Cats Grooming One Another Is NOT Always Affectionate

Cats Grooming One Another Is NOT Always Affectionate

 

< A version of this article was published on the ForceFreePets Green Acres Kennel Shop blogs >

< Updated 2026-08-03 >

< A short link for this page – https://www.forcefreepets.com/shared-2026-08-03/ >

We’ve all seen a cat grooming another by licking, which appears affectionate. However, a new study by Morgane Van Belle at Ghent University in Belgium found that such licking (allogrooming) can sometimes be a form of bullying: one cat licking another until the one being licked moves away. The study was published in the Applied Animal Behavior Journal – Unravelling (sp?) feline social dynamics – A video-based observational study on allogrooming in domestic cats – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159126001292

The study examined video interactions among 106 cats from 53 households. The study concludes that allogrooming in domestic cats is part of social bonding or affiliation, or a way of coping with social tension.

The paper allows the image below to be downloaded, which illustrates their findings.

 

Articles in Popular Media

The Independent – The sinister motivation behind cats licking each other – https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cats-animal-behaviour-licking-science-study-b3014486.html

The Brussels Times – Belgian researcher uncovers the disturbing truth behind why cats groom each other – https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/2230916/belgian-researcher-uncovers-the-disturbing-truth-behind-why-cats-groom-each-other

CBC Radio: Cats don’t always lick each other out of affection – https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/cat-grooming-passive-aggressive-9.7272755

 

©2026, Donald J. Hanson, All Rights Reserved

 

Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder and owner of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). Don is a member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), serving on the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee, and chairs the Advocacy Task Force and the Shock-Free Coalition. He writes and edits the blogs for both Green Acres Kennel Shop and ForceFreePets.

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