Learn All About Animal Emotions

Do animals have emotions, feelings? This has been a hotly debated topic for years in which those with pets voted in favor and those who did not vote against. Some think that it depends on what type of emotions we talk about, if they are basic or advanced. What is clear is that the emotions of animals do not reach the human level and that they cannot express them in the same way. Let’s see first what emotions are.

What are emotions and feelings

An emotion is the biological or psychophysiological materialization of a mental state. It is produced by the release of hormones prompting it to act. They are less durable than feelings but can be felt with greater intensity. Among the emotions, 6 main ones stand out: anger, fear, joy, sadness, disgust and amazement.

A feeling is a manifestation of the emotions that becomes a lasting state. For example, when we were little and we did not like to have the lights turned off because it scared us, if they continued to do so, they would motivate that emotion of fear of the dark to become a feeling that lasted until adulthood, being afraid of the dark even when we are adults.

Therefore,  emotions are ephemeral, but feelings are long-lasting.

What the experts say

Since ancient times, the behavior of animals has been studied to find out whether or not they have emotions. For example, Aristotle supported the idea that animals are totally different from humans and that they cannot feel or express emotions, but act on instinct.

Descartes supported this idea also arguing that although animals yelled physical pain, it did not have to be accompanied by suffering, therefore, according to Descartes, animals do not suffer or feel.

However, there were experts in later times who supported the idea that animals could be moved and felt. Some of these were Jane Goodall, Mark Bekoff, and Darwin.

What the animals say

Although they cannot speak, they tell us a lot with their behavior. Who does not remember the movie “They Live” or “Hachiko”? Weren’t what they showed emotions? What’s more, I would dare to say that they were feelings.

Types of behavior that show emotions

Now let’s think about the way animals act in certain situations. Perhaps there are others in which they remain impassive, but the ones that we are going to see next show that animals do act in accordance with what they feel.

• When an animal is hurt. It cannot be denied that the animal manifests its pain by screaming, running away or crying. And if you try to do the same again, he will become defensive by showing his aggressiveness.
• When its owner dies. There have been thousands of cases in which animals wait day after day for their deceased owners, dying with the same sadness as the day they felt abandoned by them.
• When an animal is abandoned. When an animal feels abandoned, its vitality is extinguished. Do you feel lonely. Isn’t that emotions?
• When he sees us after a long time. Every animal that knows its owner is glad to see him after a while. Aren’t that feelings?
• When we yell at them. We are not talking about abuse, but about a scolding as every good father gives his children. A being without feelings would remain impassive to what we say to him. Yell at a plant and compare its reaction to that of your animal.

The debate will always exist and there will always be those who are in favor and those who are against. Also as in everything in life, there are those who have no interest in people thinking that animals have emotions. Why? There are many laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and beauty institutes that do research with animals and even extract substances from their bodies to create their products.

If animals were shown to really have emotions, your business would end up generating huge losses of money.

After seeing all this, everyone can draw their own conclusions. We have ours, and you?