Why do dogs like to be rubbed on the belly and cats are not?

There is a neuron in dog brains and other mammals that respond to stimuli in the hair follicle.

If you enjoy spending time playing with your dog or cat, there will be times when you will rub their tummy. But have you ever wondered about the psychological, physical, and even neurological properties behind this type of interaction?

The act of rubbing the abdomen can help lower the dog's heart rate and blood pressure.

Rubbing your belly can benefit your dog on many different levels. Not only do they feel happy, but this act also parodies an important social behavior among dogs - which are animals who love touch - with each other. When dogs play, they prefer to touch the subject with their feet, which means they would love to have frequent physical interactions with people they consider to be in the same pack. Besides the stimulation of behavior that abdominal massage can bring, there are also neurological factors as well. Dogs have specific neurons in their brain - they glow when their hair follicles are stimulated, and create a sense of satisfaction during the process of being rubbed.

In addition, rubbing your dog's tummy will soothe his mind to the point that it may show physical benefits . Specifically, the act of rubbing the belly can help lower the dog's heart rate and blood pressure. Humans can also experience this " pet effect ": the blood pressure of a person playing with a dog will be reduced somewhat. And your dog's reciprocal interaction can be considered a mental comfort medicine. When you and your pet look into each other's eyes while rubbing their tummy, the amount of oxytocin in the body will skyrocket - the same hormone that makes a "loving relationship" between the mother and their baby.

How do you know if a dog wants to be massaged? He usually makes this very clear, but that doesn't mean you should rush to rub his stomach and skip other things. Look at the dog's behavior. Is it relaxing? Does the tongue stick out? Do you accept to pat your head or rub your ears? Starting with your head, you'll discover that when a dog feels relaxed, it will "lie down" on the floor and roll on its back so you can easily touch its stomach . If a dog is tense, showing a quick and docile turn over to reveal the abdomen, rubbing the dog's cuddle is not a good idea, as it can increase anxiety. it is encountered. Although most dogs prefer to have a tummy tummy massage, there will be dogs that are uncomfortable with the behavior they consider to be vulnerable and "unreasonable" . Let your dog show you what to do.

Cats do not like to expose the belly, where not all the important internal organs.

What about cats? Mysterious and fastidious, these little creatures just want to struggle around the world on their own, and that means it will - or won't - allow you to rub your stomach. First, you need to know that the sensitive hair follicle on the cat's belly is extremely irritable. That explains why cats sometimes seem to want to rub their tummy, but then suddenly bite or kick their hind legs to stop the tummy rub.

And because cats are predators prettily in a small, pretty body, they don't want to experience the comfort of revealing their tummy, where not all of the vital organs are within the skin itself. Soft, furry few centimeters. Touching this point, especially when a cat is lying on its back, relaxes, which can trigger defense with teeth and claws. However, there are cats who love to rub their tummy - no one knows why, because cats are so mysterious!

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