Petting of animals

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/petting-of-animals

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the therapeutic applications?Integral to Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) for managing stress, anxiety, and depression
2. What is the evolutionary significance?Can be linked to allogrooming behaviors that reinforce social bonds and trust
3. What is petting animals?Petting is when we gently touch a friendly animal, like a dog or cat, to show care and make both of us feel calm and happy.
4. Why does petting animals make us feel calm?When we pet, our bodies release oxytocin, the love hormone, and lower stress hormones. This can lower blood pressure and heart rate, helping us feel relaxed.

Allogrooming: Social grooming behavior in animals where individuals groom each other to strengthen social bonds.
Zoonotic Diseases: Infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.