If you have multiple cats at home, you’ve probably seen it before. when he did, you no doubt smiled and said “aww!” Your parental pride skyrocketed when one cat started licking and grooming the other. so why do cats groom each other? Let’s take a closer look at this behavior.
why do cats groom each other? Let’s talk grooming.
before we start answering the question, “why do cats groom each other?” Let’s learn about this feline behavior. scientists call this adorable behavior grooming. but why do cats groom each other? our human intuition tells us that this can be a sign of affection between our cats, but it is not that simple. it is complex enough that scientists have studied grooming behaviors in domestic cats, lions, primates, and many other species.
in a 2016 study called sociality in cats: a comparative review published in the journal of veterinary behaviour, researchers from the university of bristol in the uk. discovered that grooming is one of the three ways that cats express cohesion in colonies. the other two ways are rubbing and transmitting scent signals.
why do cats groom each other? a social bond.
in a 2004 study, social organization in the cat: a modern understanding, researchers from the university of georgia observed feline social interactions in colonies of free-living cats. noted that grooming occurs between cats that already have a social bond. cats outside the colony are not grooming recipients unless they are integrated into the colony. in other words, cats aren’t going to brush another cat they don’t know, which makes perfect sense. but there is more than that.
Researchers observed that grooming recipients tend to be very cooperative, tilting and/or turning their heads to provide access to the groomer, often while purring. cats may solicit grooming from another cat by approaching the other cat, flexing the neck, exposing the top of the head or the back of the neck. this just happens to be part of their bodies that cats can’t groom themselves easily, so this request could be motivated by a practical need for help in the bathroom department.
why do cats groom each other? it is not necessarily reciprocal.
another interesting point to think about when asking “why do cats groom each other?” the researchers also noted that cats that are more closely bonded tend to participate in grooming and that it may or may not be reciprocated. They gave a specific example of a female cat with two of her adult kits. each cat groomed the other two cats over the course of several minutes and they took turns helping each other with their bathroom needs.
We can best learn how to treat our own cats by understanding grooming between cats in the colony, because these relationships carry over into their relationships with humans. so when we pet and scratch our cats head and neck, we are in a sense grooming them in an area where they would normally groom each other. You may have noticed that cats like it when their humans pet them on the head and neck. but we also pet cats on other areas of their bodies that are not normally groomed during grooming. this could be a contributing factor in petting-induced aggression, the researchers concluded.
why do cats groom each other? it has to do with higher rank.
a 1998 british study from the university of southampton called grooming function in domestic cats (felis silvestris catus) also noted that alogroomers generally groomed the head and neck area. these researchers also observed that higher-ranking cats groomed lower-ranking cats more than the other way around. alloroomers also adopted taller postures, that is, standing or sitting upright, while alloroomees were sitting or prostrate.
and alloroomers displayed offensive behavior more frequently than alloroomees, especially after grooming the other cat. groomers often groomed after grooming the other cat. the researchers hypothesized that grooming may be a way to redirect potential aggression when displays of aggression may be too costly. in other words, the cat shows dominance by grooming the other cat instead of starting a fight where someone could get hurt.
why do cats groom each other? a maternal instinct could be at play.
Another thing to keep in mind when thinking, “why do cats groom each other?” when the kittens are born, they meet their mother’s tongue. kittens depend on their mothers for everything, including bathing. this behavior is both a sign of affection and protection on the part of their mothers.
Queens clean their babies immediately after they are born, because the odors associated with birth could attract predators. By the age of 4 weeks, kittens can bathe themselves and will spend up to 50 percent of their lives keeping themselves clean.
so why do cats groom each other?
judging by the research, it appears to be a sign of social acceptance and connection. cats do not groom themselves or solicit grooming from strangers. Because it’s usually the head and neck, a part of their body they can’t reach on their own, grooming might be motivated by a practical need for help with bathing.
Cats learn behavior from their mothers, so maternal instinct likely plays a role. grooming might even display a social hierarchy: dominance for the groomer and submission for the groomer. even if the grooming is motivated by aggression, it is tempered by a social bond reserved for friends and family.
about the author
Author and editor Susan Logan-Mccracken shares her home with her husband, Mark, and two long-haired red tabby house cats, Maddie and Sophie.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in catster magazine. Have you seen the new Catster print magazine in stores? or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Click here to subscribe to catster and have the bi-monthly magazine delivered to your home.
read more about cat behavior on catster.com:
- Does your cat feed on itself, blankets or other objects? should you worry?
- Is your cat looking at you? what it means in cat language
- depression in cats: signs, causes and how to treat it
