For many pet owners, this will come as no surprise. Both dogs and cats are wonderful pets — for the right owners. But when it comes to dogs, that mutual affection is a whole lot stronger.
Moreover, only 2050% of the cats in the study produced any oxytocin at all. Zak did, however, add that he believes the cats would have done better if the tests had taken place in their homes rather than a lab.
However, Zak’s research went one step further by including cats in the mix and examining the precise amount of oxytocin the animals were producing.
According to the Huffington Post, Zak examined the level of love that ten dogs and ten cats had for their owners. He found that dogs showed nearly five times as much affection for their owners as cats did. Therefore, even though cat owners are more likely to give their animals complete control over the house, their feline companions don’t reciprocate the same level of affection.
But according to a recent study conducted by neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak for the BBC2 show Cat v Dog, when it comes to love, canines and felines could not be more different.
To determine whether cats or dogs love their humans more, Zak took blood samples from each animal before they played with their humans, and then again after playtime was over, to check for the presence of oxytocin (aka the love hormone). “Its a chemical we produce in our brain when we care about someone,” Zak told the Huffington Post. “Its what mammals release to bond with their young.”
If you’re more of a cat person than a dog person, you’ll be happy to learn about the most recent news for dog owners. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access, first month free.
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