this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2025

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101

Why do humans enjoy petting animals? (lemmy.world)

submitted 16 hours ago by early_riser@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

39 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

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[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

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.

[–] swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I'd cuddle with an alien, sounds dope

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Then when you 'come of age' ... you get entered into the Human fights where aliens get to bet on winners and losers.

[–] swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

That sounds less dope

[–] burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 9 hours ago

Eh. We already have the ufc, boxing, all sorts of martial arts in the olympics, etc. Would those people keep fighting if the rest of humanity received a pampered existence for their efforts? Maybe the aliens will only take a portion of the population that consents.

[–] early_riser@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

"I'm a person and I have personal space!" --me if this ever happens.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 1 points 13 hours ago

Kang: .... very well then ... (throws you into your own personal cage)