary loss of smell. In fact, cats generally groom themselves, in very few cases you will find the cats into a mess.

FAQs

Conclusion

We hope that you found all the answers to your question, “Why is my cat’s nose wet?”. If you still have any questions related to the wet nose of a cat, then you can comment below. We will get back to you as quickly as possible with the most appropriate and relevant answers. We hope that you enjoyed the facts about the cat’s nose and the steps to care for it.

References:

1. Feline Upper Respiratory Infection — VM&BS
2. Fun facts about cat’s nose — Pawschicago.org
3. Avoiding Infections for your cats — Harvard Medical School