People with this character trait understand pets best 0 3

In order for a pet to bring joy, it must be properly raised, advises Doctorpiter. You should not hit, slap, or yell at your pet — this will only awaken the aggressor in them, and you will not achieve obedience. A kitten or puppy should be praised for good deeds and shown how upset you are by a puddle on the floor or ruined slippers.

You may have noticed that even if the pet is raised by all family members, it still gravitates towards one person. Over time, their attention becomes the most desired reward, commands are followed on the first try, and the pet demonstrates that this person is their favorite owner.

Why does this happen? Which people understand pets best and know how to get along with them? These questions were explored by scientists from the University of Copenhagen. In their research, they sought to determine who best reads animal emotions, for example, can tell if a pet is stressed or, on the contrary, happy and cheerful.

The experiment involved 1,024 people from 48 countries. Participants were asked to listen to how various animals “talk”: sheep, horses, pigs, cats, dogs. Then they were asked to evaluate the results. It turned out that people with a well-developed sense of empathy understood animals best — those who can sincerely empathize even with acquaintances and always know how to comfort and support.

— We also noticed that the longer a person works with an animal, the better they understand it. This applies, for example, to experienced farmers — they generally know why a sheep has stopped eating or why a horse has become aggressive, — says Elodie Briefer, one of the authors of the study.

Age also plays a role. The results showed that people aged 20 to 29 understand animals best. At the same time, young people under 20 understood animals much worse than older individuals.

An interesting fact: the older a person is, the worse they understand their pet.

— It was surprising for us that empathy towards humans and animals is directly related. The more a person can empathize with their own kind, the better they understand other species, such as horses and dogs, — the scientists commented.

However, every person can develop their empathy. For example, the longer participants listened to animals, the more correct answers they had.

The scientists also concluded that education level, gender, and having children do not affect the ability to feel and understand animals. Thus, the statement that a mother of many children will get along better with a cat than a single man is a myth.