How Cats And Dogs Can Tell When Their Owners Are Sad

How do they know? Why do they care?

Kylin

• Published in Animals
• August 8, 2022

If you’re a dog or cat owner, it’s almost guaranteed you’ve experienced moments where they’ve shown an incredible amount of empathy. Whether it be attempting to comfort you when you’re sad, or an entire change in their own demeanor, these domesticated companions definitely seem to be able to tell when their owner isn’t doing well.

But why is this? Is it just another example of confirmation bias, or is it really a thing?

One Redditor wanted to know these answers, too, so they turned to r/explainlikeimfive community, the perfect place to go for any layperson-friendly explanations, to see if someone could provide an easy-to-understand answer. User MeowMixSong asked: “How can cats and dogs tell when their owner is sad, and why do they try and comfort them?”

And frankly, Redditors delivered several theories that could reasonably explain these interactions. Keep scrolling to see some of the top-rated and most plausible explanations we collected.

How indeed

A lot of folks suggest maybe it boils down to their powerful senses

"They can notice physiological changes"

That it could be evolutionarily benefical to pick up on slight changes in behavior

Or that it essentially boils down to body language

Animals are likely even better at noticing changes in body language

All animals, humans included, pick up on body language cues

Or a mix of both

Communication is a lot more than just talking

And because they care when they notice a change

Or that it is part of how selective breeding played out during domestication

The more friendly and responsive an animal was, the more likely they were used for breeding

The domestication of cats also plays into this theory

While domestication of cats helped, early socialization also plays a big role for cats

Maybe domestication led to dogs evolving "left gaze bias"

Link sourced

Social emotional cues were benefical to everyone

Another vote for evolutionary benefits

And others suggest more science-based reasons

Dogs Decoded 

Science of Dogs

Perhaps it's about the phenomenon of "emotional contagion"

Link sourced

exxocet shares the science behind body language and vocal cues

Or that it's simply a matter of receiving what you give

Our pets want to take care of us because they love us

Humans are animals, too

Dogs: beacuse they care. Cats: because they care about your weaknesses

Simply put: empathy

A General Theory of Love

Other commentors shared their own experiences with their animals showing empathy

This user accidentally taught his cat to be attentive when sneezing

Two commentors share experiences about dogs picking up on queues from people they don't personally know

Poppy the pug was very in-tune with her owner, and then her owners child

Have you experienced your pet attempting to comfort you when you were upset? What sort of pet was it, and what happened?

Tell us about your experience in the comments section below, and be sure to include your theory as to why or why not our beloved furry companions can tell when we’re sad or otherwise in need of comfort.

Kylin