why do most domestic animals enjoy being petted?
In: Biology
It’s not unlike why we enjoy being held or hugged. Mammal children are evolved to draw comfort from physical contact with their parents, because it signals you’re being protected. It releases primarily oxytocin, an important bonding hormone.
Because they’re domesticated.
That’s a pretty big part of domestication, to breed animals that seek out humans and enjoy human contact.
Number of factors can be at play, from grooming behaviour improving health via parasite removal, something many mammals evolved doing, to the brute fact that we bred the ones that like to be touched.
Why do most people enjoy a massage? It feels good.
You ever had a massage?
If my husband scratches my back or rubs my shoulder, you get in leaning into it. Feels good.
Your momma never rubbed your head or back when you were a kid? It feels amazing. Most of these animals have parts of their bodies they can’t scratch with their paws or mouths, so their five-finger friends giving them a good scratch session is amazing.
All animals communicate comfort through physical touch with one another.
Except Tokay geckos, those bastards live for violence. lol
Other people have explained other reasons, but artificial selection also plays a role. When humans breed animals they select ones with desirable traits. Domestic animals that get along well with humans are more likely to be bred than those who do not. This is especially true with companion animals like dogs and cats. Over time this behavior becomes part of their genetic make-up. In effect they come pre-loaded with “friendly to humans” software.
1. Mammals, in general, incorporate physical touch into social bonding. It’s a part of the makeup of mammals.
2. Any domesticated animal has evolved to appreciate human novelties. A good example is how dogs evolved more muscles in their face to display more expressions compared to wolves. By evolving features that bond them closer to their caretakers, they survived longer or were prioritized for breeding, so those genes were passed on.
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