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

[CreekDog]

:rofl:

[Midlodemocrat]

1. They're laughing on the inside.

AT you.

[CreekDog]

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

:rofl:

[Xithras]

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.

[CreekDog]

4. wow

thank you! :D

[kimi]

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.

[pokerfan]

6. Rats laugh when you tickle them

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

[Xithras]

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).

[Dr. Strange]

7. They are not amused.

[Deep13]

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

[KittyWampus]

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

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

[ZombieHorde]

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