People are petting their cats with wet toothbrushes to mimic grooming

TikTok

Some people would do practically anything for their cats. Put on a TV show just for them? Buy them an airplane? Invest in a luxury cat hammock? You name it, a cat-lover has done it.

But this new trend takes spoiling your cat to another level. Users on the social media app TikTok are pampering their cats by brushing them with wet toothbrushes. It’s supposed to feel similar to being groomed by their moms when they were kittens — a soothing, relaxing feeling.

We’re no scientists and we definitely can’t read cats’ minds, but judging by the videos of the practice, it certainly looks like cats are deeply calmed by it.

One TikTok user, @itsdynah, says her cat usually hates being brushed. But she tried the damp toothbrush technique, and voila! It worked. Her cat looks quite pleased.

@itsdynahRandom things I’ve learned on TikTok ##catsoftiktok ##cat ##pettricks ##pettips ##fyp ##duetme ##tiktokchallege♬ original sound – itsdynah

Another user, @rayshells, walks us through the whole process of wetting the toothbrush, introducing it to her cat and then brushing. Her cat’s eyes instantly close when she begins brushing!

@rayshellsmy sweet bebe 🥺 ##catsoftiktok ##petsoftiktok ##corememories ##fyp ##catlover♬ Claire de Lune – Ave Maria

As the trend has picked up steam, more and more users have tried brushing their kitties with wet or damp toothbrushes. There are now hundreds of videos of the practice. Look how relaxed user @blurahman’s cat is!

@blurahmanShe loves ittt 😭♥️ ##catsoftiktok ##catlover ##petlover ##pet ##scottishfold ##LittleVoice♬ original sound – itsdynah

Obviously, you’ll want to use a spare toothbrush to try this technique. But keep your expectations realistic. Not all cats will enjoy this, and there’s no evidence that a toothbrush really evokes memories of a mother cat’s tongue.

“Despite the latest craze to brush cats with a wet toothbrush — in the hopes that it will soothe them by reminding them of being groomed by their mother — cats will be aware that it is actually a toothbrush,” experts at Cat Protection told Metro UK.

But hey, it’s worth a shot!

Animals, Curiosity, Life, News, Pets
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Kim Wong-Shing

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