Hi, all,
 
In the words of A. Elk of Monthy Python fame, "I have a theory."
 
My fuzzies sometimes do this too (yawn when I scratch their heads or
shoulders.) And my cats too sometimes.  I remember when both my cats and
ferrets were young, they would yawn endlessly if I would scruff them, for
example to punish them.  I have also noticed that a scruffed animal goes
completely limp.  Even now when I scruff my fuzzies to trim their nails,
they go limp and they invariably yawn.  (Their weight is supported on my leg
while I do this--please don't flame me--when you're single, ya does what ya
can to make nail-trimming time a little less unpleasant for all concerned!)
I'm wondering if the yawn response isn't linked directly to the scruffing.
For example, when an animal is scruffed, I'll bet it's oxygen supply is
compromised.  I bet scruffing restricts air flow through the throat.  Plus,
going limp makes you breathe more shallowly, right?  I've always heard that
yawning is a physiological response to oxygen deprivation.  So therefore,
when an animal is scruffed, it yawns to counteract the fact that is won't be
getting as much air during the scruffing.
 
Now here's the possible connection.  Scratching the shoulders feels kinda
like a scruffing about to begin.  Maybe when the animal feels that, it
triggers the scruff=yawn response.  So the yawn response to a scruffing is
an instinctual response that happens for a perfectly physiologically valid
reason.  But a shoulder scratching feels like the beginning of a scruffing,
and perhaps the yawn response is a misplaced instinct in this case.
 
Any veterinarians or ferret psychologists out there that care to comment
on this theory?
 
        Eric
[Posted in FML issue 1596]