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A long-haired white cat with yellow eyes licks the head of a yellow chick on a grey blanket while three other chicks watch. 28 / 36

Bath Time Came for One Very Small Chick, and the White Cat Was in Charge

AI imagewhite catbaby chicksgrooming

Bath time has come for one very small chick. A long-haired white cat with golden eyes leans down and gives the top of its fuzzy head a careful lick, the tip of her pink tongue just visible. The chick squeezes its eyes shut and stands perfectly still, either enjoying the attention or bravely enduring it. Three more chicks wait nearby on the rumpled grey blanket, one watching closely as if it knows it is next in line. Warm sunset light glows through the window behind them, falling across a wicker basket, a plaid throw, and a pair of slippers.

When cats lick each other, it is called allogrooming, and it is one of the clearest signs of a friendly bond. Cats that live together and get along often groom each other around the head and neck, the spots that are hardest to reach on their own. Mother cats groom their kittens constantly to keep them clean and comforted, and some adult cats extend that same care to other pets, or to their people, with a sandpapery lick on the hand. A cat's tongue is covered in tiny backward-facing spines that work like a built-in comb. Grooming that becomes excessive, leaving bald patches or sore skin, can signal stress or a skin problem worth discussing with your vet.

Here, it looks like nothing more than love and good manners. Every little one deserves someone who will make sure their feathers are on straight.

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