A New Study Suggests Your Dog Loves You More Than a Cat Ever Could
Recent studies have already shown us that pets make us appear more attractive to potential partners. Now, a recent BBC study shows what many of us already knew: our dogs love us way more than our cats ever could.
BBC TV documentary Cats V Dogs found that brain chemistry in our pets determined how much they love us. And the chemical responsible is one humans are familiar with: oxytocin.
Oxytocin, or “The Love Hormone,” is present when new moms bond with their babies, or, apparently, when we spend time with our four-legged friends. Testing oxytocin levels in cats and dogs both before and after 10 minutes of play with their owners, dogs’ love hormone levels increased almost 60 percent, where cats increased on average 12 percent.
But don’t get too high and mighty, dog people. Our furry friends even outperformed humans on the release of these hormones, leading us to believe that dogs may be the happiest creatures on earth.
So there you have it: If you’re looking for a little extra happiness in your life, you’ll probably be better off sharing your love with a pooch over a cat to spread that love hormone around (but a cat will help, too).
Are you a cat lover or a dog person? Tell us @Britandco!
(h/t People Pets; photos via Ben A. Pruchnie / Stringer + Bruce Bennett / Getty)
