Do cats and dogs actually feel affection when you treat them right or is it really just an instinct for “more food and drink” etc?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen dogs, cats and other domestic animals smile because they’re happy and show love to their owners for treating them right.

Yeah I see memes but those are either photoshopped or snapped at the perfect moment to make it look like they’re smiling.

  • sznowicki@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 month ago

    Dogs are very good in “facial” expression and body language. They can also read human facial expression.

    With cats I agree. Cats are assholes and should be kept outside like pigeons and rats.

    • samus12345@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      Consequence of being with humans for 30,000 years. Dogs can read human tone, facial, and body language better than any other animal, including our closest relatives, chimpanzees.

      I’m a cat lover. It’s true they can be assholes, but they can be affectionate as well. They’re not nearly as domesticated as dogs are since not only have we only been living around them about a third as long, but they only really started living indoors with us in the last hundred years or so. They’re semi-domesticated.