My male cat gives my female cat a bath. He licks her all the time. It's so weird to watch him doing it. He will lick her non-stop until she gets tired of it and runs off. Is this normal? What does it mean?
2007-01-17 00:41:48 · 20 answers · asked by 88776 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Mine used to do that all the time too, he would even wait for her to eat before he does and he really really helped her during her delivery by squeezing her belly by his legs...and that was weird.
2007-01-17 00:46:45 · answer #1 · answered by rinah 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think a bunch of these people have the answer exactly right. I have a male and female cat from the same litter and the exact thing happened to us. They both went to be fixed on the same day and when they came home they were extremely agitated and "ticked" off. They went to the vet in the same carrier and came home in two separate boxes. It took at least a week before I could have them in the same room together without fighting. The vet explained it to be the smell of the clinic and the antiseptic they use during surgery. It was a long week and a couple of times I didn't think it would ever get better but they do love each other again. They are like any brother and sister...fight one minute and then 10 mins later they are playing again or sleeping in the sun.
2016-05-23 23:44:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats do this licking not only for cleaning purpose. They distribute also their scent in this way. It comes out somewhere behind their cheeks. The typical move with a paw from behind the ear down front to the nose sets off this scent which is then delivered all over the body with the licking. Thats also why most cats start licking afte you pet them. They also distribute your scent you left.
It shows a liking though I would not go so far as to call it love. My cats did the same when they were kittens and hate eachother now.
Enjoy it as long as it lasts but mind: Watch out for kittens;-)!
2007-01-17 00:57:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Perfectly normal, it just means they consider each other part of the family unit (as someone described above). My two cats bathe each other all the time, though it usually ends in a short argument and one of them running off, much as you described. They're both female and fixed, too and there doesn't seem to be anything sexual about it.
2007-01-17 02:41:45 · answer #4 · answered by AM_Dove 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have one cat who is very generous with grooming the other cats -- two in particular. The behavior is completely normal, it's part of cats' socialization with one another.
My 10-year-old son recently read a series of juvenile-fiction books by a talented writer named Erin Hunter, the "Warrior" series about several clans of feral cats and the adventures they have. Great fun for cat lovers; I read several of the books so we could have conversations about them, and Hunter is a good writer with a strong sense for drama and a great gift for action scenes.
She also does a superb job of putting things in "cat-friendly" terms -- including giving names, in the cats' society, to typical cat behaviors. She refers to the behavior you mention as "sharing tongues."
In zoological terms, it's a behavior called "grooming." Cats do it to one another as a way of reinforcing the social bond; you regularly see lions grooming each other, for example, because lions are the most social of cats. Primates (monkeys and apes) also groom each other, though primates use their hands and fingers for grooming.
You may not be used to seeing this among domestic cats for two reasons -- first, because the cat gets a great deal of this grooming from its humans in the form of petting, brushing and stroking its fur, but second, because many domestic cats are the only cat in the family. Obviously if you have only one cat there won't be anyone for it to groom, but because you have two, you see this behavior.
The real question is why your female runs away rather than returning the favor. Maybe your male cat smells bad to her... Try giving him a warm bath (and keep him inside, especially this time of year, till he's completely dry). When he's damp, your female may come up and start licking him -- so be sure there's no soap left in his fur. (Baby shampoo is a good choice for washing a cat, as it leaves no residue that can harm the cat when it licks itself, or in this case if another cat licks it.)
2007-01-17 12:21:42 · answer #5 · answered by Scott F 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats are a social breed. They take care of each other. Are yours fixed? No matter. I have a pride of kitties and they are awesome to watch. They function as a unit. One hunts, they all eat. One fights, they are all in it. They nap and snuggle, nurture, bathe and keep watch together. Cats are not meant to be loners. Humans could learn a lot by watching them.
2007-01-17 01:28:47 · answer #6 · answered by skayrkroh 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No worries. I have some pictures of my two girls going to town. Poppy is laid out on the floor on her back with legs wide open. Sophie is between her legs - it looks like she's "eating at the Y." The reality is almost as bad - she's cleaning Poppy's butt.
I know that's gross, but the pictures are hysterical. I call them my little Sapphic treasures.
I think I'm going to have to scan them in and post them on my 360......
2007-01-17 02:44:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds normal to me. Cats like everything clean.
2007-01-17 00:45:08 · answer #8 · answered by Firespider 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes all are cats are neutered they groom each other and cuddle and show affection. My one male however is wearing the fur off our girls ears. She loves it though. Guess rough love.
2007-01-17 01:24:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's cute. He's likely developed some fixation from when he was a kitten. There's nothing wrong with it. I like to lick pussy too!
2007-01-17 01:14:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