All grooming for the first three weeks is done by the mother cat. After that the kittens will begin self-grooming, or autogrooming. The fully developed grooming sequence is as follows:

• The kitten will lick its lips.

• The side of one paw is repeatedly licked until wet.

• The wet paw is rubbed over the head, ear, eye, cheek and chin.

• The other paw is treated in the same way, and rubbed over the other side of its head.

• Lick front legs and shoulders.

• Lick flanks.

• Lick genitals.

• Lick hind legs.

• Lick tail from base to tip.

Bellow is a listing of why grooming is so important to the cat:

• The removal of foreign particles helps to keep its coat free from dirt and grease.

• Smoothing the coats surface will help to improve the insulation properties. If the coat is ruffled it can be a hazard in very cold weather conditions.

• Felines can suffer from the effects of high temperatures in the summer months, and will use panting as a means of keeping cool, but this on its own is not enough. Cats do not have sweat glands all over their bodies as we do, so they will lick their coats to deposit as much saliva as possible. The saliva evaporates, cooling the the animal, in the same way that our sweat evaporates on our skin.

• A cat acquires the essential vitamin D through licking its fur after exposing itself to the sun. 

• Cats will nearly always start to groom themselves after being handled. This is partly because the coat has been disturbed, but mainly it is to strengthen its own odour. Because the world of smell is so important to felines, too much human scent on its fur is a disturbing distraction and has to be weakened.

• The grooming after being handled also helps a cat to gain information about the handler.

• Self-grooming also stimulates the glands at the base of each hair. The secretions of these glands will keep the fur weatherproofed. 

The cat will stop to nibble out any tangles encountered, and will also nibble its feet and claws removing dirt particles. Cats that are moulting or with long fur can accumulate hairs inside their alimentary tracts causing them to form hair balls. Usually cats will vomit up these without causing any trouble to themselves, but it is possible for a fur ball to grow too large, becoming a serious hazard, that's why it is important for owners to groom their cats (Especially long-haired breeds) on a regular basis.

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