My cat started licking things, what does it mean?

[bernkastel]

My cats 16 years old and over the past few months he's gotten this really weird (and slightly annoying) habit of licking the wardrobe in the corner of my room,he also licks part of the frame for the bathroom, haven't seen him lick other than those two places, both are wood.

Is this a sign of medical problems? Does he need more enrichment? (I try to provide it but he never seems interested, even as a kitten he was never very playful)

Does he need more sunlight maybe? It's probably a weird question but I know we live in a basement and it can be pretty dark down here, though I try to take him upstairs and sit with him on the upstairs couch when its sunny. (though it's winter here so there's not much sunlight to be had atm...)

I guess for more details on the cat, he's mixed breed (likely part maine coon), very quiet and skittish, generally sleeps a lot since he started getting older, eats regularly (and like a horse) drinks a lot of water

We got him at about 6 months from a rescue, he had previously been feral. 

He was taken to the vet recently as well and his bill of health is perfect minus being a little overweight, so I don't think it's medical?

He's also had a lifelong issue with vomiting after meals sometimes, so we got him a slowfeeder so he can't inhale it and it's helped massively (though sometimes he pushes a bunch out at once and inhales it... and makes himself sick .-.)

But has anyone else had experience with this? I feel weird having a 16 year old cat and not knowing a whole lot, but he was/is my first cat so I'm not terribly experienced, especially with older cats (anything important I should know about old meows in general?)

Also is there anything I can do/get to discourage the licking? 

I really don't know what to do here, especially because the vet said he's a-ok

 

[pinkdagger]

I've read that excessive licking of objects has been associated with anemia, and that's been my experience as well. Our older cat (~11 years) has always licked things excessively. In fact, this morning I woke up to the sound of him licking the plastic hamper voraciously, and then he meandered over to the bed, licked us, and then went to lick the plastic garbage can before going back to the hamper. His last blood test did show anemia, so if he didn't have a blood test or a geriatric blood panel recently, that can be something to look into.

Especially if it's developed over time and wasn't something he's been doing from the start, that's something I would consider.

 

[bernkastel]

I'll definitely look into it, unfortunately I don't really have the money for a vet visit atm (should in a month or so though hopefully)

On the chance that it is anemia, is there anything that can be done to help or is it just sort of a diagnose and leave be sort of thing? Does diet change help at all? (I've been meaning to look into better foods anyways so)

 

[pinkdagger]

It's not uncommon for it to be associated with a dietary deficiency, just like in people. Vets can supplement for it, but I would wait on definitive diagnosis before adding any supplements that may make a cat sick if unnecessary. Oversupplementing is possible, and not everything is water-soluble to be excreted if it doesn't get used. It'll depend on what deficiency they have (if it is a deficiency) and how low their red blood cells are. On the other end, cats with kidney disease can also be anemic because healthy kidneys help kick out more red blood cells too, and kidney disease is unfortunately common in cats.

In our case, it was probably the latter that caused our cat's anemia. Keeping the kidneys in good working order will help in any case, though treatment of the anemia itself will vary. If you can, add water to his food (ideally not dry food - if that gets left out and is moist, bacteria can grow faster) and offer him foods that are species appropriate, high in animal proteins and low in plant proteins. Proteins that aren't species-appropriate make the body work harder to digest them and you want to make it as easy on him as possible.

 

[lvmygrdn]

 
 Proteins that aren't species-appropriate make the body work harder to digest them and you want to make it as easy on him as possible.

I'm not Bernkastel but was curious about your statement. Do you mean proteins they wouldn't eat in the wild?

 

[pinkdagger]

Proteins like plant-based ones are my primary concern because they're often used in commercial foods (usually kibble), but unlike in non-obligate carnivores, cats' bodies don't have much of a use for them. Since kidneys do waste filtering too, it makes no sense to me to put food into a cat's body that is just going to run through as waste anyway. Especially in aging cats, anything we can do to keep kidney function running smoothly is a benefit.

 

[lvmygrdn]

Proteins like plant-based ones are my primary concern because they're often used in commercial foods (usually kibble), but unlike in non-obligate carnivores, cats' bodies don't have much of a use for them. Since kidneys do waste filtering too, it makes no sense to me to put food into a cat's body that is just going to run through as waste anyway. Especially in aging cats, anything we can do to keep kidney function running smoothly is a benefit.

Oh duh, I forgot about pea protein and the like. It makes perfect sense. Thank you for clarifying and jogging my brain cells.

 

[anne with cats]

I so agree with pinkdagger! My cat had CRF and was very anemic towards the end (although he lived to be 20 years old!) But if your cat is now considered a senior, that would be something to look into. Maybe you can get some pet tinic or whatever vitamin supplement that would increase iron. Maybe a little bit of raw calves liver or chicken liver, which has really high values (organic if possible, raw) although not too much, as liver can over load on vitamin A. or call vet to see what they suggest or could possibly sell you.

 

[sandra lynn]

When my cat does this ( I have two cats and only one does it) I pick her up and scratch her head (all of her claws were removed), which she loves, and she forgets about licking things. So, I think she just wants attention.