Fireside ritual of the cat
Cats may spend up to half of their waking hours grooming themselves, this fastidious behaviour involving far more than just keeping their fur clean
the evening air is crisp and cold, and the moon shines from a clear, star-speckled sky to illuminate the frost forming on pavements and gardens. Tomorrow will be another icy day. Tucked safely away from the chill, in the snug interior of the family living room, the cat retires to the hearth rug to enjoy the warmth radiating from the softly fading embers of the evening fire. As it lazily starts to clean its paws, it begins a fascinatingly meticulous and methodical ritual, more complex than initially meets the eye. This is a routine that the average cat begins from two to three weeks of age, and will spend up to half its waking day perfecting. During the process, this highly adapted grooming machine contorts, licks and nibbles, using everything from the rough surface of its brush-like tongue down to its paws, to clean every last bit of its coat.
Passing on skills
Grooming plays an important part of a cat’s life from the day a kitten is born. “A mother washes her offspring to remove the placental sack, dry the fur and stimulate breathing,” says cat behaviour counsellor Vicky Halls. It is not long before a kitten is able to groom its whole body. “By the third week of life, a kitten can perform
“Dilated swells thy glossy fur, And loudly sings thy busy purr; As, timing well the equal sound, Thy clutching feet bepat the ground” Joanna Baillie, ‘The Kitten’
rudimentary grooming activity and three weeks later is regularly grooming itself and its siblings.” The mother may also continue to groom her kittens into adulthood. This mutual affair, known as allogrooming, is focused predominately around the head and ears, which is useful, as this is the area that a cat cannot reach with its own tongue. It also creates a communal scent that can be recognised between cats in the same social group, to help maintain the bond between them. Cat owners may even find themselves the subject of their pet’s grooming affections as their feline friends claim them as their own.
Effective cleaner
The cat’s tongue is covered in scratchy little hooked barbs, called papillae, which give it a rough, sandpaper-like texture. These barbs are covered in keratin, the same material as human fingernails, which makes them strong, and they point towards the back of the mouth. Their direction and strength make the tongue an incredibly efficient tool to smooth and untangle fur. In fact, research has shown that in just one sweep, a cat’s tongue moves in four directions. The tip of the barbs can pierce tangles, and as the tongue spine rotates, it teases those tangles apart.
A certain order
The main purpose of grooming is to clean and maintain healthy skin, by removing dirt, dandruff, loose hair and pests, stimulating glands and spreading body oils to clean and smooth. “It’s usually done after sleep or a period of rest, as well as at times of need, such as cleaning their faces after eating,” says Daniella Dos Santos, junior vice-president at the British Veterinary Association. And with so much fur to get through, it is important to have a plan. The grooming ritual is very much individual to each cat, but most follow a sequence from top to tail. “Approximately 90 per cent of their body is groomed by licking, while those areas that are harder to reach, such as the head and neck, are groomed using their paws and claws,” she says. Cats start by licking their mouths, followed by the chin and whiskers. Then they lick their paws before wiping them over their heads, sweeping each side from back to front, dampening the paw again after every couple of swipes. The shoulders and forelegs follow, then attention is focused on the flanks and hind legs. This may involve some chewing or nibbling, usually with some slurping, commonly between the toes, to remove any foreign objects and tangled fur, which, if left, may cause the coat to become matted. Finally, the cat finishes with the genitals and tail.
Towards the end of this sequence, grooming has a dual purpose. “By washing the inside of the hind legs and the lower abdomen from the anus outwards, scent is spread across the coat to reinforce the cat’s own odour,” explains Vicky.
Awash with wellbeing
Grooming is not just a matter of appearance. It can also be associated with social behaviour, tension relief and, in some cases, can help to regulate temperature. The tongue is well adapted to keeping the cat’s coat in optimum condition in a variety of ways. “Cats use their tongues to cover their fur with saliva to cool them down as it evaporates,” says Vicky. “There’s no need to towel dry cats, as they will also use their tongues to lick away any wetness. Licking also stimulates glands in the skin to keep the coat waterproof.” Cats may also immediately lick away the touch of their owner after being stroked. This is to replace the human smell left behind with their own scent again. But it should not be
taken personally, explains Vicky. “After a cat has been in contact with any surface or has brushed past something, it will stop and groom the area to restore its own smell.” Sometimes cats will roll around in dry dust, the reasons for which are still unclear. “It may be to leave their scent, it may be as a form of tension relief or it may aid with staying cool,” says Daniella. Some cats may over-groom, almost always in response to skin irritation, most commonly caused by fleas, or an allergy. However, it can also be psychological, used as a means to relieve stress and make themselves feel better, much like nail biting in humans. This could be as a response to a lifestyle pressure, such as lack of stimulation, over-attachment to their owners or tension with other cats in the household, but it may also occur as a result of underlying pain. When suffering long-lasting stress, anxiety or emotional conflict, cats can continually groom, which is then classed as over-grooming, to the point where they could develop physical problems, such as bald spots or scabbing. Products are available to mimic the chemicals, known as pheromones, that cats emit through the glands on their faces. These come in diffuser or spray form and can be useful in behavioural causes of over-grooming, in conjunction with advice from a qualified behaviourist and addressing stress factors in the home. Some cats may have a particular area of the house they like to groom in. Other, more shy, cats may prefer to take themselves off to a dark, secluded area, such as a box or cupboard. These areas should always be accessible or alternative safe havens planned, where the cat can carry out its important ritual undisturbed. Generally, the only reason these fastidious creatures stop grooming themselves is if it is painful for them or if they are unwell for another reason. Severe osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease in older cats may reduce their
“All your wondrous wealth of hair, Dark and fair, Silken-shaggy, soft and bright As the clouds and beams of night, Pays my reverent hand’s caress Back with friendlier gentleness” Algernon Charles Swinburne, ‘To A Cat’
ability to groom, as these conditions make it more difficult for them to twist their bodies and reach areas on their back or base of the tail. Older cats are also less active and so less likely to wear down their claws naturally through activities such as climbing or scratching. Back in the cosy living room, the family cat finally completes its bedtime grooming routine and settles down for the night. Curled up, nose to tail, on the rug by the warmth of the fire, it is soon fast asleep.