Cats of all sizes yearn to be stroked. Many have soft, downy hair fingers that they prefer to get buried in, and we take this as a sign that they like the attention when they nuzzle up close and purr loudly. But, when you stroke her head or tummy, does she truly feel content? Perhaps not. Believe it or not, there is a proper and improper way to pet a cat, and many people are unaware of the distinction.
Whether you’re a novice cat owner seeking for tips on how to care for your feline family member or a seasoned cat lover trying to strengthen your relationship with your feline companion, anybody who interacts with cats might benefit from a lesson on how they prefer to be touched. Continue reading to learn the keys of a happy cat.
The stroking stimulates neurons in the hair follicles that give the brain a pleasant feeling. Cats enjoy to be struck as they can’t reach these places themselves, and mark their territory. Whilst some animals appreciate being touched.
Cats enjoy being massaged since it is part of their natural grooming regimen. The mother used to lick the tops of their heads when they were kittens, and the head scratch may remind them of this. Because they link this act with their mother, they most likely perceive their owner as the mother at these moments.
Babies are stroked by their mothers. Mother rats also stroke (lick) their pups, which is necessary for them to urinate. However, this has unintended consequences. Rats whose moms kiss them less frequently grow up to be more stressed and nervous in unfamiliar environments. Similar findings have been shown in humans: pregnant mothers with high levels of anxiety produce infants that are more nervous and/or sad than others. If their moms massage them frequently during the first several months, this is decreased.
Stroking’s extensive importance is unmistakably an evolutionary adaptation. It’s a type of social affiliative interaction. Of course, in the proper situation, it may be an exciting experience. It’s therefore unexpected that a distinct neural route for stroking has just lately been discovered. Different types of touch are detected by a number of receptors on the skin.
