• £20,000 ‘Madonna bra’ sculptures burned children: unusual artwork moved out of the sun

  An unusual £20,000 art installation that locals compared to Madonna’s iconic cone bra has been moved into the shade after complaints that its metal structures became scorching hot in the sun and could burn children, the Daily Mail reports...

• ‘They’ll Do Anything for Likes’: Influencers Accused of Photoshoot Beside Ambulance as Patient Was Being Treated

  It seems the race for viral content has reached a new level of absurdity...

• At 90, This Man Became a Social Media Star Thanks to His Impeccable Style

  At 90, John Fyfe has unexpectedly become the latest social media sensation. His wardrobe, more than 60 years old, is filled with classic American pieces, and his effortlessly polished style has earned him tens of thousands of followers, the Telegraph reports...

• Viral ‘Husband Application’ Sends Social Media Into a Frenzy as 36-Year-Old American Gets 241 Suitor Submissions

  Most people turn to dating apps in search of love. Arin Patterson decided to take things a step further — and opened a job posting, the New York Post reports...

• Ghost Billionaires: They Own the Sexual Fantasies of Millions, Yet No One Knows What They Look Like

  In her new book, Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else, the Financial Times journalist explores the people who control a multibillion-dollar market while choosing to keep even their identities secret...

• 81-Year-Old Billionaire With No Heirs Plans to Leave His Fortune to a Ghost Town

  Eighty-one-year-old billionaire John Poindexter has no plans to leave his vast fortune to relatives — he simply has no heirs. Instead, the businessman has decided to dispose of his wealth in a highly unusual way: he wants to leave it to the small, nearly abandoned town of Shafter, Texas...

• Girls and Boys Begin Responding to the World Differently Just Hours After Birth

  Researchers at the University of Cambridge suggest that factors acting before birth may play a role, particularly levels of sex hormones. Another possibility, they say, is that the differences may be linked to slightly faster cognitive maturation in girls during the first days of life...

• Crackers Worth More Than Gold: Six Fused Goldfish Crackers Listed for $25,000

  Forget lottery tickets — apparently, there may be a far more lucrative option these days: simply opening a bag of Goldfish crackers…

From The Simpsons to The Office, the trope of the "crazy cat lady" has been a pop-culture staple for decades. Now, a new study by Swiss scientists has given the stereotype actual scientific backing: women really do form stronger emotional bonds with their pets than men.

Researchers from the University of Lucerne surveyed more than 2,000 adults to closely examine their emotional relationships with their pets. The results revealed that women experience a deeper emotional attachment to their animals and are significantly more likely to view them as a primary source of social and emotional support.

Attachment Is More Than Just Ownership

"Human-pet relationships are far more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no' regarding pet ownership," the researchers explain. "Two people might each own a dog, but their emotional bond with the animal can be vastly different. Understanding these nuances offers far more insight than simply comparing pet owners to non-owners."

Surveying 2,328 participants, the scientists identified several key patterns:

• Who Binds the Strongest: Women, people who spend most of their day with their pets, and dog owners show the highest level of emotional dependence on their companions.

• The Health Benefit Illusion: Researchers found no evidence that owning a pet directly improves a owner's physical health.

The Dark Side of Pet Devotion

The findings also delivered a few surprises: pet owners, on average, reported health issues more frequently and were more likely to smoke compared to non-owners.

Furthermore, individuals who relied most heavily on their animals for emotional support actually suffered higher rates of loneliness and registered lower overall levels of psychological well-being.

By the Way: Cats Can't Tell Your Emotions Apart

This discovery aligns with another recent study showing that cats are fundamentally incapable of reading the emotional tone of the human voice. To them, our laughter, crying, or shouting sound virtually identical.

According to Dr. Serenella d'Ingeo from the University of Bari, rather than distinguishing between joy, fear, or sadness, cats simply enter a state of heightened alertness when hearing loud human vocalizations—an adaptive strategy that allows them to react swiftly to potential danger.

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram