Got a cat? Got a toothbrush?
If you tick yes to both, we have a great way for you to spend your weekend.
According to the people of TikTok, you should try brushing your cat with a wet toothbrush.
Why, you may ask?
Well, people claim cats absolutely love being gently brushed with the damp bristles, because it reminds them of getting groomed by their mother’s tongue, instantly making them feel soothed and relaxed.
Have a search on TikTok for ‘cat toothbrush’ and you’ll find hundreds of videos of blissed out cats being gently brushed.
The majority play alongside a sound by @itsdynah, in which she says: ‘I saw this thing on TikTok that said if you brush your cat with a damp toothbrush, it reminds them of being groomed by their mothers when they were kittens. So my cat hates being brushed, so I figured I would try it, and it worked! Duet this if it works with your cat too.’
And judging from the videos, this does appear to be true – most of the cats look super happy and relaxed. Give them a view, as there are few things more soothing than watching a happy cat being brushed.
The Metro.co.uk team tried it out and saw mixed results.
While Soaps Editor Duncan discovered his cat, Butters, absolutely loves the technique, another member of staff reports that her cat hated it so much she now runs away whenever she sees the toothbrush.
So… whether the toothbrush technique actually works to soothe felines really does depend on the individual cat.
But is there any truth in the idea that it’s relaxing because the toothbrush feels like a mother cat’s tongue? That we’re not so sure about.
We reached out to a number of cat charities and shelters, and no one had ever heard of this technique before… and clearly thought we were a bit weird for asking.
They’re all asking their experts though, and we’ll update this article when we hear back.
In the meantime, we can do some real-life science through the art of experimentation.
If you have a cat, please try brushing them with a damp toothbrush and let us know how it goes in the comments section below – bonus points, as always, for pics and video.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/28/people-are-brushing-cats-wet-toothbrushes-reminds-groomed-mothers-tongue-13192000/
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