The Influence of Pet Owners’ Empathy on Perceptions of Dog and Cat Distress Vocalizations and Caregiving Behaviors

Although vocal communication between humans and domestic animals is common, there has been limited research on how humans perceive the emotional content of animal vocalizations. This study investigated the relationship between pet ownership and sensitivity to negative emotion in dog and cat distress vocalizations (<i>n</i> = 237; 57% pet owners). Empathy toward <i>animals</i> and empathy toward <i>humans</i> were explored as possible mediators. The links between pet owners' levels of sensitivity to animal distress vocalizations, empathy toward <i>animals</i>, and pet attachment and the care they provided to their pets were also examined. The findings revealed that current pet owners perceived both dog and cat distress vocalizations to be sadder than current non-pet owners. The link between pet ownership and sensitivity to dog (but not cat) distress vocalizations was fully mediated by empathy toward <i>animals</i>, but not mediated by empathy toward <i>humans</i>. Sensitivity to negative emotion in distress vocalizations was not a strong indicator of the level of care provided to dogs and cats. On the other hand, higher levels of empathy toward <i>animals</i> and pet attachment might be better indicators of humans providing more stimulating and enriched lives for their pets.