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.

  • samus12345@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    6 hours ago

    Yes, but not necessarily the same way we experience them. Dogs and cats don’t have the facial muscles to smile even if they wanted to and show pleasure in other ways.

    • sznowicki@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 hours 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
        2 hours 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.