Why Cats Lick Their Fur
📝 Summary
Cats lick hundreds of times daily to clean, cool in summer (saliva evaporation), warm in winter (trapped air layer), relieve stress, ingest sun-made vitamin D, and soothe itchy skin. Socially, grooming marks scent and only the higher-ranked cat grooms another - unlike dogs.
1 Reasons Cats Groom
Cleaning: cats love cleanliness and lick away dust, parasites and prevent matting. Summer cooling: saliva on fur evaporates and takes heat with it. Winter warmth: fine undercoat grows, evaporation is minimal, and the fluffed licked coat holds a warm air layer. Stress relief: licking is a common way to ease tension. Vitamin D: skin cholesterol becomes vitamin D in sunlight and is taken in during grooming. Skin trouble: a rough tongue itches and soothes parasitic or bacterial spots.
2 Social Grooming
Cats tell friend from foe by scent; grooming marks the other with their own smell as ‘one of us’, and unlike dogs, in the cat world only the higher-ranked cat may groom another – a social signal of status.
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