We name them, raise them, clothe them and spoil them. We describe them as manipulative, grumpy, sensitive and caring. And they’re not even human – they’re our pets. It’s in our nature to ascribe human characteristics to animals even if they don’t really exist. For this reason, in the interests of remaining objective observers of nature, scientists have taken pains to avoid anthropomorphizing animals. To talk about a dog’s having a swagger or a cat’s being shy would invite professional sneers.

(...)

_{(Newsweek, June 18, 2007)}

De acordo com o texto, os homens descrevem seus animais de estimação como