Should your cat's nose be moist or dry?

The nose of a cat can be either moist or dry, and both states are quite normal. A cat’s nose has sweat glands that may be active or inactive at any particular time. Cats may also moisten their noses during licking and grooming. A dry nose tends to feel warm and a moist nose tends to feel cool (due to the evaporation of moisture at the surface).

A small amount of clear nasal discharge may also come out of a cat’s nostrils, wetting the exit point, but unless there is an infection or inflammation/irritation present, this is all that is normally seen.

Clients often ask if a warm dry nose means that their cat has a fever. The answer is no, because a cat with a normal body temperature may have a warm dry nose as well. On the other hand, a cat’s nose and ears may be warm during a fever episode. This is due to the dilation of tiny blood vessels near the surface which brings more blood close to the surface to assist with heat loss, thus helping to reduce the core body temperature.