Your Pet Can Actually Fall in Love

A new study conducted by researchers in Arkansas suggest that our pets might have the same "love hormone," called Oxytocin, as us humans.

If our dogs and cats can actually experience love the way that humans do, could that explain the great lengths that we go to to keep our pets happy, and spend tons of money to keep them alive rather than replacing them?



Host: Dave Rubin
@RubinReport

Kelly Carlin @kelly_carlin
Rick Overton @rickoverton

The Rubin Report is a comedy and current events panel show on The Young Turks Network hosted by Dave Rubin. Comedians, celebrities and media personalities join Dave each week to discuss hot topics in the worlds of news, politics, pop culture and more.

[PhillipHunsberger]

Growing up, I found it strange that people didn't understand that other animals have feelings also.

[livinginvancouverbc]

After my cat was hit by a car and a stranger brought him to a hospital across town, it took me a few days to track him down. When I got him home and set him on my bed.. he wept and held my hand to his face with both paws. 

[Mexiladiesman]

If animals fall in love my golden retriever is truly madly deeply love with his teddy

[ScienceofBlue]

Oh great, now people are gonna argue animals can consent...

[chiconian]

Like Dave, I have a half basenji mutt. I have never known a more loving animal. Sometimes I think it borders on obsession. She always wants to be wherever I am and sitting next to me with her body leaning against mine.

[TheDajamster]

I love my cats & I know my cats love me.  They're not always up on my lap all of the time but they do follow me from room to room.

[dillinghammatt]

" that was a sheep shot " Hahahaha

[celticsaldirganlik]

This is NOT news. Anyone even slightly familiar with oxytocin knows all mammals have it. Glad it's finally getting press though.

[Than]

Funny you guys mentioned oxytocin in pill form, I wonder if there's an anti-oxytocin hormone so we stop falling in love with the wrong people.

[sega]

Not surprising.  
However, "falling in love" is kind of a stretch for this scenario.  Does your child "fall in love" with a mother?  Not unless he's incestuous.

"If you believe in evolution"

Evolution is not a belief system, it's the reality of the natural world. You would not say "if you believe in gravity".

[sharonodonnell]

Of course animals can feel emotions and fall in love. 

[TURTLEMMC]

Knowing the animals can be emotional and intelligent. I'm still going to eat meat.

[shandrill]

Don't forget, we are all literally made of the same stuff. Star dust. Everything in the universe is made from the same matter. Now I think that's scientific, and spiritual :-)

[brae]

Goats are smarter than people think, I saw one talk once

[MistressArte]

We evolved from a common ancestor, not from "these creatures". *facepalm* Like yes we love our dogs and they love us, because as a species we are both evolved to be social. This makes us a good match for each other, because we have common needs. We came from a common rodent type animal that survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Saying that we came from the animals in their current form is like saying that your ten thousandth cousin is really your sister. You might be genetically related to them by a small percent, but that doesn't make them your sister. Like of course the chemicals in us are similar to the same to other animals, it's why photosynthesis is relatively the same in most (day light needing) plant species, the chemical thingy that works well reproduces more. It's not necessarily the best, it's just the best that random genetic mutation can come up with to fit the niche that it's in best. I really wish people knew more about science. T__T

[THESocialJusticeWarrior]

This was good... then they tried to go supernatural :P

[Redacted]

The final question, is if chemicals are the expression of our emotion, or are the only thing with meaning over our interactions. Does morality have a place in a world where we know that all our brains are is a clump of neurons in a swirl of hormones?

[Joeybsmooth]

Kelly, that is not how evolution works.

[loveland]

kelly is a little confused about evolution i think