Dr. Meow Meow
Prof. Pet Studies (Veterinarian)
You've seen it countless times—your cats, usually content in their separate corners, come together to groom each other. One reaches out a paw, brushing it softly over the other's fur, before they engage in a mutual, gentle grooming session.
A comforting sight, isn't it? But have you ever paused to wonder why they engage in this behaviour? Why do creatures known for their independent nature share such a personal moment?
Why do cats groom each other?" is an excellent question that has more than one possible answer. We went on a research adventure, seeking actual scientific studies that looked into the question.
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Posted on May,23 2024
In feline parlance, grooming refers to the act of a cat licking its coat, commonly known as washing or cleaning.
When a cat extends this behaviour to a companion—be it another cat, a dog, or even a human—it's called Allogrooming, a scientific term for social grooming. Allogrooming can be reciprocal, where both creatures participate in grooming each other.
Interesting, isn't it? But cats aren't the only ones who engage in this social activity.
Bees, birds, horses, bats, monkeys, and even humans partake in Allogrooming, highlighting its universal nature across species.
While self-grooming is an obviously hygienic behaviour, there is actually a debate about whether that is a motivation when grooming each other as well.
After all, cats who don't share their household with other cats do just fine with self-grooming. The head and neck are areas of the cat that cannot be easily reached.
Any cat owner has likely noticed that cats cannot lick these areas directly, but our nifty kitties have found a solution: They will wet their paws and use them to clean their heads and necks!
Could it be that the help of a feline friend has some benefits in the hygiene department?
Maybe cats appreciate having another cat help with their washing and grooming routine. It's certainly possible!
According to the study, cats would actively seek out grooming from others they chose to more closely associate with. A cat wanting to be groomed by another would approach the target cat and flex its neck, encouraging the other cat to groom him there.
Those who were groomed without actively seeking it still cooperated, moving their heads and chins to allow further access to the groomer.
This grooming was accompanied by other friendly signals such as holding the tail vertically to the ground, rubbing their tails against one another, or even curling their tails together.
In fact, cats were most likely to engage in grooming behaviours when they both expressed these friendly gestures in their interactions.
The grooming was sometimes reciprocated so that both parties took turns receiving the attention, but not always.
