Cat Bath
 | "Our cats used to lick us too, when they were a few months old. I guess that was just their way of telling us that we're their family. " |
Some people refer to a cat bath as 'cat grooming'. But that always makes me think of some kind of professional service and I'm talking about the kind of cat bath they give themselves.
Cats lick not only themselves, but give each other baths as well. If you have more than one cat you will see that they bathe each other as a sign of affection. This loving gesture shows that they care for each other.
Since we and not a mother cat raised our kittens, they pretty much had to figure out for themselves the whole cat bath thing. It is definitely an instinctive behavior, because obviously we never showed them how to do it! Or maybe they remembered that their mother licked them in those first few days? I have my doubts, since it was a month or two until they began licking themselves and each other.
In any case, we were grateful that they figured it out. We were amazed at how much a cat knows instinctively. We were concerned at the beginning that we might have to baby them for the rest of their lives. But they turned out to be as independent as any cat.
The funny thing about cats giving themselves a bath is that it's never done systematically or methodically. Lick a little here, lick a little there, no big deal. Sometimes they give themselves a bath, then lick the cat next to them a couple of times and then they go back to minding their own business again.
Some cat behaviorists believe that cats groom themselves a lot as a way of cooling their body down. Cats don't sweat like humans, nor do they usually pant like dogs, so they may lick their fur to cool down as the saliva evaporates from their bodies. It does make sense because we live in Hawaii and our cats seem to be licking themselves a lot.
If your cat is licking a lot you will just want to make sure that the frequent licking is not a sign of some health condition.
Fleas could be one possibility. Excessive licking around the tail area could be parasites, or an irritation of their anal glands. Excessive licking of their genitals could be a sign of irritation or inflammation, but does sometimes also occur during pregnancy and is normal.
Our cats used to lick us too, when they were a few months old. I guess that was just their way of telling us that we're their family.
TIP for Cat Allergy:
Stay away from cats during or right after their cat bath. In contrary to common belief you are actually allergic to the cat saliva and not the cat hair.