It seems baffling to animal lovers , but there really are some people out there who don’t like animals – and there could be a genetic reason for that divide.
John Bradshaw of Bristol University’s school of veterinary science and author of The Animals Among Us suggests that it’s our ancestors and the way they behaved with animals and pets that dictate how we feel about animals today.
“In the past, some societies or individuals – but not all – thrived due to an instinctive rapport with animals,” John wrote in an article for the Independent.
In his book, John proposes that in evolutionary cycles, a woman being able to care for an animal would have been seen as good mothering potential and make that woman more attractive, he also suggests that being able to be in tune to how an animal is thinking was useful for practises such as hunting and later, farming.
“Why doesn’t everyone feel the same way?” John muses in his Independent article.
“Probably because at some point in history the alternative strategies of stealing domestic animals or enslaving their human carers became viable.”
Interestingly, in his book, John also dismisses the idea of pets being “good for us” – despite many studies which affirm the opinion (including one from Dr Chris Brown). John’s argument that a pet is incidental to any health benefits which may occur from their ownership. He asserts that we get comfort from our furry friends on a deeper level.
Whatever the reason there is no denying that (most of us) just bloody love our animals.
