Do Pets Really Love Their Owners?
We know we love our pets, but do our pets love us? If by love you mean a strong attachment or bond to you, the main provider for their needs, then there are definitely signs that your dogs and cats care for you. Although we may never really know exactly how our dogs and cats feel, we can gain a lot of insight through understanding the natural history that shapes their behavior. Dogs are highly social animals used to living in packs, whereas cats tend to be solitary critters that take care of themselves. If you try to put yourself in your pet’s paws, deciphering their behavior towards you will shed some light on how they feel about you and the life you provide them.
Do Pets Feel Anything in Return for their Owners?
To understand our dogs and puppies, we need to remember their instincts are to form packs. Dogs are used to a firm dominance hierarchy and in this domestic situation you generally represent the top dog. Therefore, your dog will show its attachment to you by playing its role in the pack. The fact that your dog follows you around or tries to be around you shows how attached your dog has become to your presence. Your dog may cuddle up to you, lick you, or try to protect you. If you leave your dog and return home, your dog may wag its tail to greet your return. These are all behaviors that show your dog is attached to you and enjoys your presence and the life you provide them. Because dogs are such highly social and structured animals, however, they will tend to attach to whoever their pack leader happens to be, even if the owner is abusive. Thus a dog’s behavior will almost invariably be subservient to its master, but we can still distinguish some behaviors as caring rather than just merely submissive.
Cats, on the other hand, are generally independent and territorial animals. They are used to hunting for their food alone, but may tolerate the presence of other cats in their territory if the cats submit to their dominance in that area. They do not share food and they do not have the natural instincts to submit to you their owner and food provider. So cats may not inherently feel bonded to you, but this can definitely be earned from them if you treat them right. Cats will show their affection toward you by some of the same means as dogs, such as following you around, licking you, cuddling with you, or bringing you some food to eat (dead animals of course, how sweet). Lying on their backs and exposing their bellies is a sign of trust, as they are exposing their vulnerable side (dogs do this too). Cats may also purr or rub up against you to show affection, and all these signs indicate that your cat has become attached to your presence. When you pet or caress your dog or cat this could promote bonding, as it slows their heart rate, relaxes them, and makes them feel good, which they will associate with you.
Of course, the attachment your dog or cat feels for you may explain their behavior in your absence. Some dogs can get extremely anxious when their pack leader has left them and they are all alone to fend for themselves. Cats may even at times get anxious when you leave, and this typically occurs with cats that were weaned early. Dogs and cats manifest their anxious behavior through destroying things around your house, excreting in inappropriate places, vocalizing, or even injuring themselves while you are away. This kind of attachment behavior is destructive and needs to be reconciled appropriately.
