Sorry to all the cat lovers of the world, but I have always been, and will always be, the most pro-dog person around. And now that new research shows that dogs love their owners more than cats do, can you blame me? I mean, there's a reason they call dogs man's best friend — there's nothing quite like the feeling of having your pup wait for you to come home, and then shower you with affection and excitement the moment you walk in the door. Cats just never seem to match up. Sure, they're more than capable of showing you some love, but does a cat always seem to lose its cool just because you're in the same room as it? Will a cat lick your tears away when you're feeling down? Does a cat just look at you, and somehow understand the deepest feelings of your soul? I don't think so.
Well, it turns out that science is finally agreeing with a theory that deep down, I've always known: Dogs love us more than cats. Thanks to new research conducted for BBC's latest documentary, Cats vs. Dogs, there is finally evidence to support your dog's eternal devotion. To find out just how much either pet cares about you, researchers decided to test levels of Oxytocin, better known as the "love" and "bonding" hormone, in cats and dogs before and after they saw their owners. The researchers had 10 cats and 10 dogs give saliva samples to them before seeing their owners, and then released them for some play time. Once play time was up, the researchers took saliva samples again to see how hormone levels had changed.
The results were pretty astonishing. Contrary to the beliefs of some dog people such as myself, cats definitely love their owners. Comparing the two samples, the researchers found that Oxytocin levels went up 12 percent after a cat played with its owner. Can I get a group aw?
But that's nothing compared to how dogs love us. When the dogs came back from a good belly rub from their owners, their levels of Oxytocin went up a staggering 57.2 percent. According to neuroscientist, Dr. Paul Zak, this is pretty significant. "From this sample it's true to say that these dogs love their owners five times more than cats do," he said.
What's more, Zak noted, was that dogs may even love humans more than humans love each other. In past research, Zak found that humans who see a spouse or a child typically have a 40 to 60 percent increase of Oxytocin in their blood. So the next time anyone ever tells you that dogs have no concept of human emotion, especially love, you can throw this fact at them: dogs are better at love than we are.
And for all you cat lovers, fear not! Your cat still goes all heart-eyed emoji when you walk into the room, but that affection will never be anywhere close to your droopy eared, wagging tailed bud. It seems like in the battle of the pets, this point goes to the dogs.
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