Cat hierachy

[Millys Mum]

My dominant cat certainly doesnt do any grooming  Why would Queen Milly want to lick her peasants   

The boys all take it turn to lick each other and if they are lucky they get a kiss from Lola and a sniff of Tabithas bum 

[DaveD]

Neit's at the top of my cats hierarchy - at least when she's not in the same room as Sonia, then she's not so sure! Next is Pimpernel, but if Neit is eating he's got to wait, and Bramble doesn't. I'll have to try and get a picture of his forlorn expression as he watches the others eat while he starves! 
Meanwhile, here's a pic of Neit grooming Bramble:

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I think that's true about grooming in cats - the dominant one grooms.  It certainly fits in with Jaffa and Mosi's relationship.  When Mosi was little, Jaffa would groom him a lot and Mosi just lay there having his ears washed    As he's got older and stroppier he initiates more grooming and now he grooms Jaffa as much as the other way around and it's definitely dominance behaviour on his part.  He will go up to Jaffa and start grooming him rather roughly.  Jaffa usually recipricates and we start off in a dominance contest that can only end in fisty cuffs!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Sasa loves having her head groomed by Misa, and she pushes it under his nose and squeaks at him 

[Stuart]

I know in rabbits that the submissive one does the grooming, I have read though in cats that the dominant one grooms, as it is his/her job to look after the wellbeing of the inferiors.  Anyone know if this is true?

  Maybe that explain's why Misty used to get peeved when Hamish would Groom Him
Hamish was the most couthiest, laid back cat I have ever known whereas Misty is a rage against the machine Punk type
Hamish would groom Misty and then after a wee while Misty would put this awful face on and try and stop Hamish Grooming
when Misty did this Hamish would get more forceful and chase after Misty, But then Misty would also Groom Hamish, But
He was usually more rough in the process, specially when doing the ear's

I can Honestly say I don't know who was Dominant?? I would say Misty was more aggressive But Hamish was no walk over
and would stand up for Himself, I alway's thought of them as equal's

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Heaven 

[fluffybunny]

  I know in rabbits that the submissive one does the grooming, I have read though in cats that the dominant one grooms, as it is his/her job to look after the wellbeing of the inferiors.  Anyone know if this is true?

Here are a couple of (slightly dodgy) pics of the lovely couple, Milly at the back is grooming Rio 





And here's one of Rio with his beloved wiggly waggler just because it's funny 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

It sounds like its sorted itself out 

But I got two boys who both want to be top cat and they are both hunks of lemon chicken and very jealous of each other.

Misa the top cat is currently sulking on his table cos franta is sharing my chair, so Misa is suckling a towel on his desk but yesterday I took pictures of them both alseep on the desk side by side.......................sigh, have given up with them!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Whatever has happened sounds like it's worked out for the best    I've always wondered about hierachy too, ie does grooming mean they're the submissive one grooming their master or are they being dominant by pinning the other one down and licking him 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Sounds like they have been sorting the pecking order out and have sorted it now.  Fingers crossed the peace will continue.

[fluffybunny]

There's something weird going on in our house...we got our two furbabes about a month ago and since being here they have always 'tolerated' rather than loved each other, although they had previously lived in a 1 bedroom flat for 8 years before coming here. 

On Friday night, they had a massive fight in the middle of the night (we woke up to find a pile of fur from both, and both collars detached from the cats and on the dining room floor).  We assumed that they must have been freaked out by the fireworks.

But since then they have been all lovely and cuddly together, even now they are on the sofa with Milly giving Rio a little cuddle and groom.  Does this mean that maybe they have been spending the past month working out the 'pecking order' and their fight the other night has resolved it?  Milly seems a lot more confident at going to her food bowl than she did previously as well.  If this is the case, who is in charge?  I know how it works with rabbits but cat behaviour is not my strong point!

Have taken a couple of pics on my phone, will try and upload a couple soon!