Research: Dogs Actually Love Their Owners More Than Cats Do
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dogs are typically jumping up and down with their tails wagging and their tongues hanging out when their owner appears and cats are usually pretty stoic under any and all circumstances.
But, that doesn't mean your cat loves you any less than your dog, right? Wrong.
According to new research done for the BBC Documentary, "Cats v Dogs," dogs are scientifically more loving toward their owners than cats are.
Scientists conducted a test to determine which pet had a higher level of affection for their owner. Oxytocin is a hormone that is released by the body during loving moments. To put this to the test, scientists decided to measure oxytocin levels in cats and dogs before and after they saw their owners.
Saliva samples were taken from the animal prior to them getting ten minutes of play time with their owner. They then took them away from their owner and took another sample.
According to the study, dogs saw a 57.2 percent increase in oxytocin after playing with their owner while cats only saw a 12 percent increase.