WHY DO CATS AND DOGS LIKE THEIR HEADS SCRATCHED?

Why do some cats and dog melt with joy when they get a good head scratch? Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a professor emeritus at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, explains. Petting a cat or a dog on the head gives the animal attention, which it might crave, he says. Moreover, it’s difficult for cats and dogs to touch the tops of their heads with their paws, or lick them. So you’re hitting spots they can’t get themselves. The head scratch could also remind them of their mothers, who licked the tops of their heads when they were babies. Cats have scent glands concentrated in their forehead, cheeks and chin, and leaving scent is a way that they mark their territory, and it is believed to have some calming effects for them. As for dogs, a head and ears scratch is a sign of affection, bonding and attention.
* Also, the fleas are really itchy.
* So the answer is: because they do. Thank you, professor.
* Don’t be fooled about the affection thing. They want to know if you have food.
* Okay, it’s a slow news day. But these days, sometimes that’s a good thing.