noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
grooming (animals); personal grooming
Primarily used for animals cleaning their fur or skin, but can also refer to humans tidying their appearance. The する form is common.
猫が毛繕いをしている。
The cat is grooming itself.
サルが互いに毛繕いをする。
Monkeys groom each other.
Standard kanji spelling.
Common kana-kanji mixed spelling.
Refers to personal grooming and neatness in appearance, especially for humans, while 毛繕い is more about the act of cleaning fur or skin, often for animals.
Compound of 毛 (ke, 'hair, fur') and 繕い (tsukuroi, 'mending, repairing'), with rendaku voicing. Literally 'fur-mending', referring to the act of cleaning and tidying fur or hair.