Not Just Instinct - Animals Have Feelings and Emotions Too

Animal experts attribute most animal actions and thoughts to instinct. It seems that they don't give our dogs, cats, birds and other pets enough credit. Why? Because there are documented cases of peoples' pets saving them from fire, fending off attackers and other brave acts. How do we truly know that our beloved pets are doing these things strictly from instinct? Though I'm not an animal behaviorist or scientist, throughout life I've watched and worked with many different animals. I believe that they have feelings, and are more like us emotion-wise than we give them credit.

For example, lately in the news, a woman reported that her Golden Retriever gave her the Heimlich manoever when she was choking on a piece of apple. He kept jumping on her chest until the apple ejected from her throat and flew across the room. Then, he ran over and ate it (he still is, of course, a dog). He knew his owner was in danger and responded to it. Now, that's devotion.

When we go away and leave our dogs behind, some actually have separation anxiety, where they cannot bear to be without their human. Doggie daycares are filled with dogs that miss their owners when they go to work, and need distraction. I think that is a great service, to keep a bored or sad pet from tearing up the house while pining away for its owner.

Anyone who has multiple animals can tell you that they do feel jealousy. If I pet one of my cats, the other one has to come over and push him out of the way. They even fight about who gets to sit next to me on the couch. The winner will sit in the place of honor, triumphantly smiling. I've seen dogs who can smile, too. One cat of mine can frown. When he is mad at another cat, his eyes shoot daggers at the other cat. When whatever is bothering him passes, he goes back to his same old easy going self. There is a night and day difference in his facial expressions. To me, it sure comes across as emotion over instinct.