Which love us more – cats or dogs?

A brand new TV programme is trying to answer a very important question: which make the best pets – cats or dogs? They found that dogs produce nearly five times more of the hormone.

But which do you prefer?

The dog vs.cat debate could be considered one of humanities biggest conundrums but have you ever stopped to think what your four-legged friend actually thinks about you?

Dogs because they are more interactive and they are lovable and so cute. “Or at least more cats would have produced more oxytocin”.

Zak said he was surprised to find any oxytocin at all in cats, which he said had never been tested for the hormone before.

Last year, a study at the University of California, Berkeley, found, through web-based surveying, that cat owners were more anxious than cat owners.

Dog owners officially have some bragging rights.

Scientists already know that canines and humans release the love hormone known as oxytocin when they are together.

In the study completed for the upcoming BBC Documentary “Cats vs Dogs”, Zak took saliva samples from 10 cats and 10 dogs prior to a 10-minute playtime session with their owners.

The neuroscientist checked the oxycotin levels in both cats and dogs after playing with their owners.

On average, dogs were found to produce nearly five times as much oxytocin than cats after frolicking with their human companions, with saliva levels rising by 57.2 percent and 12 percent from initial levels, respectively. “For example, when we see our spouse or child the levels in our bloodstream typically rise by 40-60 per cent”.

“It shows these dogs really care about their owners”, Zak added.

Encouragingly, both cats and dogs increased their oxytocin levels, proving they both do love us – even cats.

20 million years later there were more than 30 species of dog on the continent.