Male grooming kittens

[RockRoler]

I just rescued 2, 6-7? Week old kittens two weeks ago. My year old neutered male has been constantly grooming them. One is boy and ones a girl. He isn't hurting them and tries to play alot, he even was letting the girl play with his tail without retaliation. I was just wondering if this was normal or if it's something that I need to watch.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
I would watch this, -- they're not quite as fragile as 2 week old kittens, but still. It won't be for long, they grow fast

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Yeah, keep an eye on them - but you are not the first person I have heard that said a male cat has kind of taken on a 'motherly' role to kittens with no mother!! Let us know how things go, will you?

 

[Caspers Human]

It might be a dominance issue where the elder, male cat is taking on the role of "He Who Must Be Obeyed."

Allogrooming (grooming among individuals of the same species) is often considered a social behavior that reinforces relationships between members of a group but it's also a form of social currency. In other words, one member of the group says, to another, "I do something for you in return for you so you must do something for me."

It's a way of establishing hierarchies among the group.

In this case, I think that the older cat might be grooming the younger ones in order to say something like, "I take care of you so that means you have to do what I say."

If the kittens are acting like little upstarts, the way young cats are wont to do, this could be the elder cat's way of calming them down and making them behave the way he wants them to.

Basically, it's a kinder, gentler form of discipline.

I say, yes, keep an eye on them but don't worry unless things get out of hand.

If grooming turns into bullying, of course, put a stop to it but I think it better to let "cat politics" take its natural course unless you need to.