WEBVTT - Why Do Dogs Love Belly Rubs But Cats Don't?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>Hey brain Stuff Lauren Bogle bam here. If you are

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<v Speaker 1>enjoying some quality time with a dog or a cat,

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<v Speaker 1>odds are that the option to rub their belly will

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<v Speaker 1>at some point present itself, and the results may be

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<v Speaker 1>pleasant or unpleasant for both parties. But have you ever

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<v Speaker 1>wondered about the psychological, physical, and even neurological underpinnings of

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<v Speaker 1>this interaction. A belly rob can be good for your

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<v Speaker 1>dog on many levels. Not only does it feel great,

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<v Speaker 1>but it mimics important socialization between dogs, which are high

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<v Speaker 1>touch creatures. When dogs play, they are definitely paused on

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<v Speaker 1>and this means that they crave frequent physical interaction from

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<v Speaker 1>the people who make up their pack. And aside from

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<v Speaker 1>the behavioral boost a belly rob can offer, there is

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<v Speaker 1>neurological component to a belly rob session too. Dogs have

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<v Speaker 1>specific neurons in the brain that light up when their

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<v Speaker 1>hair loocles are stimulated, and that provides a satisfying sensation

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<v Speaker 1>during belly raps. Plus, giving that good boy a belly

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<v Speaker 1>rub is so psychologically soothing that it can manifest physical

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<v Speaker 1>benefits for the dog. Petting a dog goes tummy can

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<v Speaker 1>lower his heart rate and blood pressure. This pet effect

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<v Speaker 1>also shows up in people who may experience a reduction

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<v Speaker 1>in blood pressure while petting a dog, and this affection

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<v Speaker 1>connection with your pet acts as a feel good drug.

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<v Speaker 1>When you and your furry beloved stare into each other's

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<v Speaker 1>eyes during a belly rub, you'll both experience a hefty

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<v Speaker 1>spike in oxytossin the same hormone that creates a love

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<v Speaker 1>chemical feedback loop between mothers and their babies. So how

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<v Speaker 1>do you know whether a dog wants a belly rub?

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<v Speaker 1>The dogs often make it really easy to tell, but

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<v Speaker 1>that doesn't mean you should just dive into a vigorous

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<v Speaker 1>tummy rub with great abandon. Check the dog's posture. Is

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<v Speaker 1>it relaxed, tongue lolling out, excepting of head pats or

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<v Speaker 1>ear rubs. Start with the head and you'll discover that

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<v Speaker 1>relaxed dogs will melt to the floor and roll over

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<v Speaker 1>to give you better access to their bellies. If a

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<v Speaker 1>dog is anxious, which can manifest as a rapid and

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<v Speaker 1>submissive flip to expose the belly, and then it's not

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<v Speaker 1>a good idea to give them a pet because this

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<v Speaker 1>can reinforce the nervous feelings they're experiencing. And of course,

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<v Speaker 1>while most breeds love a little bit of a massage

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<v Speaker 1>on the tummy, there will be dogs of any breed

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<v Speaker 1>who just aren't comfortable with that kind of vulnerability and

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<v Speaker 1>exposure will let the dog lead the way, And this

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<v Speaker 1>brings us to cats. Dog behavior can be a bit

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<v Speaker 1>easier to decode than cat behavior, partially because, as some

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<v Speaker 1>research shows, cats are only partially domesticated. Our relationships with

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<v Speaker 1>our cats are often less of an owner pet thing

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<v Speaker 1>and more of a mutually agreed partnership, and it's important

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<v Speaker 1>to remember that they're not dogs. In the wild. Cats

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<v Speaker 1>do express affection through touch with other cats, for example,

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<v Speaker 1>when they haven't seen each other in a while, a

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<v Speaker 1>behavior that you can observe if your wines around your

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<v Speaker 1>legs when you get home. But touch among cats is

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps less important for socialization than among dogs. Plus, the

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<v Speaker 1>sensitive hair follicles on the feline's stomach are easy to overstimulate.

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<v Speaker 1>This may explain why cats sometimes appear to want a

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<v Speaker 1>belly rub by exposing their belly, but then suddenly bite

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<v Speaker 1>or rabbit kick their back legs to stop the rub.

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<v Speaker 1>Cats are big predators in little bodies. If they roll

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<v Speaker 1>over and show your their belly, they're not generally showing

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<v Speaker 1>submission or the desire to have you touch their belly.

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<v Speaker 1>It's actually a defensive position that gives them the ability

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<v Speaker 1>to use all of their claws and teeth to protect

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<v Speaker 1>themselves from predators. If you touch this delicate spot, even

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<v Speaker 1>if they're feeling relaxed, it can trigger defensive moves. That said,

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<v Speaker 1>there are some cats who absolutely adorebelly rubs. It tends

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<v Speaker 1>to depend on how the cat has been socialized with people,

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<v Speaker 1>especially when it was young. You can encourage touch positive

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<v Speaker 1>behave if you're in a cat by working with it daily,

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<v Speaker 1>letting it come to you and direct you where it's

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<v Speaker 1>okay to be touched, and letting it walk away if

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<v Speaker 1>it wants, but rewarding friendly behavior with gentle pets, scritches

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<v Speaker 1>and treats. Today's episode was written by Loarie all Dove

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<v Speaker 1>and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on this and

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<v Speaker 1>lots of other heck and good topics, visit how stuffworks

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio. For

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