Audience: Elementary and Middle School Students
Rabbits tend to lick, nibble and groom each other as a way of showing love and affection. Photo courtesy of Lorna Ladril on Unsplash.
In the world of critters and creatures big and small, love has a special way of hugging our hearts. Just like how we humans show our affection with hugs, kisses or high-fives, animals also have their own unique and charming ways of expressing love towards both humans and each other. If you’ve ever experienced a dog wagging its tail at you, or a cat curling up in your lap, that’s an animal’s special way of saying “I love you.” They may not use words or write letters, but they express their feelings nonetheless through rubs, purrs, licks, or even just by sticking by your side.
One of the strongest ways that humans and animals alike express their love is through physical contact. When you come home after a long day at school, your faithful dog bounds out to greet you, tail wagging, ears flapping, and brimming with doggy kisses. That's their way of saying “I missed you! I’m so glad you’re home!” Cats might seem more reserved, but they show affection in subtle ways. You might have noticed a cat bumping into you, rubbing its head on your pants and snaking around your legs. This is a behaviour known as bunting. Cats have scent glands all over their body, including their face. These glands release pheromones that have their specific scent, used to leave nonverbal messages to another member of their species. When they bump their heads against you, they are leaving their scent, like how we leave footprints in the sand. It's your cat's way of saying, “This is my human, and I love them very much!” They aren’t just marking their territory — they’re marking you as family.
The animal kingdom is full of examples of close bonds. Wolves travel in packs, mother otters can care for two litters, and elephants appear to mourn their dead. While many bonds are familial, there are also examples that seem like romantic love. For instance, albatrosses keep coming back to the same partner their whole lives, which can sometimes last over sixty years. Other animals, such as otters and penguins, similarly mate for life. Penguins are especially adept at this– when trying to find a mate, a male penguin will find the smoothest pebble to give to a female as a gift. If she likes it, she’ll place it in her nest and the two will continue building up their stockpile of pebbles in preparation for the eggs. Other than giving their partner thoughtful gifts, penguins often dance for joy at the sight of someone they love.
The love between you and your pet goes beyond affection for each other– it can be good for you as well. When you and an animal have a special friendship, it is known as the human-animal bond. You and your pet care about each other and make each other happy. You like to play with your pet, and your pet likes to be with you. Sometimes, your animal friend can help you feel better when you are sad or scared. You can also help your animal friend by giving them food, water, and love. Having an animal friend can make you healthier and smarter. Scientists have found that a number of positive neurochemicals, or signals given to your brain, are elevated when we’re with a pet, causing excitement and reducing loneliness. Those chemicals are all elevated in pet owners— and in pets! At the same time, cortisol, the stress chemical, goes down. Animals love both you and each other just as much as you love them– they just show it in their own unique way.
Bibliography:
Barker, Lauren. “How Do Pets Show Love?” NC State News, https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/02/how-do-pets-show-love. Accessed 10 Jan. 2024.
Bonnin, Liz. “Liz Bonnin on Animals In Love: How a Pair of Greylag Geese Could Rival Any Great Romance.” BBC, 30 Jan. 2015, https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/entries/dc2f608c-1890-4fa1-8f6f-775fa52475f4. Accessed 10 Jan. 2024.
D.M.Sci., Ph. D. Berit Brogaard. “Can Animals Love?” Psychology Today, 24 Feb. 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mysteries-love/201402/can-animals-love. Accessed 10 Jan. 2024.
Golembiewski, Kate. “Do Animals Fall in Love?” Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/do-animals-fall-in-love. Accessed 10 Jan. 2024.
van Heeckeren, DVM Anna M. “The Power of the Human-Animal Bond.” One Health Organization, 26 Jan. 2023, https://www.onehealth.org/blog/the-power-of-the-human-animal-bond. Accessed 10 Jan. 2024.
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