If you want to make your cat feel safe and secure, some swear by using a toothbrush.

It’s not to brush their teeth – it’s actually to softly stroke them with. And some convinced it can even help the pets “remember their kittenhoods”.

A video of someone trying the technique has attracted over 42,000 upvotes on Reddit. It advises: “Using a wet toothbrush to groom your cat reminds them of their mother”.

The cat looks like it’s in cloud nine as it is stroked gently by the toothbrush. Reacting to the sentimental scene, one commenter empathised: “Little homie going through it right now.”

Another person admitted: “I am not crying, you are.” And a third added: “I wanna do this to my cat but if he’s gonna have flashbacks like this I will not be able to handle it.”

However, not everyone experienced the same tender scenes at home, as some users pointed out that their cats were less than thrilled. One shared: “Mine just tries to bite the toothbrush. He’s not having it.”

And another recounted their unsuccessful attempt, writing: “I already tried this a long time ago and it just annoyed our cats.”

Dr Jacklyn Ellis, Director of Behaviour at Toronto Humane Society, weighed in on the conversation, offering a professional perspective that it is unlikely cats believe they are being groomed by their mother during such interactions. .

However, Dr Ellis argues that the felines simply find pleasure in the sensation and have developed a “conditioned positive association” with it. He explains: “In all the videos I saw, the cats were being pet in places where they have scent glands, and these are typically their favourite places to be pet.”

Their enjoyment may stem more from the location of the touch rather than the tool used. For those interested in trying this, Dr Ellis suggests sticking to areas with scent glands, while also keeping a watchful eye on the cat’s body language and ceasing immediately if they display a negative reaction.

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