Can pets like cats and dogs actually feel love (chicken, animal, how)
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He makes this sound which I call "snorkeling," which shows his love and contentment, and he "kisses" me - licks my arm. He goes looking for me in the house. He stares at me, lovingly - and I had a cat who did this, as well. Yes, it is love.
I have had numerous dogs and cats over the years, and yes, they actually can give and receive love. Currently, we have two cats at home and one who was feral, but now who lives in our shop office. All of them respond in a very loving way when we enter the room, and it has nothing to do with being hungry.
We lost one kitty a year ago, and he was crazy about my one son, who raised him from a kitten. He loved me too, and would be sitting on my lap, but as soon as my son came in the door I was cast aside, and he would run up to my son and jump in his arms. As for animals loving each other, in Chewys final days, our other cat, Daisy, would lay by his side all night, and just lay there as if to comfort him. After he passed, she kept walking around the house for days, looking for her pal. It was sad to watch.
Even the feral who lives in our shop office loves to lay on our lap in the recliner, and just lay there looking up at us. She can have a dish full of food, and will ignore it and jump up on our lap, preferring attention to food.
Non pet people will never understand, you have to be there to get it.
Do wild animals that live in packs feel love for their pack mates?
Do the mothers feel love for their children, and then feel extreme sadness when one of the young die? What is the motivated factors that makes mother mammals raise their young for a bit?
I lived with a large, brave cat, that risked his life several times, by attacking and driving off big, vicious dogs that came into our yard and threatened me. He had lived next door when I moved to my house, but decided he preferred to be with me. The neighbors were good enough to leave him behind, when they moved away. He would follow me everywhere I went around the neighborhood and would join me in making social calls. He became one of the best-known residents in the area.
He was always looking for gentle words or petting from me, more than he wanted food. In fact, he wouldn't even begin eating, until I'd stroked and sweet-talked him for awhile. Near the end of his life, when his kidneys were failing and he'd lost a lot of weight, a large dog came snarling at me in our front yard. He dashed past me, screeching and clawing and chased it off, despite his weakened condition. That dog was at least five times his size and could have killed him. How could anyone not see love coming from that cat?
I have spent a lot more time around animals of every description than I have people.
You can assume that mammals have the same emotions as we do. Because we are in the end just another mammal. They may not have the thoughts that we do but they have the same emotions. Whether they have similar emotions toward us that we have toward them is a different question. Pack-social animals (dogs) and flock/herd-social animals (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and also parrots and their kin) readily transfer their relationship emotions to humans, especially if deprived of the company of their own kind. But my experience is that virtually any mammal can do this.
I think the reason this question of "do animals feel?" comes up so often is that first, we want to feel superior, second, many people are appallingly ignorant of the rest of the sentient world, and third, it is convenient to believe that animals don't have "feelings" because then we can exploit them and cause them anguish without guilt.
I feel bad about eating meat now. What about fish? Do they feel love?
You won't be missing much if you cut back on red meat or eliminate it. That's not me saying that, doctor's readily say now it's not heart healthy. I won't say too much about vegetarianism as some people take it as preaching at them even if you are not. Just want to briefly note, I am a strong believer in science and I find it interesting that that so many people living in societies where people live to over 100 yrs old are primarily vegetarian. Okinawa Japan is a perfect example. Genetics and an active lifestyle factor in, but even with little access to modern health care there are some living to 115. The meat consumed (if any - it's usually fish) is about 5 times a month on average.
Fish are harder to study as they are not mammals. It's hard to believe some think they don't feel pain. Recent studies show they feel pain and have emotions too. I know their societies are complex. The bolded parts in article link to interesting studies too.
One thing that is a given with pets and all other animals is that they wake up happy every day and love life. You don't have to have one to see that. "Love" is a human concept but we know that happiness and the ability to love are intertwined. Their happiness is undeniable, so for that reason (among many others) I see them as being able to give and receive love in a true sense.
I have spent a lot more time around animals of every description than I have people.
