The Sound Of Your Dog Crying Affects You Just The Same As A Baby Crying
The Sound of a Whimpering Pets Makes Us Just as Sad as a Crying Baby
A new study in Denmark found the sound of a whimpering dog or cat makes pet owners just as sad as the sound of a crying baby.
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The sounds dogs make are more compelling than cats though.
People who owned cats OR dogs found the sound of a whimpering dog just as distressing as a baby’s cry…
(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Vue )
But a cat yowling or meowing only sounded especially sad to people who owned cats as dog people didn’t care as much.
Researchers think it’s because dogs are just better at conveying their emotions than cats are, and “have more effective distress signals” than cats do.
So in other words, they’re just better at manipulating us.
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
And it’s also because dogs require more attention on a day-to-day basis, so we tend to form stronger bonds with them in general.
The researchers say it also might explain why we find having pets so rewarding.
Because we also have a big emotional response to the POSITIVE sounds they make, like purring.
