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If you have a multi-cat household, you have likely seen your cats licking and grooming each other at some point. Also referred to as “allogrooming” (social grooming amongst members of the same species), cat owners generally chalk this behavior up as affectionate gestures or lending a helping hand in the pursuit of cleanliness. But it seems there are actually several other possibilities as to why cats lick and groom other cats. While friendliness and hygiene are amongst those, other reasons your cats may lick each other include reinforcing social bonds and affiliative relationships, maternal instincts, and providing social comfort or reducing tension, particularly in familiar or bonded individuals.
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other for Cleanliness?
Cats are well-known for their fastidious ways. They like being clean, and they spend a lot of time trying to get that way. But as flexible and twisty as cats may be, they can’t always reach all parts of their bodies for cleaning. Sometimes they need a little help (particularly when it comes to the neck and head area), which is when you’ll find another cat lending a hand.
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other as a Sign of Affection?
Sometimes your cats may lick each other as a way of simply saying, “Hey, you’re okay.” Much like dogs and their penchant for friendly licks, one cat licking and grooming another can be seen as a signal that they enjoy the other’s company. However, cats also have other ways of showing they like each other, such as rubbing against one another or headbutting. So, if your cats aren’t licking each other, it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t pals.
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other to Bond?
Similar to licking and grooming as a sign of affection is doing the same to enhance social bonds. Social grooming often occurs amongst cats who are related or ones who are quite familiar with one another (which means you won’t find your cats grooming a cat they don’t know). In fact, cats related by blood and cats who aren’t related but grew up together will maintain and reinforce social bonds via social grooming. By licking and grooming one another, your cats are also showing social tolerance and a positive affiliative relationship.
If one of your cats comes up to another to request grooming, they’re showing a certain level of vulnerability, which indicates trust. Finally, grooming each other allows your cats to exchange scents. Scenting, displaying social familiarity, and encouraging social bonds all help to bring your cats closer together. And if your cat licks you? It’s often a sign of affiliative behavior and social bonding toward you. In simple terms, you are a familiar and socially accepted individual!
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other Because of Maternal Instincts?
If you have a female cat who’s had kittens, you’ll know that the mother cat will groom the babies until they can do so on their own. This isn’t done just for the purpose of keeping the kittens clean; it also serves important functions such as stimulating elimination, maintaining hygiene, and supporting early development. Sometimes these instincts will hang around, so if your female cat has been a mother, she might lick and groom other cats as a way to engage in affiliative or care-related social behavior, particularly toward familiar individuals.
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other to Comfort the Sick?
Occasionally, you might see one of your cats licking another, but only in one spot. If that’s the case, you might consider taking the cat who is being licked to the vet. Cats have a strong sense of smell and can often pick up on changes in scent when another cat is ill or injured, although this isn’t always consistent. While all cats will have a different reaction to an ill companion, some may lick the sick cat as part of their normal social behavior or in response to these changes, rather than intentionally trying to provide comfort.
Do Cats Lick and Groom Each Other as a Show of Dominance?
According to scientific studies such as this one from 1998, a prominent reason cats lick and groom each other may be related to social relationships, although not necessarily dominance in the traditional sense. Cats have a social structure that is flexible and based more on familiarity, resource access, and social tolerance than strict dominance rankings.
The 1998 study found that cats with more socially confident or assertive roles were most often the ones who did the grooming. Plus, they usually did so from a position of standing or sitting, while the other cats were more often in a lying position of some kind. The study also found that cats who tended to be more on the aggressive side were often the ones doing the grooming. This led the scientists to believe that this grooming behavior might be a way to reduce tension or redirect arousal, in a manner other than fighting or other violent behaviors.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are several reasons cats lick and groom each other. Your cats may be telling each other that they like one another, engaging in normal social interactions, strengthening bonds, displaying maternal instincts, responding to changes in a companion’s scent or behavior, or simply helping each other stay clean. Whatever the reason, rest assured, it’s all a part of normal cat behavior.
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Featured Image Credit: Ilona Koeleman, Shutterstock
