Having more than 200-million scent receptors, a cat’s nose plays a paramount role in helping them navigate the world. While feline noses can be wet or dry, both are perfectly healthy, a wet nose enhances many sensing abilities for your furry friend. Depending on the time of the day, whether they were recently sleeping, or many other health and environmental factors, below we detail why your cat’s nose may be wet or dry.

What Does a Wet Cat Nose Mean?

Contrary to popular belief, a cat having a wet nose doesn’t automatically indicate that they’re healthy, rather a wet nose can be caused by an assortment of different environmental and physical factors. For example:

• Drinking Water: It’s common for cats to get their noses wet while rehydrating.
• Licking: In an act that usually follows after they drink, cat’s lick to retain the bit of water that may still be on their nose. Feline’s lick around their snouts often for a variety of reasons, which may explain why your cat’s nose is wet.
• Environment: Cat’s sweat from just a few places on their bodies, with their nose being one of them. In warm weather, your cat may have a wet nose in a process meant to cool them down and expel warmth. Cold weather, however, can actually dry your feline’s nose, which sometimes leads to cracked and uncomfortable conditions for your cat.
• Upper Respiratory Infection: Cats are susceptible to various kinds of upper respiratory infections. If your furry friend catches an infection, they can develop symptoms such as runny eyes, coughing, sneezing, and a runny wet nose.

Now that we’ve established why your cat’s nose might be wet, what are some of the benefits of having a wet nose? A cat’s nasal passages hosts a thin layer of wet mucus that’s essential to them trapping and smelling scent particles. Which may explain why cats with wet noses are generally hungrier than those with dry noses as they have a heightened appetite. Additionally, when cat’s lick their nose, it’s not just to clean their nose or to retain some extra water. In fact, cats have a specialized organ in their mouth called a Vomeronasal Organ that helps them detect faint scents and pheromones from the world around them.

What Does a Dry Cat Nose Mean?

Before jumping to the conclusion that your cat may be sick, below are some common reasons why they may have a dry nose:

• Dehydration: Cats are known to rarely drink water, so make sure your furry friend has a running water fountain to rehydrate from.
• Cold Air: Cold temperatures can lead to a dry feline nose.
• Direct Sunlight: While’s it’s true that warmth can make a cat’s nose wet with sweat, direct sunlight on your feline’s face can actually dry out their snout.
• It’s Normal for Your Cat: All cats are different, and certain feline’s with a dry nose are perfectly healthy.

In addition to the reasons above, sometimes dry feline noses are a sign of health issues. If you notice your cat acting lethargic, vomiting, sneezing, or having a loss of appetite, you should contact your veterinarian immediately to determine if they’re experiencing a serious health problem.

Ensure Optimal Feline Health

For an optimum diet, and to ensure premium nose health, be sure to sprinkle a scoop of Dr. Bill’s Feline Ultimate Fitness & Health on their food every day. Feline Fitness & Health is a delicious, concentrated nutritional powder, scientifically formulated to provide a balanced blend of 50-nutrients that support optimum fitness and health in growing, physically mature, and senior cats. Designed to promote a strong, lean body, a healthy immune system, a balanced digestive tract, flexible joints, plus healthy eye, heart, nose, and brain function. Feline Fitness & Health is safe for growing and adult cats of all ages.