Poll: do animals feel love?

[flamingjimmy]

I refuse to believe that human beings are the only creatures capable of feeling emotions (or that emotions are caused by things in the body, for that matter, but that's getting off-topic...).

Of course human beings aren't the only beings capable of emotions, but the thought that animals experience the same emotions as us is silly.

And of course emotions are caused by things withing our body, to suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

 

[Kagim]

Well it depends on what theory you go on when it comes to the term love.

The issue with love is just that its an abstract concept. Anyone can apply there meaning to it and its technically correct.

Does my cat love me? I would say so. That's because my thoughts on love surround faithfulness, loyalty, and need for specific affection. When i come home from work it doesn't matter what she was doing before she drops it to come cuddle with me. Even if shes being cuddled by somebody else she will leave them straight for me. I feel this shows she loves me very specifically.

Now, one could argue that my cat doesn't love me, only strongly prefers my company over other people, or that i have simply established myself as the alhpa male and she is showing submission to me. All are valid theories. Neither of us are wrong honestly, its just our perceptions on it.

I realize that my cat doesn't think of it as love. That's obvious. Cat's lack the powerful frontal lobes that allow humans to contemplate abstract feelings. But why do i still feel my cat loves me despite the scientific proof my cat is incapable of processing the idea of love?

Because i know if she could understand it she would. I know that when my cat cuddles into my lap and purrs softly she is happy. I apply my views of what love is to my cat. My cat might not have the mental capacity to grasp what love is, but she certainly can grasp that i am a being that will hug her,feed her and look after her. She can grasp that i am someone safe, that she can tell when i am gone and is excited when i come home.

That's good enough for me.

 

[jakkuss]

I don't know if my cat feels love for me, but I do know what I feel when I love my cat.

 

[Vitor Goncalves]

I think some feel it, not the majority thou. Would say mostly some mammals and some birds.

 

[Divine Miss Bee]

My science teacher classified that animals feel bonds rather than love in a sense that they only form relationships in order to get something out of it.

one can argue that human animals are no different. but i don't want to get into that...

animals don't feel "love" as we think of it, because human beings have overcomplicated the term. it takes higher thought to screw ourselves over as much as we have with the love illusions...

 

[Tempest Fennac]

I'd say yes for reasons which have already been stated.

My science teacher classified that animals feel bonds rather than love in a sense that they only form relationships in order to get something out of it. What do you think escapist.

Couldn't it also be argued that humans only form relationships because they want affection/to be with someone (assuming there's no other motives like money involved)?

 

[gim73]

Dogs only know two emotions: sarcasm and loathing.

Cats skip the middle man and go straight to loathing.

 

[War Penguin]

Yes, I believe that animals feel some sort of bond, maybe the same bond humans do. Maybe what humans call love is what we call love.

 

[Brad Shepard]

I refuse to believe that human beings are the only creatures capable of feeling emotions (or that emotions are caused by things in the body, for that matter, but that's getting off-topic...).

im siding with you on this one, whenever i come home form where ever i went, my inside dog runs up and starts jumping on me (Shes like, a foot long) And when i go outside, my other 3 dogs all start jumping on me (2 to 2.5 feet tall) so yes, they love.

 

[Icehearted]

In their own way, they do, they just aren't as complex about it as we are.

 

[Kiriona]

Even if they don't, it's REALLY hard not to love them. I find myself with more love for animals than people these days...

 

[likalaruku]

I myself don't understand that emotion, but my cats do follow me around constantly, demand endless pettings, sleep by my feet when I play video games, sit outside the door till I'm out of the shower, & snuggle next to me at bed time. Is that love, or do they think they're children?

 

[sylraiana]

Yes and No,

Most animals indeed only form bonds of affection for their own purposes, they form groups for hunting or surviving and need displays of affection to keep the group together. Whether this is love is debatable, but primates display similar behavior to our own displays of affection.

What we usually call love is mostly a hormonal thing, you choose your partner based on the chemical mixture that is in his or her distinctive body scent. (Not going into detail here, no expert on these things XD) So, if that's what we call love, then yeah, it's the same in the animal world, just because we (think we) are higher developed than most animals our feelings paired with things like infatuation seem more complex and deep. Though it is a fact that animals can feel our emotions, and not all of them take advantage of our states of weakness.

Easy example: The dog.
They started hanging out with us millions and millions of years ago, because we offered easy food and shelter. And in return, they became our companions. A 'good dog' won't leave his 'owner's' side for a minute, will protect him with his life and bring comfort. They feel our emotions and react to them.
A lot of people will tell you that when something really bad happened to them and they were deeply depressed or sad, their pet came to them uncalled as if to try and comfort them. This does sound a lot like love. It is behavior without much benefit for the animal (as most dogs actually don't really benefit from cuddles and hugs as they do from petting which resembles the grooming of their mother).

So, I don't really know if love would be the right word, but that's what I'd call it.

 

[ffxfriek]

i say yes my 7 cats all love me unconditionally and were all 1 big happy family

 

[HT_Black]

In all truth, I'd say it depends on whether their chemical makeup at any given moment stimulates the ill-defined mixture of sensations called "love".

Just the same as humans.

 

[robert022614]

well personally there are infinite definitions of love really. some people think love is something different than other people do. that doesnt mean that person doesnt feel love, but just has a different definition of it. so in this regard i think love is an individual and unique feeling for each and every person to define on their own and if someone defines love within the capabilities of an animals survival instincts or loyalty or whatever then more power to ya

also just my opinion

 

[mkg]

Animals are just big balls of emotion from what I can tell, kind of like a baby. WHile they may not have the mental capacity to feel as deep and wonderful a love that a human being can, I'm sure they develop a special bond to those that they spend their lives with.