Why Does My Cat’s Nose Get Wet When Purring?

Having a cat at home means an unlimited amount of love and purring from the cat.

When your cat purrs while being petted, it’s the sign that she loves it. And that, of course, makes you want to pet them more.

But, why does your kitty’s nose get wet when it’s purring?

This basically happens because the skin on your cat’s nose is hairless. The sweat glands act up when the cat is purring. Since there is no hair to cover it, the nose gets wet. This phenomenon is totally natural and nothing to worry about.

Read below to clear any confusion you may have and get a proper direction to your thoughts.

What does a wet nose do

It’s a great feeling knowing that your pet is enjoying the petting and wants you to keep going. Stretching the back body, raising the tail up high are other ways of the cat saying, “keep petting me!”  At this time you may also hear your kitty purr with joy.

Apart from this, the wetness on the cat’s nose is a natural phenomenon. It helps the cat in multiple things. However, extreme wetness is not healthy. It could be a possible indicator of few diseases the cat might be suffering from.  In this case, a vet must be consulted immediately.

How is the wet nose helpful?

The wet nose occurs due to sweat glands present in the nasal area of the kitty. Some of the advantages of a wet nose would be:

  • Regulation of body temperature
  • A better sense of smell

These are the two main areas where the wet nose of the kitty comes handy. They are further described below.

Regulation of body temperature

In the summer season, the nose could be helpful in cooling down the body temperature of the cat. The whole body can’t do that as there is a large amount of fur on it but the nose doesn’t. The excess water is evaporated from the nose skin. Hence, cooling down the body temperature.

A better sense of smell

I know this might sound a little strange, but, it’s true in the case of felines. When the nose is wet, the smell particles stick to it and help the cat recognize them the next time the same smell happens to be present.

Did you know?

The smelling sense of a cat is so strong that it can easily tell if its owner has touched another cat and petted them. Cats recognize their own scent on their owner’s hands. And when they smell something different, they know immediately that another cat has been touched.

Why Do Cats Purr?

Why the nose get extremely wet?

Excessive wetness of the nose for a long period of time indicates that something is not fine. This is how the cat’s body works. It shows symptoms that are related to other diseases the kitty might be suffering from..

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Not only some other diseases, but it could also be due to bacterial infections as well. These infections need to be treated right away so that they don’t ruin the kitty’s health more than they have already done. The different types of infections or illnesses that could cause an extremely wet nose are:

  • Upper respiratory congestion
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • lethargy
  • Minimal appetite
  • Sneezing
  • Production of discharge

All of these things could be going on in your kitty’s body and they have to be treated as soon as possible.

Dry nose could also be a problem

Contrary to an extremely wet nose, an excessively dry nose could also turn out to be a problem. If the kitty’s nose is awfully dried up and hasn’t been wet the whole day, this could be risky. Either this or sudden dryness on the nose after a damp situation is also not a good sign.

Similarly, in this condition too, a visit to the vet is mandatory. Of course, along with an unlimited amount of care and love from your side to your cat. However, this condition isn’t as dreadful as the presence of bacteria or infections on the nose.

Here’s an awesome Cat Mate Water Fountain from chewy so your cat can get access to clean and fresh water and always stay hydrated.

The excessive dryness on the nose of the kitty could also be due to dehydration as there’s less water in the body and none to evaporate. Therefore, a dish of fresh water at room temperature should always be kept with the cat’s food bowl.

In both of the conditions, the extreme wetness or dryness, the kitty needs to be checked thoroughly for any kind of diseases it might be suffering from.

Here is a video that might help you more for the given text:

Meeting with the nose

In the cat’s world, they meet and greet with their noses. The right way to meet another human or another cat is with their nose. The nose sniffs for food or danger and decides if the human or cat is good enough to maintain a relationship with.

Nose to Nose meeting (cat to cat)

When two cats meet each other they interact with a nose to nose sniff. This is a way of inquiring about how the other cat is doing. They greet one and another this way to make sure if they are both the same breed and, if not, how different they are from each other. This is the friendliest way of greeting and not at all threatening.

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To learn more about how two cats meet each other watch this video

Nose to Finger meeting (cat to human)

Cats tend to adopt cautious behavior when meeting a human for the first time until they are sure that it’s safe to be around them or not. So, while meeting your cat for the first time, sit down quietly and raise a finger at the cat’s level.

In this scenario, the finger is a nose substitute and allows the cat to sniff it and decide if it’s safe space. If the cat feels safe, it will rub its cheek against your finger. That’s when you know the kitty feels safe, but, if it doesn’t feel safe it shall go away.

Nose to Nose meeting to Humans

Truly, it’s your luck playing here. Receiving wet nose kisses from your kitty is an amazing sign of affection from them. Of course, there would be some sniffing around as the cat has to make up its mind for you.

FAQs

Is it bad to kiss your cat on the nose?

It won’t be suitable to kiss the kitty on the mouth or the nose as you don’t know where the cat has been. Hence, it’s best to avoid kissing the cat there.

Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?

Cats are afraid of cucumbers because they assume it’s a predator and they get scared when the danger sneaks up to them without any noise.

Why does my cat touch me with her paw?

Cats touch their owners with their paws to show how much they love and adore them.

What do cats think when we kiss them?

It’s different for them as they don’t usually kiss. The cat can’t recognize human love from a kiss. Also, cats don’t understand your love with voice and touch.

Do cats answer to their name?

One study suggests that cats respond to their name and even recognize the sound of their name as they think that’s the time when they get treated with food or a trip.

Conclusion

As shown above, a cat’s nose plays a vital role in its life. It indicates the health conditions of the kitty. Not only that but it also serves as a tool for expressing love they have for their favourite humans. If the nose is excessively wet the kitty is sick, but, if the nose is just the usual amount of wet it’s the sweat.

The unusual dryness on the nose could be a sign of illness as well and it needs to be reported to the vet immediately. In addition to this, cats also meet other cats and humans with nose greeting. They have to sniff for the danger before they get too friendly.

Photo of author

Nadine Oraby

My name is Nadine; I am a passionate writer and a pet lover. People usually call me by the nickname “Joy” because they think that I am a positive and joyful person who is a child at heart. My love for animals triggered me to create this blog. Articles are written by vets, pet experts, and me. Thanks for visiting. Your friend, Nadine!

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