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 >

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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 MediaThe 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

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