Animal grooming behavior

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Animal grooming behavior involves animals regularly cleaning themselves and putting their fur, feathers or other skin coverings in good order. This activity is known as personal grooming, a form of hygiene. Extracting foreign objects such as insects, leaves, dirt, twigs and parasites , are all forms of grooming.

Among animals, birds spend considerable time preening their feathers. This is done to remove ectoparasites, keep them in good aerodynamic condition, and waterproof them. To do that, they use the preen oil secreted by the uropygial gland, the dust of down feathers, or other means such as dust-bathing or anting.

Felidae cats are well known for their extensive grooming. One reason advanced for such grooming is to remove all traces of blood and other matter so as to not alert prey with the scent. Cats groom so much that they often produce hairballs from the fur they ingest.

Grooming as a social activity

Main article: Social grooming

Many social animals adapt preening and grooming behaviors for other social purposes such as bonding and social structure enforcement.

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See also

• Licking
• Personal grooming, or preening, in humans a hygienic activity (caring for physical appearance)
• Psychogenic alopecia
• Social grooming, the activity by which animals and people who live in proximity can bond and reinforce social structures

Additional material

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Animal grooming behavior