WHY DO MY CATS GROOM EACH OTHER?

Have you ever wondered why your cats groom each other? Cats that are bonded sometimes show sweet displays of affection toward each other, like grooming. They'll lick and bite each other, clean the other's fur, and spend a lot of time making sure the other cat is purrrfectly clean. This type of grooming is a good sign—it means your cats are friends.

Cats That Groom Each Other Are Typically Bonded Friends

If cats groom each other, it generally means they really like each other. In feral communities, cats only groom other cats within their colony.1 This same idea translates into the lives of indoor cats, too.

Cats that don't get along or have territorial issues will rarely lie close together and groom each other. Sometimes cats can be so territorial and suspicious of each other that they'll start fighting if one accidentally touches the other cat's paw. It's a good sign if your cats enjoy being in each

 other's personal space. Even if they bite each other a little while grooming, it's still perfectly normal.2 Grooming just means they're friends. (This is why, by the way, your cat might try to groom you, too.)

Mutual Grooming Can Help Your Cat Clean a Hard-to-Reach Place

You might notice that when one cat grooms the other cat, it's typically on areas like the top of the cat's head, face, or ears. Those areas are tougher to reach, so they're helping each other out.3

Mother cats clean their newborns to help them breathe, and later on to help them learn how to groom themselves. So grooming starts as an affectionate way for a mother to help her kittens. Perhaps that is why adult cats continue the tradition with other cats they trust.

Can Cat Grooming Be a Sign of Dominance?

Even though cats only groom each other if they're friends, it can also be a sign of dominance. Researchers have found that cats that are "higher-ranking" in a colony are more likely to groom the lower-ranking cats, just like a mother grooms her kittens.4