Have you ever noticed that human beings don’t pay much attention to the nonverbal signals we give each other? We get so wrapped up in our own personal dramas that we don’t evaluate clues offered by people around us.

Animals are smarter than that.

Like the wise gaze of an old magnum opus, an animal’s eyes follow their people around the room whenever they make a move. Their survival instincts are honed to gauge mood and behavior. And danger.

There are some human beings who have learned that it’s in their best interest to watch others more closely. Criminals in prison, for example. And victims of violent crime.

But in the case of animals who find a safe home to live out their time, it’s pure love that drives them. They can’t wait to see what we’re going to do next. Perhaps that’s why animal lovers find the riveted attention of their pets so intoxicating. Who doesn’t want to be the center of someone’s world?