I have used the word “allogrooming” a lot. I discovered the word many years ago in writing articles for this website. You would not normally use it because it’s rather an unusual word. As you probably know it describes the … continue reading…
You will see quite a lot of this: domestic cats grooming their human caregiver not only on their hand or their arm but also on their head. It is clearly impractical because the hair on a human’s head is far … continue reading…
When your cat licks your hair, she is allogrooming you. From her perspective your hair is unnaturally long. It makes the allogrooming process almost impossible which is why she struggles. However, she is licking you as another cat with normal-length … continue reading…
We don’t know everything that there is to know about domestic cat behaviour. That is the first point to make. Please don’t expect clean, definitive answers to every question about cat behaviour. This is one of those instances in my … continue reading…
Why do domestic cats lick each other? The answer is the one you’re thinking about! It is a social exchange that can follow the friendly tail-up greeting. Mutual licking between cats is called allogrooming. Incidentally, the word, as you might … continue reading…
I have my own answer on this but before I put pen to paper I decided to do a bit of research but couldn’t find a decent answer. Lots of words written but no clarity and really no definitive answer. … continue reading…
The best way to communicate with domestic cats is through your entire body language coupled with touch. Body language and gentle petting (stroking normally) is a language which domestic cats understand very well. Speaking to cats can also help but … continue reading…
This very fundamental question is asking whether cat owners/guardians they should let their cat lick them as a matter of course. The answer must be a very positive, Yes. In fact, it is essential that cat guardians allow their cats … continue reading…
Is it all right to let my cat lick my face? You have to answer the question from the point of view of both the human who is asking the question and the cat who is doing the licking. There … continue reading…
“Why does a cat lick me?” was a genuine question years ago. But 15 years of the cat internet and people have learned what it means. And what it means is what it looks like: domestic cats lick their human … continue reading…
I have presumed that she is nibbling his ear. It looks like that. I do see pleasure on his face. There is the faintest of smiles and there should be because it is very loving. This is a real sign … continue reading…
When cats groom each other it is called ‘allogrooming’ by scientists. It is essentially a bonding behavior which is what it looks like. Humans also engage in social grooming. It can happen after two cats greet each other with the … continue reading…
A visitor asks: I have one cat that likes to chew on my hair while I’m sleeping; why? There are three possible reasons as I see it. Yes, one more than in the title! Grooming – specifically ‘allogrooming’ When one … 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 … 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’ … continue reading…
