Yes I know about serotonin etc, but why does the stimulus of petting a fluffy critter evoke that response in the first place?
My personal uninformed armchair theory: We’re apes, and apes pick bugs out of each other’s fur to bond as a group. But when our ancestors forsook the trees for the plains, we shed our fur to gained sweat glands in order to become the ultimate persistence hunters. Yet the urge to groom remains. We have no fur and we must pet.
I would also consider the evolutionary advantage of having pets. Dogs help hunt and herd and cats help with farm pests that could spread disease. It just makes sense that societies that accepted that help and encouraged the symbiotic relationship would fare better than those that didn’t.
Also I hope the news is right: racoons are next on the list. We need to pet the racoons. It’s a matter of national security.
much soft, very purr, so cuddle
i relate
it’s Mutual aid by Kropotkin all the way down
It’s mutually beneficial and releases oxytocin the love hormone
I know it releases that same chemical in the brain that is released between a mother and baby when breastfeeding. I forget the chemical name… I keep having “oxycotin” pop up in my head, but that’s a painkiller. 🤔
Oxytosin? Not sure on the spelling
Oxytocin. That’s it. Same letters as the painkiller, but in a different order. That’s why I kept thinking of the painkiller 🤣
Love is the ultimate painkiller?
That’s the hit song from my doctors weekend garage band.
But… Love hurts. 😩
Edit: i didn’t realize the watermark completely obscured the word conundrum 😭
Well personally, my feelings on this subject matter can be condensed down to a few words:
“I love kitties.”
I think it’s oxytocin people get from touch?
Nurture is built into our dna. Our species exists because of our ability to socialize with others even outside of our species. Many animals have become domesticated as a result.
Plus some of them are cuddly as fuck
And there you go, proving the point! 😂
Its not just humans. There are many cases of different animals taking care of the young of another species.
Seems to be mostly a mammal thing. OTOH, I’ve seen videos of dumb-as-fuck chickens raising kittens and completely different bird species.
I’ve always assumed that it calls back to the part of our brain that was triggered in mommy and daddy apes soothing their young.
I think I’ve seen research supporting this but of course I can’t remember where.
Symbiotic relationship. Good kitty kill mice that would eat our grain.
I’m sure alien species with more intelligence, strength and ability than us might do the same with us if they landed on our planet.
“I’m a person and I have personal space!” --me if this ever happens.
Kang: … very well then … (throws you into your own personal cage)
I’d cuddle with an alien, sounds dope
Then when you ‘come of age’ … you get entered into the Human fights where aliens get to bet on winners and losers.
That sounds less dope
Tbf I’ll pet any soft surface, regardless if it’s attached to an animal
Maybe you want to make an exception for mold.
I am not a clever man
That’s the trouble with Tribbles.
I love that scene with the tribbles raining on them from the vent. Calculo-I mean Shatner is so clearly genuinely pissed with whoever keeps throwing them right at his noggin and it never fails to get a giggle out of me lol
The scene from ds9 where Dax keeps throwing troubles out the opening makes that scene even funnier. If given the opportunity, I’d chunk Tribbles at the Shat…
sigh, unzips
Blahaj!
🐸Feels good, man🐸
For me it’s bonding with the animal. They like it, I like it, and we’re just chill together.
