# Cat licking his lips



## Madamzsazsa

Hendrix seems to be licking his lips quite a lot, which I understand can mean a couple of things (nausea etc). The last day or so he's also gagged a couple of times like he's trying to bring up a fur ball or something.

All his vaccines are up to date & he had a check up at the vets three weeks ago, who said he's in good shape for his age.

Is there anything I can give him for the nausea? He seems miserable (and not just because of the new kitten)!


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## rawfedcat

Can I ask when is he licking his lips, eg after eating? My cat does this alot after eating and I see it as she has enjoyed her food.

I would if you are concerned consult a vet as no one on here really can give veterinary advice as it is an open forum. We can only give practical advice or relate to our own experiences.


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## Soozi

rawfedcat said:


> Can I ask when is he licking his lips, eg after eating? My cat does this alot after eating and I see it as she has enjoyed her food.
> 
> I would if you are concerned consult a vet as no one on here really can give veterinary advice as it is an open forum. We can only give practical advice or relate to our own experiences.


Licking his lips can also be a sign of stress but if he's gagging it could be a hair ball you could try giving him some malt paste but if it continues I would take him to the vet just to check him out. I hope he's better soon. X


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## Madamzsazsa

He does it throughout the day... Sometimes it's big licks (usually after he's eaten), but then more frequent is the little licks, like what we would do when our lips are dry. Those are the ones that are worrying me. I mentioned them to the vet & she was the one to say about nausea. He probably is a bit stressed, what with the new kitten.


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## Ragdollsfriend

So how old is your kitty? What did the recent check up at the vet include? Was a blood test included? Or a urine sample?

My older cat used to lick her lips often during the day and it was because she felt nauseous. Sadly the real reason was an advancing chronic kidney disease


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## Madamzsazsa

He's just nine, his birthday was in September. Vet didn't do any blood tests or urine tests. She felt his abdomen & checked his ears, teeth etc - this was a wellness type check as part of his jabs. The only thing she found wrong with him was sore gums, which we have a paste for.


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## chillminx

Yes, you're right, licking the lips when they have NOT just eaten, is a sign of nausea. One of my cats who has IBD does it from time to time. 

Although in your cat it could be the sign of an underlying disease, it could also be caused by overproduction of stomach acid, which in turn is quite likely to be caused by stress from the new kitten. 

I find it helps to feed small meals often, rather than a few large meals. Also, choose foods which are lower in fat (check ingredients on manufacturers website) as they are more digestible for a delicate tum. I feed my boy 
the Vom Feinsten trays for neutered cats (Zooplus), and Lily's Kitchen which is lower in fat than some makes. 

Avoid giving your older cat any dry food, as it is always an issue as to whether the cat drinks enough fluids. If he is not drinking much because he is stressed, that it could also be a reason for him feeling nauseous and gagging.

Are you ensuring your older cat has plenty of time away from the new kitten, so he can relax completely and not be on edge all the time. This is especially important at night - they should be in separate rooms. But they should have several periods apart during the daytime too. 

Hopefully you have also provided your older cat with lots of high up places to sit, so he is out of the way of the kitten.


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## lorilu

I'm a little concerned about these "sore gums". What kind of paste and what is it for? Why didn't the vet recommend a dental? Poor dental health can lead to kidney disease among other things.

In addition to all of chillminx's excellent advice (feed canned only, give him free time away from kitten) I'd bring him back and get the blood work done, and talk to the vet about his "sore gums"


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## moggie14

I agree with Lorilu - he is at the age when health issues can sometimes arise. If he hasn't had bloods done recently I would recommend this as part of his health check. Also many cats require dentals at this age too - if there is an issue with his mouth or teeth I'd ask for a bit more information because if teeth need to come out there is little point treating sore gums


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## MinkyMadam

I've seen this before in several situations. Furball, dental problems and respiratory tract infection. Hope you get to the bottom of this one soon. Fingers crossed. X


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## Madamzsazsa

The paste is called Logic (I think, I don't have it to hand). It's designed to stick to the teeth and gums and help reduce plaque and bacteria. Problem with Hendrix is that he doesn't eat a great deal any way, he'd never eat a whole pouch of food. He's always tended to pick, and come back and forth for food, so getting new varieties into him is a nightmare. I've taken the dry food up, so neither he or the new kitten have had any today. Hopefully this will encourage the eating of wet food.

He's got plenty of high up places, but actually him and the kitten get on really well, they've been sharing bowls and swapping food since day three.

I'll get some hair ball paste tomorrow, hopefully that will make a difference to him. He does have a habit of eating fur!


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## jaycee05

Has he done this since using the logic paste, just wondering if its this makig him lick his lips, making them feel dry


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## chillminx

All cats swallow fur when grooming. Cats very often groom after eating, so it follows that any cat who throws up within an hour or so of eating is likely to have fur in their vomit. 

A hair ball is a matted mass of fur that the cat's stomach has been unable to break down and pass through into the intestine. As a result the cat throws it up. Often there's nothing else vomited except the fur ball which is dry and may be quite hard. 

If your cat has vomited an actual hair ball, i.e. a large matted ball of fur, whether on its own, or with partially digested food, then he may benefit from being treated with hairball paste. This need only usually arises with long haired cats. 

Anti-hairball paste should be used only when absolutely necessary as it contains petroleum, which can damage the lining of the intestines. 

If your cat is long haired and vomiting actual hairballs, then you need to groom him every day without fail, to give him the assistance he needs with his coat. Use a pin ball slicker brush and a detangler comb.

If your cat is short haired and has hairballs then it could be due to over grooming, or not grooming himself properly or regularly.

If he is over-grooming it may be due to stress, and you may want to do a bit of detective work to diagnose a possible cause of the stress, and then find a remedy.

If the problem is that he's not grooming himself regularly, then it may be due to the problem he has with his gums. If he does not groom as regularly as he should, then he'll get a build up of loose fur in his coat, so when he does groom he swallows more fur than his stomach can break down. Hence he vomits hairballs. 

If that is the case, then one dose of anti-hairball paste may help to shift things through. But from now on you should assist him with daily grooming, using a Zoom Groom brush, which is good at taking out loose fur on short haired cats, and a short-toothed mall comb (like a flea comb) to finish with.


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## hello_edie

Hmmm Edie has been doing this for the past 2–3 days, which is slightly unusual.


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## Sh N

Maya had this as soon as she came back from the cattery last week. She licked her lips, made smacking noises, looked super sick, ate a load of grass and chucked out the hairball. She's growing her summer coat, so I've upped her grooming sessions to twice a day.


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