More Pets, Please!

Cats love to be petted--no one will argue with that. The question is . . . why do they like it?

"More pets, please!"

AvoDerm, a premium cat and dog food company, hosts a page on their website called "Why Do Cats Do that?" which attempts to explain many of cat's behaviors. One of the questions they answer is our question of the day: why do cats like to be petted? Their answer is fairly simple: "To your cat, petting feels a lot like licking. when you pet your cat slowly and gently, she knows you are taking good care of her. You are showing that you love her!"

Mother cats lick their kittens to clean them. kittens grow up associating the sensation of being groomed with their mother's tender care. When you pet your cat, you are giving them that same motherly love. This is why cats purr when they are being petted--they know that you care about them and it makes them happy.

Gently pet your cats often--let them know just how much you love them.

"Why did you stop petting me?"

~RL