You scratched that bug bite and now it's a big itchier bump. Some science explains why scratching can make things worse, even ...

You still have time to save your furniture from those adorable claws.

Scratching activates mast cells that release histamine and substance P, creating a prolonged itch-scratch cycle that worsens ...

When I adopted my two kittens at the beginning of this year, I made sure to provide them with plenty of places to scratch, in ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. If you’ve ever watched your beloved feline friend tear into your favorite couch or delicately shred the corner of your rug, you ...

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🛍️ Amazon Prime Day: The best deals chosen by our editors 🛍️ By Laura Baisas Published Feb 21, 2026 8:00 AM EST Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab) More information Adding us as a Preferred ...

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. In terms of evolution, reflexes like scratching an itch may not seem as ...

Ever had poison ivy? If so, you probably noticed that scratching made the rash much worse. But scratching an itch, especially one as intense as that caused by poison ivy, is nigh irresistible — and ...

Catch sight of someone scratching and out of nowhere comes an itch, too. Now, it turns out mice suffer the same strange phenomenon. Tests with mice that watched itchy neighbors, or even just videos of ...

In the first study to use imaging technology to see what goes on in the brain when we scratch, researchers have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so relieving -- and why it can be hard ...