A visitor asks: I have one cat that likes to chew on my hair while I’m sleeping; why? There are two reasons as I see it. Grooming – specifically ‘allogrooming’ When one cat grooms another it is called allogrooming. This … please continue reading
Domestic cats lick their fur when it is not on them i.e. not a part of their coat, indicating an instinctive behaviour. If you groom a domestic cat’s coat, keep a small bundle of fur and offer it to your … please continue reading
It looks like a love-hate relationship but something else very feline is probably going on. The cat being groomed did not nothing wrong but the grooming cat becomes irritated and smacks him/her for no apparent reason. There is probably ‘history’ … please continue reading
Allogrooming refers to one cat grooming another. Between adult cats, especially if they have grown up together, mutual grooming is primarily about cementing friendly relations with each other and not really about mutual hygiene. This is why domestic cats like … please continue reading
A domestic cat’s saliva does not contain shampoo-like substances. It does not act like a shampoo. It contains bacteria and it also contains certain enzymes which encourages blood to clot and wounds to heal (I am told). It also contains … please continue reading
‘Allogrooming’ means social grooming between members of the same species. The origin of the word comes from ‘allo’ which in ancient Greek means ‘different’ or ‘other’. So it means grooming another animal. One interpretation of allogrooming holds that it is … please continue reading
Apparently, only one study has tried to elucidate what is going on when a cat grooms (licks) another, which as you might know is called allogrooming. The study took place in 1998 (van den Bos). The study concerned an indoor … please continue reading
In general, we should allow our cat to choose how much we caress and stroke him or her. There can be a tendency to over do it. Or there can be a tendency for cat caretakers to pet their cat … please continue reading
This is going to be a fun article about my cats, past and present, who enjoy the fine art of grooming each other (and dogs). I’m fortunate enough to live in a cat household where watching the cats groom each … please continue reading
I have always said the obvious, that cats see us as giant cats. All the signs are there: kneading us for milk, licking us, then we stroking them back, scent exchanging and so on. John Bradshaw who wrote Cat Senses … please continue reading
