Why dont my cats groom each other

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cats groom and then fight when they have gone from one bonding activity, grooming, to another, playing. The fighting is a result of cats letting out some energy and having fun with one another. The fighting can turn aggressive and also include biting. This behavior does not usually cause concern. 

There are actually many reasons why cats groom then fight. It could be territorial, or even the cats getting used to each other if they haven’t been around each other much. We’ll dive into some of the more unusual behaviors you’ll see and ways you can help prevent it. 

Interested in checking out the best litter boxes for cats? You can find them by clicking here#ad

Why Do Cats Groom Each Other And Then Bite

Cats groom each other and then bite because they are communicating with each other. 

One of the first things I learned is that mutual grooming in cats is called allogrooming. Allogrooming is typical to wild and domesticated cats, occurs between cats of both genders, and is common among cats that have been fixed and cats that haven’t.

There’s something about grooming that is both very natural to cats and very soothing. Much like a bath or a good massage can feel good to us, grooming feels good to cats.

But if allogrooming feels good, why is it so common for one cat to bite the other after a grooming session?

Well, the most common reason is pretty simple. Biting is a communicative expression for cats, and it’s not always meant to be aggressive. Most of the time, when one cat bites another after a grooming session, that cat is saying, ‘I’m done now.’

It’s the same kind of behavior your cat might display if you were petting them for just a little too long. The bite is a way of letting their grooming partner know that they are slightly overstimulated and need to stop.

That’s not the only reason a cat might bite another cat while grooming, though.

Boredom is another common reason. Your cat might be trying to initiate play through biting if they’re bored or feeling cooped up. Watch your cats and see if the biting stops or if one cat seems to be egging the other on. If they’re trying to get the other cat to engage with them more, chances are your cat is bored and trying to play.

The last common reason cats bite during or after grooming is if they have different hair lengths. It’s relatively common for shorthaired cats to try and bite long-haired cat’s fur while grooming if they get overwhelmed by the length or are trying to remove a matt or a tangle.

Why Does My Cat Lick And Then Attack My Other Cat

Licking followed by a more aggressive attack might seem a little more concerning than grooming followed by biting, at least at first glance. After all, most cats will only groom other cats that they genuinely like.

But just a lick followed by pouncing on the other cat? Or batting, or even just a bite, can look very different.

This is another form of play between cats. You can think of the lick as being a greeting or a way of establishing that the next behavior is meant to be friendly and all in good fun. After all, kittens play together all the time, and even adult wild cats will occasionally play with other cats, assuming they’ve met before.

Play is just a natural part of cat behavior, and a lot of cat play uses the same muscles and instincts as fighting or hunting. That’s why cat playtime can look like a furious wrestling match to humans, especially when one or both cats are a little vocal while playing.

Why Would Two Cats Suddenly Start Fighting

There are a lot of reasons for cats to start fighting suddenly. After all, cats can be relatively solitary animals. Even when they do associate with other cats, like the feral cat pods you see in the wild, they only tend to associate with cats that they’ve known for a long time or are directly related to.

Generally, the most common reason for cats that have known each other for a while to start fighting is simply that they startled one another. Cats tend to react to surprise with aggressive body language and behavior.

Cats can also start fighting if one is pushing the other’s boundaries too far or if they are very excited by something. Sometimes introducing a new toy or treats can temporarily cause fights.

Do Cats Hurt Each Other When They Play Fight?

Cats do not hurt each other when they play fight, however aggressive play fights can lead to unwanted injuries fo your pet.

Fortunately, most play fighting passes without incident. Even if your cats are biting and using unsheathed claws while playing (which is more common for younger cats and cats that are easily excited), they are usually protected by their fur.

However, cats can injure one another during play accidentally. Eyes and ears are particularly vulnerable.

Usually, play injuries aren’t severe, but it’s still important to contact your vet if you notice that your cat is squinting or has signs of another injury after playing. Small scratches should be monitored closely to make sure they don’t become infected while healing.

Do Cats Groom Each Other as a Sign of Affection?

Yes! Grooming among cats is a sign of trust and affection. It’s something cats can do that feels good, but it also puts them in a relatively vulnerable and relaxed position among predators that translates to a good relationship and a lot of trust.

Once your cats trust each other enough to groom, you can be confident that they have a good relationship. It’s also more likely that your cats will be able to make up and go back to being friends if they ever get into a fight in the future.

Is Cat Grooming A Sign Of Dominance?

Yes, grooming is a sign of dominance. It’s also a sign of affection since two cats that don’t like each other won’t attempt to groom one other, but the kind of grooming and who gives and who receives grooming are expressions of dominance.

In allogrooming, when two or more cats are grooming one another, the more dominant cat is likely the cat that does more grooming. The cat that receives grooming is usually less dominant.

In cats where the relationship is incredibly close, like littermates, it may be hard to tell which cat is the more dominant. That may be because closer cat relationships sometimes have less of a social pecking order.

How To Stop Cats From Fighting

The most important thing is to separate the cats. If you can’t get close without risking an injury, cover your arms with oven mittens, a towel, or a thick coat and separate your cats. It’s probably best to lock them in separate rooms to give them some time to cool down.

It’s also important to check your cat for injuries after a fight. Contact your vet if you find or suspect anything more severe than a shallow scratch.

