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| Lance and his "mom" |
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| George relaxing with "mom" |
A recent study done in Britain tested hormonal responses to dogs and cats after spending time with their owners. They tested the hormone, oxytocin, which is known to stimulate pleasure in our brain and helps mothers to bond with their offspring. They used swabs to collect saliva from each animal before and after spending ten minutes playing with the pet owner. While dogs showed an increase in hormone levels of 57.2%, cats only showed a 12% increase. One dog showed a 500% increase in oxytocin levels. (Do you think George has a high level in this photo? Talk about relaxing with mom!
Similar studies in humans show elevations of oxytocin levels when interacting with animals. Proof that we enjoy time spent with our "furkids". I certainly feel happier and more calm when I am around my pets (both cats and dogs). Perhaps my cats aren't quite as happy to interact with me, but I'd have a hard time believing that at night when they are lined up sleeping on top of me.
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