# Can dogs or cats be ticklish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780 "2003-07-20T18:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hazygreyeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e480ec/32.png) [@hazygreyeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazygreyeyes)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/1 "2003-07-20T18:56:50Z")
Sometimes when I pet my cat on his little paws, I get the impression maybe he’s ticklish in the same way as a person is on his or her feet. But just in general, are cats or dogs capable of being ticklish? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/2 "2003-07-20T19:09:19Z")
yep gets are very sensitive on the paws and stomach and tickling them in these places is likely to earn you a nip. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/3 "2003-07-20T19:47:14Z")
I gave my cat the willies! I pretended to tickle his back foot, approaching closer and closer with my tickling fingers. He was paying extreme attention. When I was about a half inch away, he acted like he couldn’t stand it anymore. He lept to his feet and then stalked off while wiggling his back leg as if he had something stuck to his foot. ROFL! ---
**Author:** ![hazygreyeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e480ec/32.png) [@hazygreyeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazygreyeyes)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/4 "2003-07-20T20:02:06Z")
I can’t say I’ve ever given my cats the willies, but either one of them are very sensitive about their feet being handled. Just like with a person, if they’re touched too lightly, they get really fussy. Even worse is blowing really lightly on their ear hair, eyebrows or whiskers; this tends to really make them all wacky. They get confused looks on their little faces and twitch a lot. I’d assume that’s the same as being tickled or sort of like blowing too lightly on person’s ears or something. For this reason, I don’t really entertain myself doing that sort of thing much (it’s sort of not very nice, but kind of cute? Isn’t tickling in general sort of a sadistic sport anyway, though?) I just don’t know if my little critters are getting the same sort of nervous response as people do. Now I’m really interested to know just exactly what it is that happens when you’re tickled anyhow? What is going on with a cat’s/dog’s/person’s nervous system that causes that obnoxious reaction? ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/5 "2003-07-20T20:36:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Now I’m really interested to know just exactly what it is that happens when you’re tickled anyhow? What is going on with a cat’s/dog’s/person’s nervous system that causes that obnoxious reaction? Maybe it’s evolutionary. We’re programmed to respond strongly whenever a big fat eyeless poisonous spider tries to carefully explore our underarms while looking for a new home. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/6 "2003-07-20T20:50:28Z")
gets???, I meant cats ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-or-cats-be-ticklish/189780/7 "2003-07-20T21:29:19Z")
There was a study reported recently about [tickling baby rats](http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/wonderquest/2001-02-07-wquest-tickling.htm). > [@](#): > > Jaak Panksepp and Jeffrey Burgdorf, neuroscientists at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, just concluded a study of rats. “We tickle rats just the way you would a young child,” says Panksepp in recent email. They chirp, kick their feet, and get excited — they’re especially ticklish about the nape of the neck, he says. Cute job!