How come pets don't laugh when you tickle them?

CreekDog

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Wed Mar-10-10 04:57 PM
Original message

How come pets don't laugh when you tickle them?

:rofl:

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Midlodemocrat

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:00 PM
Response to Original message

1. They're laughing on the inside.

AT you.

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CreekDog

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:05 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. are they supposed to flash their teeth when they laugh?

:rofl:

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Xithras

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:10 PM
Response to Original message

3. If you have a pet chimpanzee, it will!

Current thinking is that tickling is a vestigial pleasure response to grooming, and it's one shared by all primates (including humans). Your cat doesn't giggle when you tickle it because cat's arent a species that grooms socially, and didn't evolve that particular response.

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CreekDog

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:10 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. wow

thank you! :D

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kimi

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:43 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. That's interesting.

And some of my cats will thump their legs, I've seen dogs do that too. I just always assumed it was their way of "laughing". I dunno.

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pokerfan

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Wed Mar-10-10 06:27 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. Rats laugh when you tickle them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myuceywaOUs

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Xithras

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Wed Mar-10-10 06:44 PM
Response to Reply #6

9. Probably for the same reasons.

Rats are intensely social animals that depend on physical contact. Did you know that a rat deprived of physical contact or social interaction will eventually stop eating and die? It appears that they can also suffer from extreme depression, just like humans.

It makes sense for some social species. Those who took pleasure in grooming or physical contact were more likely to get long with their social group than those who weren't, which increased their odds of survival (evolution in action).

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Dr. Strange

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Wed Mar-10-10 06:38 PM
Response to Original message

7. They are not amused.

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Deep13

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Wed Mar-10-10 06:41 PM
Response to Original message

8. Pets don't laugh. They just plot revenge. nt

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KittyWampus

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Wed Mar-10-10 07:08 PM
Response to Original message

10. if you rub the pad of a cat's hind paw, they'll expand their toes. So it does tickle, but they

Edited on Wed Mar-10-10 07:10 PM by KittyWampus

don't laugh. Maybe claw your face off. But no laugh.

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ZombieHorde

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Wed Mar-10-10 07:16 PM
Response to Original message

11. Because you are trying to tickle them with a knife. nt

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