According to Professor Jay Schwartz, head of the Emotional Communication Evolution Laboratory at the University of Western Oregon, the act of grooming in cats functions less like a routine daily conversation and more like an ancient emotional alarm signal. Schwartz suggests that this warning system may predate the domestic cat (Felis catus) itself, indicating its evolutionary roots likely existed before the species was domesticated. The scientific evidence points to a deep behavioral history for this communication method.
The same vocalization associated with this grooming behavior is also produced by the African wildcat (Felis lybica), which is the closest living relative to the domestic cat and has a longer evolutionary timeline. Schwartz posits that the presence of this signal in the wildcat suggests that cats engaged in grooming opponents much more frequently than they did while settled on human furniture. This implies that the instinctual function of the behavior was rooted in survival and warning, rather than simple social bonding within a domestic setting.
The research underscores that the communication signals employed by cats are deeply ingrained, representing an emotional mechanism rather than a learned habit associated with human interaction. By studying these primal vocalizations, researchers gain insight into the animal’s natural warning systems, which are fundamentally different from the more nuanced exchanges often observed in domestic life. The comparison highlights that the signal is a more fundamental, pre-human communication tool than routine interaction.
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