SCIENCE | PET OWNERSHIP
The Science Behind Why You Want to Bite Your Pet
There is a reason you want to take a chunk out of those cheeks
Have you ever looked at your dog, cat, or baby with an overwhelming urge to bite or squeeze them? You have probably exclaimed, “I can’t stand it,” in response to the irresistible cuteness. It’s almost uncontrollable.
I am going to eat those little toe beans.
Let me take a chunk out of that fuzzy little belly.
Nom nom nom, I am going to bite those cheeks.
These are just a few of the things I say to my cat daily, sometimes multiple times a day. And I may or may not have actually bitten a toe or two.
I mean, who can resist?
It turns out there is a reason people feel the desire to “eat cuteness.”
Cute aggression
Cute aggression is defined as a superficially aggressive behavior caused by seeing something cute, such as a human baby or young animal. I know it doesn’t sound super scientific, but there is truth to this phenomenon.
People experiencing the feeling of what I like to call “cuteness overload” may exhibit behavior such as gritting their teeth or clenching…
