As a cat owner, you’ve probably witnessed your feline friends engaging in a peculiar behavior – licking each other.
It’s a common sight in multi-cat households, and even in single-cat homes, you may catch your cat licking their reflection or a stuffed animal. But have you ever wondered why cats exhibit this behavior?
Why Do Cats Lick Each Other – 7 Possible Reasons:
1. Grooming and Hygiene
Licking is an essential part of a cat’s grooming routine. Mother cats lick their kittens to clean them, remove dirt and debris, and stimulate blood flow. As adult cats, they continue this behavior to maintain their coat’s health and cleanliness. When cats lick each other, they’re extending this grooming behavior to their feline companions, helping to remove dirt, parasites, and even heal wounds.
2. Social Bonding and Affection
Cats are social animals, and licking is a way for them to show affection and strengthen their bond with each other. By licking each other’s faces, heads, and necks, cats are displaying a sign of trust and friendship. This behavior is often seen between mothers and their kittens, as well as between adult cats that have a close relationship.
3. Marking and Scent Exchange
Cats have scent glands located on their faces, near their cheeks and lips. When they lick each other, they deposit their scent on each other’s fur, which helps to create a sense of familiarity and belonging. This scent exchange is especially important in multi-cat households, as it allows cats to recognize each other as part of the same social group.
4. Stress Relief and Comfort
Licking can be a calming and soothing behavior for cats. When they’re feeling stressed or anxious, they may lick themselves or their feline companions to release tension and find comfort. This behavior is often seen in cats that are experiencing changes in their environment, such as a new pet or person in the home.
5. Health and Wellness
Licking can also be a sign of health issues in cats. For example, if a cat is excessively licking themselves or others, it may be a sign of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even gastrointestinal problems. On the other hand, licking can also be a way for cats to self-soothe and calm themselves, especially during times of stress or illness.
6. Instinctual Behavior
In the wild, cats often groom each other as a way to remove parasites and debris from their coats. This behavior is instinctual, and domesticated cats have retained this trait as a way to maintain their coat’s health and cleanliness. Even if your cat doesn’t have any visible dirt or debris on their fur, they may still engage in this behavior as a way to satisfy their natural instincts.
7. Learning and Imitation
Cats are intelligent animals that learn from each other. If you have multiple cats in your household, they may learn to lick each other by observing and imitating each other’s behavior. This is especially true for kittens, who learn by watching their mother and other adult cats in the household.
Conclusion
Cats lick each other for a variety of reasons, including grooming and hygiene, social bonding and affection, marking and scent exchange, stress relief and comfort, health and wellness, instinctual behavior, and learning and imitation. By understanding these reasons, you can better appreciate the complex social dynamics at play in your multi-cat household. So the next time you catch your cats licking each other, remember that it’s not just a quirky behavior – it’s a sign of their deep affection and connection with each other.