Having had many pets of my own and looked after a number of others for family and friends, I know pets enjoy my company as much as I do theirs because they typically want to be close to me and get excited when I spend time with them on walk or playing a game at home. Sometimes when they stare at me, I think they are looking for visual clues on how to please.
What I know for sure is that if we all demonstrably love our animals, it is very likely they love us right back in return. The photo, whilst not recent, shows how up close and personal I love to get with animals....