A friend of mine has a question for you:
“How do cats know what part of them needs cleaning?”
He goes on to ask:
“and a related one is, how often does an average cat clean its entire self? Does it respond to “dirty” environments, or does it clean itself regardless (most cats I know do)?”
I assume that cats just do it out of instinct, rather than any particular knowledge of itself being dirty someplace, unless they can feel the grime and dirt clinging to their fur maybe.
Any clues?
Ask your friend how he/she knows which parts of their body need cleaning… prehaps cats work in the same way?
Gp
From what I understand, cats groom themselves for a variety of reasons. To get clean, obviously. But also because they are disturbed, or confused. It’s a safety valve that helps them calm down, I guess.
It is also a reaction to other stimuli, as I’ve observed in my own cat. If I start to massage her shoulders, she lifts her head in response, appreciating the feel of it. But as it goes on, she starts to lick herself. I think this is a reaction born of memory, since mother cats groom their kittens. The feel of an outside agent stroking the back may stimulate a grooming reaction.
I have also read that they do it when embarrassed or distressed (and have seen this to be the case with my own cats).
My 2 cats will groom each other and always concentrate on the areas that are difficult for a cat to reach himself like the top of the head and back of neck. This makes me wonder if they can sense that these areas need cleaning.
Cat vitamins and hairball medicine come in a tube of paste so that, if they won’t eat it willingly, you can just smear it on their paw. They are compelled to clean it off even if they hate the taste. Very clever use of cat psychology.
My cats always try to “clean off” moisturizer right after I put it on my face or hands. If only I could teach them to do windows. 
*My cats always try to “clean off” moisturizer right after I put it on my face or hands. *
I twisted my ankle one time years ago and applied “Icy Hot” to it. My idjit cat kept trying to lick it off. I don’t know why an animal with a keen sense of smell would even get near the stuff, much less lick it. All I can think is that he was trying to do me a favor by getting it off of me.
RR
RiverRunner my idjit cat does the same thing to my hands after I’ve applied Jointritis® to my ankle. Even after I’ve scrubbed my hands. And I have a theory (nothing scientific to back it up, but hey).
The active ingredient (or one of the ingredients) in a lot of pain rubs is menthol. Jointritis® also contains lanolin, which is derived from sheep, and that may contribute to the attraction, I dunno.
But catnip is a member of the mint family, is it not? Perhaps cats dig mint. Now if I could only get mine to brush her teeth after eating her stinky food.
A while back, I read a short story titled “When in Doubt, Wash.” It was in one of those cat-themed anthologies. The story centered around a mother cat teaching her kittens the proper times and methods for washing.
The one that sticks in my mind, and is borne out by my frequent observation of the cats I have had, is the one that a cat should wash when it wants to appear nonchalant. Such as, “Oops, I just fell off the windowsill in an most disgraceful manner…but, yeah, I meant to do that! See? Here I am casually licking away, nothing to see here…”
Or, “Geeze, I just let that mouse get the better of me; but do I care? Not one bit. Just a stupid little mouse, nothing worth distracting me from my tidying up time!”
I believe they keep a full schedule of items that need to be washed and at what times on their PawPilots.
I think my cat does it as a form of masturbation. When I am situated comfortably on the sofa or bed with a book, my cat will jump up, curl up next to me, then stick her head in her crotch and start licking, which she’ll keep up steeadily for quite a while.
That cracked me up, Spork!
I’ve also noticed my two cats cleaning each others necks, foreheads, and other hard to reach places. I haven’t noticed that they “know” when something needs cleaning, though. Occasionally they will play in the unfinished part of our basement and get quite dusty and dirty… but they seem oblivious to the fact. Maybe there is a schedule they keep?
Paw Pilots!
Har!
I have a “Get Fuzzy” cartoon strip (highly recommended) posted on my office wall. Bucky the cat has spent hours entering his schedule into his “Palm Pilot” only to find out it’s really a Sony GameBoy.
Dialogue between Bucky and his human, Rob:
“. . . Good thing I remembered to nap today; I could have been really tired otherwise.”
“Hang in there, Bucky! And do us all a favor: when in doubt, nap.”
“‘When in doubt . . .’ By Jove, that’s brilliant!”
RR
I have one that just seems to do it out of habit, and it doesn’t seem to matter if she’s actually dirty in a particular place. My other one has very long hair and doesn’t clean much at all, since it’s such a pain for her to do so. They will clean an area that is obviously irritating them. If my cats end up with a “hanger,” it will bug them until they either clean it all off, it falls off, or I use a napkin to remove it.
And Spork: GROAN!
Well of course they have them. You’ve seen a cat suddenly snap to attention and race to another part of the house, correct? How would they know they were late for an appointment unless they have PawPilots?!?
I assume your cats don’t use soap and water. As gross as it may sound, they probably clean the parts that taste/smell the filthiest. If I’m not mistaken, this is usually the crotch (though I have never tested this theory, so don’t even try being a smart ass).
…What!?
Well I have bad news. Today i was slapped with a trademark infringement lawsuit by Paw™. I believe the reason for this rash action is heightened tension at Paw™ during rumors of their impending merger with ClawString™. Pundits have claimed that the market for ClawOS® based cat organizers may be limited to only a single company. Tensions were recently raised when the CEO of ClawString™ made an offhand comment about the wide open market for dog organizers, and a spreading internet rumor about a prototype dog organizer running a non-Paw operating system, BarkOS. BarkOS® was allegedly shown running a variety of applications including the much delayed LegHumper® entertainment package.
Ok, i’ve carried this bit about 8% further than should be necessary or desirable. Someone distract me with a sparkly shiny thing until this thread goes away.