Cats vs dogs: We have the answer to who loves their owner more

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People can be divided by being cat lovers or dog lovers.

And while we love our pets with all our hearts, can the same be said for them?

A new study has found which species loves their owners more, and the findings are pretty interesting.

 

The study was conducted as part of the BBC Two show Cats V. Dogs, and saw researchers measure the amount of oxytocin – a.k.a. the love hormone – in the two animals when they interacted with their owners.

Dr Paul Zak, who led the research measured the oxytocin levels ten minutes before a play session, and then again immediately afterwards.

"We have pretty good evidence that dogs actually love their humans. A couple of small-scale studies have shown that when owners interact with their dogs, the human and their dog appear to release oxytocin," Dr Paul said.

White Orange and Gray Tabby Cat Lying on Gray Textile

"It’s one of the chemical measures of love in mammals. Humans produce the hormone in our brains when we care about someone.

"For example, when we see our spouse or child the levels in our bloodstream typically rise by 40-60 per cent.”

And while it has been proven that dogs have immense affection for us, can the same be said for cats?

Person in Brown Cable Knife Sweater Holding White and Black Puppy

Well, the research found that oxytocin levels in dogs increased by an average of 57.2 per cent after playing with their owners, and the average increase in cats rose by… erm,12 per cent.

“It shows these dogs really care about their owners. It was also a nice surprise to discover that cats produce any at all. At least some of the time, cats seem to bond with their owners."

Well, at least cat levels rose a little bit…

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