One of the latest trends making waves on social media isn't dangerous or problematic this time—just interesting.

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According to the test, you’re supposed to gently brush your cat with a wet toothbrush, which is said to remind them of how their loving mother used to groom them with her rough tongue when they were kittens. The theory is that this will induce a euphoric, calming sensation, making them feel safe and relaxed.

Toothbrush tip: Before you begin brushing, let your cat get familiar with the tool by sniffing it first!

Does brushing with a toothbrush really relax cats?

This time, we can confidently say that gently stroking a cat with a wet toothbrush has no negative consequences—unless your cat clearly tells you to stop the nonsense immediately. So, with our physical safety on the line, we armed ourselves with a damp toothbrush and went in search of our feline companions. If you're reading this, it means we survived the mission—and kept all our fingers intact.

We’re not sure if we were truly surprised, but after a brief introduction and sniff test, our furry friends seemed to enjoy the toothbrush experience more than not. Although we can’t exactly report any signs of blissful euphoria, the experiment was actually quite a success. And since we got this far, we wanted to find out if there could be any truth to the claim made in the introduction.

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Does the wet toothbrush really transport them back to kittenhood?

"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. The enjoyment may be more related to the location of the petting rather than the instrument used to pet them. ‘hey, this feels like my mom’s tongue’ but it is possible that they may have a conditioned positive association,” explains Dr. Jacklyn Ellis, Director of Behaviour at the Toronto Humane Society.

If you like the idea, feel free to try it on your own pet, and aim to stroke areas where their scent glands are located. (If you’re not sure where those are, click here! Though we’d suggest skipping the rear end for the sake of experimentation.) If your cat enjoys it, go ahead and pamper them this way whenever you can. But if they show signs of rejection, it’s probably best to stick with the classic petting methods.