It is known that in dogs, the temperature and hydration of the nose are directly related to their state of health. Not everyone knows that in the representatives of the cat family, the color, temperature and dryness of the nasal mirror are also a kind of indicator of the state of the body.
Domestic cats have about 15 times more sense of smell than humans. This alone explains how important a clean and healthy animal nose is for its effective interaction with the outside world. In addition, according to some features, it is by the appearance of the cat's nose and its temperature that it can be determined that the animal is sick.
What should be the nose of a healthy cat?
Normally, this pet has a clean, cool, smooth and slightly damp nose. However, don't panic if you find your cat's nose is warm and dry. If the animal has recently woken up, has become nervous, or, on the contrary, has been busy for some time with active play, then the lobe of its nose heats up and becomes dry - in these conditions it is a kind of norm. If after a while the cat's nose remains hot and rough, then the temperature of the animal should be measured - if it is elevated, then perhaps your pet is sick and should be shown to the veterinarian.
An excessively cold nose of a cat should also make its owner alert. If, in addition to this, the color of the nose becomes noticeably paler than usual, then such a decrease in temperature may indicate poisoning, shock or systemic disease of the cat. In addition, a nose that is too cold to the touch may indicate that the cat has experienced severe hypothermia.
What does the color of a cat's nose indicate?
Initially, the pigmentation of the cat's nose depends on the color of the animal. In most cases, it is dyed in the same color as the fur on the animal's face, but a few shades darker. Some representatives of the feline family have so-called "moles" on the nose - pigment spots that can be more or less noticeable. With age, the skin on the nose, as well as on the pads of the animal's paws, may become darker - this is normal.
Of course, if your pet has a dark gray or black nose, then you can hardly judge the state of the animal's body by changing its color. However, in cats with light pink noses, a change in the pigmentation of this part of the muzzle allows one or another deviation from the norm to be diagnosed in a timely manner. For example, a bluish tint to the skin on an animal's nose may indicate a lack of oxygen or a pathology of the cardiovascular system. Redness of the nose should make an attentive owner suspect a mechanical injury to its surface, and may also be a consequence of too long exposure to the sun or a symptom of an allergy. Finally, a yellowish tinge to the nose is a sign of cat liver or kidney pathology.