You can assume that mammals have the same emotions as we do. Because we are in the end just another mammal. They may not have the thoughts that we do but they have the same emotions. Whether they have similar emotions toward us that we have toward them is a different question. Pack-social animals (dogs) and flock/herd-social animals (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and also parrots and their kin) readily transfer their relationship emotions to humans, especially if deprived of the company of their own kind. But my experience is that virtually any mammal can do this.
I think the reason this question of "do animals feel?" comes up so often is that first, we want to feel superior, second, many people are appallingly ignorant of the rest of the sentient world, and third, it is convenient to believe that animals don't have "feelings" because then we can exploit them and cause them anguish without guilt.
This!! We can't exploit/abuse/eat what we love, value and respect. Also, religion with the "animals have no souls, we can do what we want with them, etc." rhetoric devalues other sentient beings.
Do wild animals that live in packs feel love for their pack mates?
Do the mothers feel love for their children, and then feel extreme sadness when one of the young die? What is the motivated factors that makes mother mammals raise their young for a bit?
"Love" is a little squirt of dopamine into the right place in our brain at the right time. This is true in people and in animals. Humans interpret that as something we call "love". Who knows how animals interpret it but I doubt it is the same. With highly social animals, which includes wolves and ants, I imagine it is pleasurable and that promotes the socialization.
We humans romanticize the biology behind this. I really doubt that humans 10,000 years ago when we were hunter/gatherers had a notion of love. Love is a modern thing we have dreamed up.
"Love" is a little squirt of dopamine into the right place in our brain at the right time. This is true in people and in animals. Humans interpret that as something we call "love". Who knows how animals interpret it but I doubt it is the same. With highly social animals, which includes wolves and ants, I imagine it is pleasurable and that promotes the socialization.
We humans romanticize the biology behind this. I really doubt that humans 10,000 years ago when we were hunter/gatherers had a notion of love. Love is a modern thing we have dreamed up.
This modern human disagrees with you.
We cannot be reduced to a chemical reaction.
As a child, I spent part of each summer on my relative's farm and can remember lying awake at night hearing the cows crying after they were separated from their calves.
Yes, their cries are distressing and undeniable. I got to know cows and found many to be very affectionate. They all have different personalities like our pets. My neighbor's cows would always run to see me as I fed them apples from my tree. They liked doughnuts too. Pigs are great also. One loved my dog and he would come running to him to play. He would also roll over for belly rubs.
I once came across a robin mother and that is another that will cry terribly and is fiercely loyal to her young. I found a baby robin who had fallen out of a tree and injured it's wing. I kept it in a cat carrier outside with water and straw so it would be safe from predators. When the baby was on the ground, I never heard such crying from a bird. Once it was safe, the crying stopped. The mother was never far away and would feed it worms about 6 times a day through the crate bars. Best mother ever. In a week it could fly enough to get off the ground and they went off into the woods together. (Hopefully ok)
I saw a goose last fall sitting on a curb at the grocery store. It was still there when I finished shopping. I asked the employees about it and they said they see it every year around migration time sitting outside for days. It's mate was killed there and it still goes back looking for it.
When I really think about it, there are tons of examples of animals of all species showing love and loyalty.
I have spent a lot more time around animals of every description than I have people.
You can assume that mammals have the same emotions as we do. Because we are in the end just another mammal. They may not have the thoughts that we do but they have the same emotions. Whether they have similar emotions toward us that we have toward them is a different question. Pack-social animals (dogs) and flock/herd-social animals (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and also parrots and their kin) readily transfer their relationship emotions to humans, especially if deprived of the company of their own kind. But my experience is that virtually any mammal can do this.
I think the reason this question of "do animals feel?" comes up so often is that first, we want to feel superior, second, many people are appallingly ignorant of the rest of the sentient world, and third, it is convenient to believe that animals don't have "feelings" because then we can exploit them and cause them anguish without guilt.
This comes from the Christian bible that says that "man has dominion over the animals." That one idea has wrought so much pain and anguish in the world.
I am glad people are waking up.
Yes, we are mammals!!!!
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