Can Animals Love

Johnnytoxic

Johnnytoxic

Johnnytoxic

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I think my other thread verged off into another topic so I thought this would make an intresting topic on it's own.

Apparently your dogs are using you and do not love you. We are been abused for food, water and shelter. I would love to know more from people that have studied animal behaviour.
 
Johnnytoxic said:
I think my other thread verged off into another topic so I thought this would make an intresting topic on it's own.

Apparently your dogs are using you and do not love you. We are been abused for food, water and shelter. I would love to know more from people that have studied animal behaviour.
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I'm not the one that feeds the cat yet it greats me and won't stop meowing until I pick it up when I get home.

So yes, animals can love.
 
I hope JimpsEd sees this thread else it's going to be a one sided debate. I do however think some animals cannot feel certain emotions and are just acting out the way they are inclined.

Rabbits ( so dumb )
Hamsters
Birds
 
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They definately can, especially the way dogs and cats show their emotions towards us.

I went away for a bit once, and my cat had to stay at my parents house, I left my jumper on the bed in their spare bedroom, and the cat slept on it every night for a week because it smelt of me.
 
Animals can become loyal (they always come home etc) but i think its through repetition that they almost appear to love.

ie a cat meows at you a lot, it gets treats, either picked up and stroked or fed. It learns that by doing this, it gets that.

Its how most animals can be taught.
 
1) A bunch of people talking on the inetrnet cannot decide this, extensive tests need to be done on said animals brains.

2)go cut up some kittens
 
i dont know if pets do love or just that they get very attached to their owner who provides everything for them
 
Frazzles said:
They definately can, especially the way dogs and cats show their emotions towards us.

I went away for a bit once, and my cat had to stay at my parents house, I left my jumper on the bed in their spare bedroom, and the cat slept on it every night for a week because it smelt of me.
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Love is a very specific set of patterns in the brain. It could very well be loyal friendship that a dog is showing or it may not have any human comparision at all.

Burnsy
 
Animals get used to routines, especially cats and dogs. If you change the routine by going away then often they will sit where you would normally sit, or sniff jumpers etc. its not love it just trying to cope with the change in routine.

A dog will come and nuzzle you and kiss you, its re-assuring its place in the pack. Its not doing it because it "loves" you its doing it because that how dogs work mentally.

I have 2 dogs and a kitten and i love them all to bits but im under no illusions that they dont love me back, they feel safe around me and they creep upto me with nuzzles and kisses but in reality they just want food and a warm place to sleep... i provide that so they suck upto me :D
 
AtreuS said:
I have 2 dogs and a kitten and i love them all to bits but im under no illusions that they dont love me back, they feel safe around me and they creep upto me with nuzzles and kisses but in reality they just want food and a warm place to sleep... i provide that so they suck upto me :D
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Could we really know what goes on in a dogs mind. We don't really know how our own brain works.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
We know more about the surface of the moon then we know about the human mind.

Burnsy
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Where did you drag that from?

Things we know about the surface of the moon are pretty basic, but thats because theres little to know about it it's a simple thing.

We know far far more things about the brain, just theres a hell of a lot of other stuff too.
 
Would you consider the attachment an animal forms with its mother to be love?

If so, then if animals can form similar attachments to humans, then they can feel love for them too.

Don't forget that humans are animals too, and our emotions aren't based any less on instinct than animals.
 
I rarely feed my cats, yet one of them climbs up on me and purrs on my lap every day, often going somewhere else to sleep after. He seems to get aggitated if he can't cuddle up to me, and if I've been out all day, he starts to push his way onto my lap regardless of what I'm doing.
 
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