Close Topic Options

Do Animals Have Feelings?

It is the general opinion that animals do not have feelings. For example, when you step on an ant, you don't get put in jail!

Do you think animals maybe do have some emotion in them, after all? If yes, are there any specific animals that appear more emotional than others?

Edited: Smudge on 5th Dec, 2004 - 12:32am

Feelings Animals Do

I think that it all comes down to a matter of opinion. As you said, ants don't have feelings, but they don't really even think. I believe that animals have feelings, but they just deal with it. For example: My uncle traps, and one time his cat got caught in one. The vet had to amputate the leg, but within a few weeks, the cat acted as if nothing unusual happened. I mean, it was still catching gophers and mice!! That is, until a car ran over it intentionally

And I do not believe that animals can hold grudges, or can remember very well, because one time a friend of mine was hunting, and they were camped in a ranchers backyard. The ranchers had a few cats, and my friend decided to have some fun, by puting the cat in a bucket. It turned out the cat got stuck, and the rancher had to take a saw and cut the bucket so the cat could get out! That night, my friend actually had to scare the cat away, because it was purring so loud that he couldn't get asleep!

So apparently animals can remember stuff, but not really extensively. It also appears that animals do have feelings, but that they are very forgiving. Don't get me wrong, though, I enjoy hunting, but that is just part of the food chain.

Hope this helps!

Do Animals Have Feelings? UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

I am of the opinion that the smarter a species is, the more emotional it is. I think that intelligence and emotion should always be balanced, and those who are balanced are the fittest. Therefore, by survival of the fittest, ants, who are pretty dumb, didn't get to be very emotional. Those who were have probably died because they couldn't live through the day . And those that are more smart than emotional, had problems themselves. Intelligence overcomes instincts, therefore the only solution to that is to add to the instincts by emotions. That's why I think most animals aren't really emotional.

Ants, not at all - they act by instincts only. Cats and dogs a bit more smart, and also a bit more emotional. And Apes will probably be the most emotional, because they're the smartest and the most similar to us.

Feelings Animals Do

I also agree that the smarter the species, the more emotion, Smudge. However, I believe that in the beginning, when animals were really fighting to survive, animals didn't have much emotion. Back then the animals couldn't afford to wimper over a broken leg or a shredded ear. As you said, survival of the fittest. However, as time passed and the animals lives became easier, and some became domesticated, then they began to show their feelings, because they weren't constantly fighting to stay alive.

Tell me what you think!

Sharpshoey

Feelings Animals Do

I agree with you, sharpshoey, the more you need your instincts, the less you use your emotions, but it doesn't mean they're not stored in you, it's only that your instincts overcome them. I even did an essay on this once, based on the book Lord of the Flies, but I won't get into details.

Do Animals Have Feelings?

Ofcourse animals have emotions ! As for the ants example... I do not think they do not care about living or dieing... They will do everything to protect their species and we have to elaborate on the right definition for emotions before we can say that only "intelligent"species have such a thing

Do Animals Feelings

First of all, I disagree that an ant is an animal. Ants are insects, and while they have a very strong survival instinct, I believe they are driven by the "hive mentality" to protect themselves and their group. Emotions? I don't think so.

Secondly, we can't apply the full range of human emotion to animals. I'm sure that animals have emotions, but not on a human scale. I really doubt that a cat or dog would would become depressed or feel sorry for itself over losing a leg, but there are stories about dogs who "pine away" for their owners who have died; or who, upon being left behind when an owner moves away, follows them through major peril to themselves -- that's one of the strongest forms of love I've ever seen.

I've also seen dogs and cats both show great sensitivity to humans who are grieving or ill. The dogs whine and rest their heads or bodies against their owners, and are very somber; cats will purr and curl up on or next to their owners.

Birds seem to become more intelligent with size -- finches are pretty brain-dead, but Macaws and other large parrots are very intelligent and form strong bonds.

So, I believe that animals very definitely feel love, sadness, compassion, and courage (if that's an emotion), and that those emotions are certainly related to the level of intelligence of the species.

All of this is in my opinion, of course.
Roz

Do Animals Feelings Sciences Education Art Writing & UFO

I did have a cat who lost her leg and she was so depressed and sad to the point we had to force the little kittie to eat because she will not eat So I know they can feel emotions of sadness, depression and happiness when they see you after a long day of work...maybe not to the extent of human beings, although nowdays I have my doubts seeing how evil the world have become...it seems to me that animals have more feelings than humans.