Why Do Cats Groom?
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Routine
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Cats spend about 15 percent of their day grooming themselves and each other. Their rough tongue is like a comb they use to keep their coats clean. Cats like routine and typically clean themselves before or after sleep, and after eating.
Temperature Control
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Cats don't sweat so moisture from their saliva cools them in warm weather and does the opposite when it's cold by smoothing the fur to keep the heat in.
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Socializing
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Multiple cats in the home make grooming an important social bonding ritual. This is also a way for them to remove parasites like lice from inside their sibling's ears because it's an area it can't reach on its own. When a cat licks its owner, its not only being friendly, its including the human it loves in its family.
Cleanliness
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Cats are naturally fastidious and wash their paws automatically after eating. There are some areas of their bodies they can't reach, like their ears, nose and back of their heads, so they'll moisten their paws to use like a wash cloth. There are also scent glands between its toes and by pulling the fur there, its keeping those glands free of dirt and foreign odors. It also licks away human scents after its fur is petted.
Waterproofing
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When a cat licks and tugs at its fur with its teeth, it stimulates glands at the base of the hair follicles, releasing a secretion that helps keep it waterproof.
Self-Comfort
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Grooming helps a cat cope with stress by offering self-comfort. If a cat is intimidated by another household pet, it may nonchalantly groom itself immediately after the encounter.
Illness
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If a cat stops grooming itself, it could be a sign of illness. However, excessive self-grooming can also indicate a problem. If it licks itself too much, it may lose hair in that area, which could lead to an inflamed bald spot. If that happens, a trip to the vet is in order. Licking an injury will aid healing.
Hairballs
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Grooming helps a cat relieve itself of loose hair as it sheds. The hair collected in its stomach isn't digested well and will be thrown up later as a hairball. A cat with long fur requires human intervention in its grooming routine to prevent the annoying consequence of vomited hair as well as help detangling painful mats. The swallowed hair can also lead to constipation problems.
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