For Cats, to Groom is to Love

by Rita Reimers, Cat Behavior Expert

Why Cats Bathe Each Other

My Morning Mewsings: This morning, Larry woke up, rolled over, and decided Simba needed a bath. At first, Simba seemed horrified, and his expression clearly said, “What are you doing?”

Then Simba quietly began washing his own paws as Larry continued the surprise spa treatment. Larry soon followed Simba’s lead and began grooming his own paws.

So, just why do cats bathe each other?

Funny as it was, moments like this reveal something important: when cats groom each other, they’re often communicating socially.

Why Cats Bathe Each Other

When cats lick one another, it can mean one, or more, of several things:

• Affection
• Bonding
• Comfort
• Tension relief
• Shared scent
• Sometimes even mild social control

Larry is a docile kitty, and he uses bathing Simba, a behavior called allogrooming, as a way to bond with him and show affection.

Simba, being the macho cat that he is, tolerated the attention because Larry poses no threat to Simba’s social position in the household.

When Grooming Between Cats Is Not Friendly

Not all grooming between cats is affectionate. If one cat pins another, the receiving cat tries to escape, ears flatten, tails lash, or grooming turns into biting, the interaction may reflect tension rather than bonding.

If conflict between your cats is becoming more frequent, read my Guide to Cat-on-Cat Aggression.

When Bathing is Unwelcome

Stay aware of your cats’ body language, especially if you notice grooming between cats who have never groomed each other before.

Watch for these signs:

• • pinning
  • ears back
  • tail lashing
  • grooming followed by biting
  • one cat trying to escape

If these signals appear regularly, the grooming may reflect tension rather than affection.

Friendly Grooming Between Cats

Grooming between cats is a social behavior in which cats clean one another to strengthen bonds, establish a common scent, and reduce stress. Because they often target hard-to-reach areas such as the head and neck, this ritual usually reflects trust and affection and is most common between closely bonded cats.

Many cats with a strong bond will take turns grooming one another, although it is also common for one cat to do most of the grooming while the other receives it.

n my own household, I have occasionally seen cats groom each other simultaneously, but more often I see one cat acting as the groomer while the other enjoys the attention.

Should You Bathe Your Cats

If you’ve lived with a cat, you know they are meticulous self-groomers, often spending many hours keeping themselves clean. You should only bath a cat under these circumstances:

• If something is on their fur that could be harmful if injested
• If a cat has fleas, he may need a flea bath
• He has some litter-box hitch hikers on his hind end

Hairless cats are a special exception to the No Bath Required guideline.  Breeds such as Sphinx and Devon Rex cats do regular baths to help regular their skin oils.