Do Cats Dogs have heartbreaks?

[Draka]

And what of elephants who seek out the dead remains of their direct family members years later over and over (this has actually been observed several times) and trumpet and wail over them? No, no emotion there

 

[Falvlun]

Not heartbreak, but on the animal emotion front: my dog and I got back from a quick weekend trip to see my dad in MI. When we got back to our place, my normally frisky buddy plopped down on his bed and started snoring loudly. He was like a bag of rocks. He's like this after all and any trip, regardless of physical exertion (most of it for him is simply spent sleeping during the drive.) I'm pretty sure it's just an emotional toll that wears on him from not being at home in his normal surroundings, and having to be on guard for extended period of time. He gets home, he kicks off his proverbial shoes, and sinks into his favorite spot, with a nearly audible "Ahhhh. It's good to be home!"

 

[BSM1]

Thanks for laughs everyone. Now let's see some proof. Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that animals have human emotions. Surely.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Thanks for laughs everyone. Now let's see some proof. Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that animals have human emotions. Surely.

Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that humans have human emtions. Surely.

 

[futilethewinds]

Heartbreak? I don't know. But grief? Yes. One of my cats died and another cat kept sniffing the spot where she died for months afterwards, and the last cat kept crying out for no other reason for months. They took it very hard. But now, they are content again. In fact, one is even more happy than she used to be, not having to compete as much for attention.

 

[Falvlun]

Thanks for laughs everyone. Now let's see some proof. Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that animals have human emotions. Surely.

Why is my dog tired if he has not physically exerted himself?

 

[Draka]

Thanks for laughs everyone. Now let's see some proof. Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that animals have human emotions. Surely.

How about naming a scientific study that declares that there are such a thing as solely "human emotions" in the first darn place. You section those elusive things off for us first why don't you? Like I said, you're the one making the odd claim against everyone else here, YOU back it up. You can't do that, then perhaps you should just knock off this absurdity.

Oh, and even though you will never admit to the blanket insult to practically everyone else in this thread, don't think it forgotten.

 

[Me Myself]

Thanks for laughs everyone. Now let's see some proof. Surely there must be at least one scientific study that proves your claim that animals have human emotions. Surely.

What do you mean by "human" emotions?

I havent heard of a single study evidencing any animal (including humans) to have "human" emotions.

As I asked: a dog stops eating when he lost a loved one. Why do you think it is doing that if not sorrow?

This thread is filled with people giving examples of animals displaying emotions of sorrow similar to the way humans do, like stop eating because of mourning.

What do you make of that? Why do they stop eating?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Well, we could continue to wait on BSM1 to detail the distinction between "human emotion" and any other kind of emotion, or we could just assume he's full of it. Given the amount of times the question has been deflected, the last one seems more likely, IMO.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Emotions are observed from communication and from various established social structures. But it's important to note that if we are talking about "emotions", are we discussing basic instinctive emotions, like fear, surprise, and desire? Or more complex emotions, like empathy and jealousy?

I think it would be good to read some of Jane Goodall's studies on the behaviors and social structures of primates, Maslow's experiments on monkeys and listing hierarchal needs of bonding and attachment, as well as other ethologists studies on animal behaviors and brain structure and activity.

There is evidence to support that animals exhibit and experience complex emotions. Empathy and attachment have been documented, as well as mourning behavior in a variety of mammals, including cats and dogs.

Of course, this is nothing new to pet owners, but it is interesting to do a quick read-through again of Jane Goodall as well as some of her animal studies' colleagues.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Well, we could continue to wait on BSM1 to detail the distinction between "human emotion" and any other kind of emotion, or we could just assume he's full of it. Given the amount of times the question has been deflected, the last one seems more likely, IMO.

Or he could be playing us. I'm not sure, yet.

 

[BSM1]

How about naming a scientific study that declares that there are such a thing as solely "human emotions" in the first darn place. You section those elusive things off for us first why don't you? Like I said, you're the one making the odd claim against everyone else here, YOU back it up. You can't do that, then perhaps you should just knock off this absurdity.