This is where it gets tricky.

After both cats have been cared for and had a couple of days to cool down, you need to start reintroducing them. Putting them in rooms next to each other to sniff and interact under the door is an excellent first step. Try putting towels, toys, and cat beds in each room and then trading them. Trading scents this way is kind of like a cat handshake, and it’s an excellent way to start getting them used to one another.

If you have a way to keep your cats separated but can see one another, that can be another good way to re-socialize them.

Calming treats, medication from your vet, or happy cat pheromone products can also help keep both cats calm and relaxed during the first few interactions after a fight.

Unfortunately, there’s no sure-fire solution, and sometimes cats don’t get along. Talk to your vet for advice on managing fighting cats and cats that don’t get along together.

Cats are fastidious animals. As such, it should not come as a surprise that they spend a substantial chunk of their waking hours grooming themselves and each other.

But for cats and other social animals, grooming is not merely an act of keeping themselves clean and pest-free. More than that, there are social aspects involved in grooming.

Why only one cat grooms the other

If you have two cats and only one cat does all the grooming, it means that the groomer is establishing his dominance over the other feline. Even in larger groups, higher ranking cats perform most of the grooming while the lower ranking cats get groomed more often.

Social hierarchy is also evident in the posture of cats during grooming. Dominant cats keep their postures erect while allogrooming. The cats that are being groomed, on the other hand, display signs of submission like sitting.

Another sign that allogrooming reinforces social hierarchies is the fact that the cats that do most of the grooming often display aggressive behavior toward the cats they groom. 

That is not necessarily a bad thing. This is because aggression is channeled from something harmful into something more socially acceptable.

That is not to say that your two cats will not fight each other. In fact, it is not unusual for grooming sessions to turn into play fights.

Again, it is crucial to underscore that cats groom each other because they already have an established bond. When your cats fight after a grooming session, they do so not to hurt each other. It may just be a form of rough play.

Play fighting after grooming is one way for the dominant cat to say that he has grown tired of grooming. If the play fight is confined to rolling, kicking, and running around, there is not much that you need to worry about.

However, if you notice actions like hissing and slapping, it means that the play fighting is escalating to a real fight. Before things take a turn for the worse, you need to step in and distract your two pets.

Play fighting is just mostly play, with little to no real aggression. Your cats are most likely just running around and chasing each other. An actual fight is more serious and can involve biting and screaming. You will also notice that the ears of both cats are pulled back.

Sometimes, a grooming session can escalate to a fight because one of the cats notices signs of illness in the other. Cats are attuned to each other’s bodies so much so that they notice that something is wrong before you notice signs of illness. In such a case, you should check each cat and confirm if one of your pets is actually sick.

Social dynamics and cat grooming

To better understand why only one of your feline companions does much or practically all of the grooming tasks, it is worthwhile to understand why cats groom each other.

Initially, biologists and other experts thought of felines, with the exception of lions, as solitary animals. But in light of new studies, it was discovered that some feline species like bobcats, cheetahs, and domestic cats are also social creatures with hierarchies.

Many experts also thought of feral colonies of domestic cats as nothing but a loose association. They posited that the desire for food of each member of the colony allowed them to tolerate the presence of each other, negating their instincts to fight each other.

However, it was discovered that these colonies are structured, much like the way a pack of dogs interacts with one another.

Domestic cats follow the same structure that lions follow. In these social structures, the females cooperate and bond closely with one another.

However, in house cats, the hierarchy can be more complex. Cats can bond with non-relatives and even with felines of the opposite sex. Apart from that, domestic cats establish their own territories within a home.

Why cats groom each other

But how do all of these explain grooming in cats?

As mentioned earlier, cats groom each other, not only to clean themselves. Scientists call grooming in social animals like cats and primates as allogrooming. 

Allogrooming, along with allorubing and scent transmission, is a way social animals make their colonies more cohesive.

Allogrooming can only occur in an established colony. Cats will only groom other cats that they consider as members of their tribe. Once a new cat is integrated into your home and your cats’ colony, he can then partake in allogrooming.

Cats groom each other to reinforce social bonds, establish social ranks, and to show affection to one another.

1. Reinforce social bonds

As mentioned earlier, cats will only groom other felines that they recognize as members of their tribe. When these cats groom each other, they are expressing their acceptance into the group.

2. Establish social ranking

Grooming is also a way for cats to express their dominance over other feline members of your household.

This is why you will notice that dominant cats do almost all of the grooming while the lower ranking cats show their submission by getting themselves groomed.

3. Show affection

Cats can form colonies even with other cats that are unrelated to them. However, you will observe that bonds between mothers and their kittens and cats from the same litter are stronger. 

It is also widely believed that mothers teach their kittens to groom, not only to exert their dominance, but more importantly, to reinforce bonds within a family and a colony.

Do not worry if only one cat grooms the other

Should you worry if only one of your cats grooms the other?

Most probably not. Remember, grooming only happens between two members of a social group. If one cat grooms the other, it means that he has accepted the other cat as a member of the family and is just establishing his rank in his household.

However, if the other cat is still new in your household, it is a good idea to observe your two pets and curb signs of potential aggression before things get out of hand

Image: istockphoto.com / bombermoon

.