The term "fur babies" probably needs to go away at this point. Or maybe not . . . because this might add a little more credence to the whole, "my pet is like my child" line . . .
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.
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.
But a cat yowling or meowing only sounded especially sad to people who owned cats. The 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.
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.