Humans do something similar. Back rubs, back scratching, running fingers through each-others hair, massage. Birds do it and its called preening, apes and chimps and monkeys do it and its called grooming, and humans do it... and we don't have an easy name for it, but we certainly need more of it. Its not erotic, its just intimate and feels really good. You can tell how much out interpersonal skills as a species suck by the fact that most of us are scared of physical intimacy. If we practiced more physical intimacy, asking for it and giving it, we would probably fix a lot of problems.



I'm not an MLP fan, but this? These kinds of feeling I can get behind. Closeness, knowing someone knows how you feel in that moment, trust. Wanting it is like wanting sex, which is why I can understand that some might mistake the looks on their faces with naughty, sexy expressions. Its that kind of basic itch, like hunger and lust, and just like hunger can be brought up to relishing a well-desired meal (hunger is the best sauce!) and lust can be brought up to loving, fulfilling sex, the same goes for "preening"- it goes from just scratching itches and getting clean to really deep closeness.



Get it straight, humans NEED this, and its not even perverted. Its kinda like you need that tea or coffee, or you need sex, or you need to read a book, or need long warm hugs. Its something that once you have it you are in a place mentally and emotionally that you enjoy and makes you feel better and do better, and without it you just can't be there. Humans have a lot of things like that it seems.