A heartwarming video has left viewers emotional as it captures a cat’s reaction that seems to evoke memories of its mother.
The viral clip shows an owner gently brushing their cat with a wet toothbrush on the head, which prompts a tearful expression from the feline, seemingly taking it back to its days as a kitten.
The Reddit post, which has garnered over 42,000 upvotes, claims: “Using a wet toothbrush to groom your cat reminds them of their mother”.
Users have been deeply moved by the footage, with one commenting: “Little homie going through it right now.”
Another confessed: “I am not crying, you are.” while a third expressed reluctance to try it on their own pet: “I wanna do this to my cat but if he’s gonna have flashbacks like this I will not be able to handle it.” However, some viewers shared that their cats did not appreciate the gesture, with one saying: “Mine just tries to bite the toothbrush. He’s not having it.”
Another recounted a similar experience: “We tried it once and our cat was the same, all like, ‘Get that thing off me’. First tried to chomp the brush, then the hand holding it. I guess he has mummy issues.”
A different user also mentioned their attempt: “I already tried this a long time ago and it just annoyed our cats.”
Despite the sentimental reactions, Dr Jacklyn Ellis, director of Behaviour at Toronto Humane Society, suggests it’s unlikely that the cat actually believes their mother is grooming them.
Dr Ellis proposes an alternative explanation, suggesting that cats simply enjoy the sensation and have developed a “conditioned positive association” with it. He noted: “In all the videos I saw, the cats were being pet in places where they have scent glands, and these are typically their favourite places to be pet.”
This implies that the pleasure may be more related to the location of the petting rather than the tool used.
For those interested in trying this, Dr Ellis advises sticking to areas with scent glands and monitoring the cat’s body language, ceasing if they display a negative reaction. Cats Protection echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to a cat’s body language and behavior during interactions to avoid harm to both the cat and the person.
They advise: “While stroking the cat, pay close attention to their body language and behaviour. If they do not move away and they have happy and relaxed body language, they are enjoying the interaction. You can continue petting them. If they do not move away but have anxious or stressed body language, they are only tolerating the interaction. They are not enjoying it. Stop petting them and move away.
“If the cat moves away, stop stroking them and don’t follow them. You can try keeping your hand held out though, in case they change their mind and come back for more. If the cat tries to attack or bite your hand, try to stay calm. Slowly move your hand away from them and give them plenty of space. “.
