Dogs love more than cats. So what?
It has always been said that the dog is man’s best friend. And now, thanks to research carried out by British veterinarians and researchers, it has been confirmed that this is so. The study was conducted for a new documentary (Cats vs. Dogs: Which is best?) that the BBC network has begun broadcasting and it has been found not only that dogs are the most loyal pets, but also that they love their owners the most. Are you surprised?
The proof that dogs love their owners is based on the secretion of the “love hormone”, or, in other words, oxytocin. When a dog sees its owner, this hormone surges. After ten minutes of playing, the hormone shows a 57.2% increase, that is, it quintuples. How can this be known? Very simply: the researchers took saliva samples from ten dogs and saw that the same thing happened in every case.
There is therefore no doubt that dogs love. And a lot. But what are they going to tell us aristopeters, right? We’ve always known that…
However, the “controversy” arises when sit compares oxytocin secretion in dogs and cats. The research results show that, compared with the 57.2% increase in the love hormone in dogs, cats experience barely 12%. Therefore, it can be stated that dogs love their owners five times more than cats do.
The voices most critical of this study point out that there was no need to make this comparison, since every animal lover knows that cats are “more independent.” But, of course, that is precisely what the BBC’s new program is looking for: to reach two types of audiences, dog lovers and cat lovers, mobilize them and keep them engaged of each new broadcast until it is decided “which animal is better.” Ultimately, the aim is to create a certain amount of controversy and declare one species or the other the winner of this duel.
Although the data are interesting from an informative standpoint, there is no need to “pit” dogs against cats. It is an old debate and, in reality, irrelevant to anyone who truly loves animals.
Because when choosing a pet, each person has their own aspirations and desires. Sometimes it is simply a matter of affinity (“I love dogs” or “I love cats”). At other times, the choice of a pet is determined by specific needs, each owner's lifestyle and even the space available at home to accommodate the pet.
As they say, it is not good to generalize or fall into stereotypes. It is not good to do so with people. And it is not good to do so with animals either. Because every animal, whether a dog or a cat, is unique and has its own personality. In the same way, the connection that arises between an owner and their pet is unique and inexplicable. So according to science, dogs love more than cats. But so what?
Having said all that, we would like to hear each aristopeter's love story with their pet. What makes your cat the most special in the world? How does your dog show you that it loves you madly? We look forward to reading your stories in the comments. There is surely more than one example showing that the study… has gaps and exceptions.