eeeeee! eeeeee!

[lagilman]

Sitting on the sofa working and the cats jump up beside me, first Boomer, then Castiel. I turn my head just in time to see Boomerang - cautiously, almost nonchalantly - grooming Cas!

It only lasted for a second, but I saw it. And I may have whooped, a little.

You maybe don't understand what a huge deal this is. Grooming is part of the feline hierarchy, and indicates a certain level of acceptance, if not affection. Generally, cats only groom littermates or offspring, unless they've been raised together. Boomer grooms me, and so does Cas a little, now, but Pandora never did, and Pandora and Boomer NEVER groomed each other.

Even if Cas never reciprocates, this is MAJOR.


*is pleased and relieved like whoa*

Comments

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

The kittens all groom each other, T and me. Sid washes Henry and has been seen to wash Wesley; he also washes Lily and would wash Cass but it is Weird and she growls. Henry washes me and washed Wesley's ears once but then pretended he hadn't and hissed.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

My two kitties groom each other, rarely, but I have seen it. man cat had been here about four years when we got baby girl cat. Now she is young lady cat.

They both try to groom our large dog-- she finds it appalling and terrifying.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

What usually happens with Sid (cat) and Lily (our half Rottie) on the bed is this:

Lily: ::nudge nudge nudge nudge::

Sid: Stoppit!

Lil: ::NUDGE NUDGE NUDGE NUDGE::

Sid: rises in wrath, wraps his arms around her neck and bites her above the eye

Lily: meep!

Sid: Well, then. Don't do it.

Dog and cat subside.

Lily: :rolls eyes: Sorreee....

Sid: Don't do it again. ::washes her::

[lagilman]

yeah, which indicates a level of, well, acceptance. That you can be pretty sure you can leave them alone for an extended period of time without actual violence or destruction breaking out.

I wasn't entirely certain we'd achieved that, here, after reports while I was away, and after the uneasy detente that existed between Boomer and Pandora.

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

My brother and sister act (Adams and O'Keefe) groom each other, but the longest I've seen them do it peacefully is 1 minute. And it *always* ends in a fight. Heads bonking on the floor, snarls, yowls, hisses, the whole deal. They have never been apart, so maybe it's just familiarity breeding hatred? They don't play much, and seem to try to avoid each other. Luckily I've got plenty of space and rooms and hides for them to do so. I don't get it. Why can't we all just get along? *whine*

[gorgeousgary]

Our Nova definitely accepts her hoomin servants. If one of our heads comes within a foot or so of her, it will definitely get licked. Nova and her sister Luna will groom each other. (Luna spends most of her time hiding from the scary hoomins. We're lucky if we can pet her.)

[elektra.livejournal.com]

Some of it may be because Cas is a kitten, and they are "all filthy and must be cleaned." But it definitely indicates acceptance--Boomer is adopting him to an extent.

Here's to a happy cat family!

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

Hey, someone had to make the first move. lol

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent!

Max & Merlyn (nephew/uncle and half brothers, in that catly way...) did eventually groom each other, but for six months I despaired. Max did NOT like sharing me with Merlyn. They would not even sit on the bed together. Then one day while I was gone something happened (Meg, the Birman, wisely kept out of all of this) and one of them, I don't remember which now, had a swollen eye when I came home. After that, they would sit together. Then, they moved to grooming each other.

Finally I found them curled up together.

But because Max was declawed in front, and Merlyn wasn't, there was always a slight inequality, plus big personality differences. Merlyn would beat the snot out of Max every AM until Max yelled (bunny kicking was apparently too violent) and then they were fine until the next time.

But after they nearly killed my boyfriend's cat, I never assume it will go well. Personality is involved, energy, something. They saw her as a threat (maybe him, too) and would not forgive.

So Merlyn has no kitten.