Asked by: Stewart Morris, Hinckley
Lots of species, other than humans, get hiccups too. This annoying experience happens when something irritates the diaphragm into a sudden contraction, pushing air up into the lungs so quickly that the epiglottis in the throat shuts. Almost any animal with this kind of breathing system can suffer the same result, including all mammals.
Kittens often get hiccups although they don’t make much noise, while adult cats and dogs sometimes do if they eat too fast. Horses get loud hiccups and all sorts of animals have been filmed hiccuping including squirrels, otters and even a porcupine.
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