What does it mean when a cat licks another cat?

Answer 1

When a cat licks another cat, it is often a sign of affection. It means the cat is helping wash the other cats fur to keep it clean, while at the same time, showing love. You can often find a mother washing her kitten, or close sibling cats washing each other.

Answer 2

It means that they're friends. Mother cats groom their kittens, so cats associate licking with affection. You will often see siblings or other cats that have been raised together licking each other. They also may lick their favorite humans, or other kinds of pets. Cats will usually groom each other on the top of the head or the back, which is hard for them to reach themselves. Unlike lemurs, which only groom for utility (i.e. when the other lemur has fleas) cats do this for social bonding.

If a cat is sniffing or licking another cat under the tail, either the cat being sniffed is in heat and smells interesting, or more commonly it is an expression of social dominance. So if the cat doing the sniffing gets a smack on the head, this is a sign that the dominance order is being contested.

Answer 3

Licking between cats is a form of grooming and social bonding. It helps strengthen their relationships within a social group or family unit. It can also be a sign of submission or reassurance between cats.

Answer 4

They've rough tongues, specially adapted to get dirt and things out of their fur. In other words, they clean themselves with their tongues!

Answer 5

Are they cleaning their fur because they do not like to be dirty ? Or is it a habit ?