Dogs really are man’s best pals

Pet lovers have long suspected it, but cats do have less loyalty to their owners than dogs, Japanese researchers have found.

Researchers from Kyoto University found cats made no distinction in their reaction to actors who they had witnessed helping their owner, as against actors who had refused to help.

The cats were equally ready to accept a treat from the actor, regardless of their interaction with their owner.

When the same experiment was repeated with dogs, the canines were less willing to accept food from the actor if they had witnessed them failing to help their owner.