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A scritch is a deep, soothing scratch and a way to show affection to your pet. Scritching is the act of lovingly scratching those hard-to-reach places your pet can’t get on their own. And it isn’t only satisfying for your pet, scritching is also rewarding to you. Devoting time to petting and scritching your pet will give you a boost of oxytocin—a hormone associated with social bonding, trust, relaxation, and easing stress.
In response to a scritch, your pet might blissfully squint or close their eyes. You might see your cat stretch out her neck, both to give you better access and as a request to keep scritching. During a good scritching, your dog might start thumping his back leg on the floor or lick your hand as a sign of gratitude.
Best places for scritches
Every pet is different, and some areas might be more enjoyable than others, but these scritch spots are popular places to try:
- Behind the ears
- Top of the head
- Chin
- Back of the neck
- Front of the neck
- Chest
- Belly
- Outside of the back legs
- Back of the body, just before the tail
What is your pet’s favorite scritch spot?
Meet Our Writer
Stacy Painter
Stacy has always been an animal lover and has worked in the pet industry and pet insurance specifically for over a decade. As a writer since early childhood, content writing for Healthy Paws pet insurance was a natural career path to combine her two passions. She currently lives in Florida with her boyfriend and Taiwanese rescue dog, Kaya.