Cats Cuddling and Grooming: It’s Not Always Love – Find Out What It Really Means!

Whether it’s happening right in your living room or captured on an online video, the sight of two cats cuddling or licking each other typically draws a universal reaction: it’s incredibly cute. We often perceive them as being especially close, like best friends showing affection through gentle and caring actions. Yet, this common feline behavior might actually signify something quite different.

A new study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science by researchers from Ghent University in Belgium has shown that this behavior isn’t always a sign of a friendly or affectionate relationship. The scientists studied videos of 106 cats to understand their mutual grooming, also known as allogrooming. They found that cats do not always use this behavior to express love or to strengthen bonds, unlike primates who often groom each other to build social connections. For cats, it can also be a way to annoy or intimidate their peers.

Animal behaviorist Morgane Van Belle and her team identified two distinct contexts. When the cats are in synchronized positions (both lying down or sitting) and the licking is focused on the head or ears, it represents a positive, affectionate moment. However, when one cat stands over another, primarily licking its neck, it’s considered a passive-aggressive move: one cat is attempting to dominate the other, possibly to take over a coveted spot in the sunlight or on a cushion. Typically, the cat receiving this unwanted grooming shows signs of irritation (ears pinned back, head shaking, lip licking), before becoming openly aggressive (swatting, scratching, biting) or eventually giving up its spot.

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According to Morgane Van Belle, this behavior demonstrates that cats have very subtle and flexible ways of resolving conflicts. Instead of engaging in an outright fight, they use this intrusive licking to push the other cat to leave on its own. Essentially, it’s a distinctly feline way of getting what they want without immediately resorting to claws. Next time you catch your pets in a grooming session, pay close attention to their body positions: that cuddle might just be a strategic move for the best spot on the couch.