When cats groom themselves, why do they chew at their fur?

It probably feels good, like scratching an itch.

My puppy does it too. There might be stuff caught in it, chewing the fur loosens stuff I assume. Or if the skin under the fur is itchy, it’s a way to get at it.

@jjmah
That put a smile on my face, reading that.
My cat is just busy washing her front legs, as i read it.
What they also do by the way, is biting/gnawing their nails.

Don’t know why they chew.
I look forward to someone explain it.

Well they can’t use their claws to scratch an itch; they’d tear themselves to pieces!

I believe (but being a neophyte cat owner, I know almost nothing) that a cat, or mine, at least, uses his claws to get stuck stuff loosened. Have you noticed that a cat will spread his fingers (toes? digits?) wide apart and work his little fangs in the interstices?

The order of grooming is pretty well set for most cats. That’s why we apply Frontline in between the shoulder blades or just above it on the back of the skull. Cats can’t reach there.

It’s called “scissoring”. They use the incisors to remove stuck/persistent items, parasites, and other items for which the tongue is not sufficient.

@syz Ah, thank-you!

Edit; Not “claws” but those sharp teeth that have occasionally removed persistent items (like skin) from me.

Freshly groomed. :)

My cat is a drooling, non-stop purring, overly needy senior that also has a humpy thing going on with blankets.

I love him but he has some very annoying & neurotic traits. lol

@jjmah Sweet.

Because it feels so damned good.