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 ( = 237; 57% pet owners). Empathy toward and empathy toward were explored as possible mediators.