That’s weird because babies are ugly. Cats, on the other hand, are just so… hey wait a minute, my cat stole my heart 💘😼
This spell, so potent… 😍🐈
Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 3 days ago
Human/animal bonding is added because their faces retain neotenic features that remind us of babies.. So many are inclined to relate to them like children.
From that article:
Accumulating behavioral and neurophysiological studies support the idea of infantile (cute) faces as highly biologically relevant stimuli rapidly and unconsciously capturing attention and eliciting positive/affectionate behaviors, including willingness to care. It has been hypothesized that the presence of infantile physical and behavioral features in companion (or pet) animals (i.e., dogs and cats) might form the basis of our attraction to these species.
It has been hypothesized that both behavioral and physical infantile features present in companion animals might form the basis of our attraction to these animals and may bear some part of the responsibility for our motivational drive to pet-keeping and pet-caretaking (Archer, 1997).
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
BussyGyatt@feddit.org 2 days ago
I think this might be a case of cart-before-horse. It seems obvious to me that domesticated animals have these traits because they were selected for by our ancestors, not the other way around.
Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
That’s true for dog, not for cats. It’s also immaterial since we’re talking about present attitudes toward pets.
BussyGyatt@feddit.org 2 days ago
I feel like the factors that shape our drive towards cuteness and what we find cute are not immaterial to our present attitudes towards pets… but no doubt you’re right to point out that there can be more than one factor at play.