Pets have been found to have the ability to feel compassion, empathy or even sympathy for their owners. 

 

A study published in Learning and behaviour journal suggests that a compulsion to help humans is present in some dogs, but not all. The study trapped owners’ humans behind a door either crying or humming. The reactions of the dogs were then recorded. The research found dogs in the distress condition opened at the door significantly quicker than dogs in the control condition. The dogs who did not save their human became extremely anxious meaning they potentially became paralysed with fear. 

 

Victoria Stillwell, the host of the Channel 4 programme ‘it’s me or the dog’ told Press Association that dogs don’t fully understand our emotions. “Even though we can say our dogs sympathise with us because they show consolation behaviour – for example, if we’re feeling sad, they might come over and put their head in our lap – that’s not empathy. But empathy is also about being emotionally in tune with somebody. Dogs are empathetic in that kind of way.” 

 

The newest finding is that horses are also able to understand and react to emotion. Research, published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, found that horses moved slower and carried their heads lower in the presence of physically or psychologically stressed humans, indicated by their heart rate.  

 

Another animal able to react to our emotions through our facial expressions is cats. Moriah Galvan and Jennifer Vonk of Oakland University, Michigan, studied 12 cats and their owners. The animals behaved differently when their owner was smiling compared to when they were frowning. It was found this behaviour only occurs with the cat’s owners. The results suggested two things: cats can read human facial expressions, and they learn this ability over time.