Oh, and even though you will never admit to the blanket insult to practically everyone else in this thread, don't think it forgotten.

'
I'm not the one who has made such an outlandish statement that dumb animals feel and react emotionally as a human does. Back up your premise with proof or maybe you should take your own advice.

 

[Draka]

'
I'm not the one who has made such an outlandish statement that dumb animals feel and react emotionally as a human does. Back up your premise with proof or maybe you should take your own advice.

Everyone else here has said otherwise. Many nature programs have shown otherwise. Many articles have stated otherwise. You are the only one going and stating against the grain with such aplomb that you seem to think it everyone should just take what you say to be fact without even questioning you. Why should the overwhelming majority have to provide proof to the one and only person who won't listen anyway and won't back up anything they say?

 

[Falvlun]

The Wiki: Emotion in Animals is rather informative, and a good place to start a conversation, if our dear critic does actually want to discuss this in a civil manner.

 

[Me Myself]

'
I'm not the one who has made such an outlandish statement that dumb animals feel and react emotionally as a human does.

Well, the difference is there is likely far less lenguage to their emotional attachments (understanding "language" as in word language)

A newborn baby is less inteligent than an adult dog.

Do you think a newborn baby doesnt have emotions? Cannot be sad or lonely?

Bcause I cant tell you a whole lot of things the adult dog is way smarter than the baby. Word recognition, motor skills, patterns recognitions, social communications, etc

All those tested beyond doubt.

 

[Draka]

'
I'm not the one who has made such an outlandish statement that dumb animals feel and react emotionally as a human does. Back up your premise with proof or maybe you should take your own advice.

What about dumb humans vs smart animals?

Seriously now.

Try to think for one moment. You raise up a child in an environment where it is neglected and not shown any love or how to express any real emotion. Do not educate or care for the child at all beyond very basic life necessities, assuming all the time it has no emotions anyway to care about. What do you think becomes of said child? How do you think it responds to others? Now, take in a puppy or kitten, shower it with affection, train it well, pay positive attention to it and basically treat it exactly opposite of the child. Which will be more likely to show a full and comprehensible range of EMOTIONS well? The pet or the child? If you treat a pet like I described treating the child, then why would you expect to see understandable emotions? Even it's own natural parent/s would do a better job of caring for it than that. This is why a person who does not believe that an animal has emotions should not even have a pet.

 

[BSM1]

The Wiki: Emotion in Animals is rather informative, and a good place to start a conversation, if our dear critic does actually want to discuss this in a civil manner.

Nice try. However, nowhere in this article does it say "Yep, animals have human emotions". There is of course a lot of "maybe's", and "we feel's", and "if you squint your eyes up this behavior might almost nearly be close to human emotion", but no one signs on to a real conclusion. Just try to find a credible scientific study that concludes animals have and exhibit human emotions. My money is on none exists.

 

[apophenia]

Nice try. However, nowhere in this article does it say "Yep, animals have human emotions". There is of course a lot of "maybe's", and "we feel's", and "if you squint your eyes up this behavior might almost nearly be close to human emotion", but no one signs on to a real conclusion. Just try to find a credible scientific study that concludes animals have and exhibit human emotions. My money is on none exists.

So you need scientific evidence of the obvious. That is a statement about you, not about the emotions we can observe in animals.

You call yourself a buddheo-christian. Show me some scientific evidence of grace, nirvana or salvation.

My money is on none exists.

 

[Me Myself]

Nice try. However, nowhere in this article does it say "Yep, animals have human emotions". There is of course a lot of "maybe's", and "we feel's", and "if you squint your eyes up this behavior might almost nearly be close to human emotion", but no one signs on to a real conclusion. Just try to find a credible scientific study that concludes animals have and exhibit human emotions. My money is on none exists.

I ve seen no scientific evidence that you have human emotions either

 

[Draka]

I still want to know what "human emotions" are in the first place. Exactly where along the evolutionary chain did we suddenly pop up with these special things that all other animals somehow missed out on?