licking

Licking is an animal behavior with several purposes. For cats, it's a primary form of self-grooming, spending up to half their waking hours cleaning with their spiny tongues to remove dirt and debris. This also helps them stay stealthy by removing odors that could alert predators. Grooming stimulates blood circulation, distributes oils for a healthy coat, and aids in temperature regulation.1

Licking can also be a social activity, known as allogrooming, where cats groom each other to bond and reduce stress. In other animals, like cattle, excessive licking can be a symptom of "licking disease" or pica. Cleaning behavior, or grooming, is also observed in birds (preening) and involves mutual grooming in social mammals like monkeys to strengthen group bonds. Some fish and shrimps engage in cleaning symbiosis, where one animal cleans parasites off another for mutual benefit.123