I'm on fire today: another strange feature

[Caol Ila]

This one brought to you by the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/29/the-big-idea-do-animals-have-emotions

So overly reductionistic as to be baffling. I don't think the writer has ever had a pet, or a horse. Don't think anyone who has handled a panicked horse could write this. Need to go see my horses right now, but I'll leave this with you guys.

"A non-human animal’s fearful state is real for human observers but not necessarily for the creature itself."

 

[FestiveG]

Well I'm sure she considers herself to be very clever, however she appears to have never heard of adrenaline, cortisol or Co cortisol levels!

 

[stangs]

Written by a psychologist quoting a philosopher, projecting out-of-date views. The 'big idea' would be getting people who actually study animal emotions to comment on the subject.

She's not wrong that "the answers we provide [on animal emotions] may reveal more about us than about them" - this is a big thing in animal-assisted therapy, I am told - but, really, why pretend that this is an article on animal emotions and not on human attitudes to animal emotions?

 

[SEL]

Um. Head scratch time.

I fully appreciate that animals don't feel emotions in exactly the same way as each other and as humans and that's because we're ALL different animals. But I think if you hang around specific animals long enough you tune into their moods much the same as you tune into those of the humans around you.

My OH sent me a text yesterday whilst I was hand walking the Appy to check we were ok. He was in the field (out of sight of us - we were 1/2 mile away) and her long term companion had suddenly lifted his head, looked down in the direction we were and got very, very agitated. We were fine, but she'd got startled by some horses being turned out in a field next to the bridleway. Neither of them could see that, but the companion knew his best friend was upset from 1/2 mile away and my OH knew from watching him that something was up. Was he fearful? Well he definitely wasn't settled and he didn't settle until we got home.

 

[SilverLinings]

Hahahaha...whaaat???

The writer obviously missed all the research about sentience in animals that has been around for decades

 

[cobgoblin]

Hahahaha...whaaat???

The writer obviously missed all the research about sentience in animals that has been around for decades

Quite possibly that is, because her head is where the sun don't shine.
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