Does your pet love you?

T said it was the first time he'd been friendly to anyone in months. She cried.

Miranda would come up, and look at him happily, but jumping on him through the towel was a special morning game he and Maggie played, and Miranda didn't "get" it.

kickycan wrote:

I think my cat looks at me with love. Love like a kitten feels for it's mother or father. And I think it's the same kind of love and attachment we have for our parents. Cats can feel love in that way. Dogs can too. At least that's what I think. Of course, I could be wrong. What about you? What do you think?

I think that a cat is a mammal, ALL of whose genders
are either male or female not neuter, therefore
he or she cannot be logically represented by the pronoun " it ".

We have no means of know ing whether even other humans
love or not; however, my best bet is affirmative for both.

Stop a second here. Long term observation of cats and dogs shows that they have some emotions...but don't equate them to human emotions. To equate their emotions to human ones is to anthropomorphise.

There is no basis for proof that their emotions compare to human emotions for depth and complexity. However, they have emotions for sure..and possess a rich emotional life. However, their brain is smaller (per body weight), simpler and their concentration span and memory are shorter. They will show what appears to be grief should their keeper/owner pass on..or one of their liter mates..or regular playmates pass on. They "love" but their abilityto show love is wrapped up in (simple) behaviors that are different than ours. They "speak" a different language that humans so to call this 'love' as we humans understand love obscures the point. Doggy or kitty love it is...but it is not human love. Call it what you want, it feels good to receive.

"There is no basis for proof that their emotions compare to human emotions for depth and complexity. " -
also there is no proof that their emotions are not as deep or complex.

That's terribly sad, Deb. Poor Oscar.

I saw a similar reaction in one of my moggies a few years ago, when her beloved feline partner in crime died. She just sat, motionless, on the couch in the loungeroom, refusing to play, go outside or even move around much. This lasted for a couple of weeks.
In the end we had to take matters in our own hands - gently pushing her outside (so she had to use the window or cat door to return inside - then we'd gently push her out again ...). And lots of playing with her, throwing balls for her to retrieve, etc .. heaps of attention. Poor Mozz, she took that death very hard.

OmSigDAVID wrote:

kickycan wrote:

I think my cat looks at me with love. Love like a kitten feels for it's mother or father. And I think it's the same kind of love and attachment we have for our parents. Cats can feel love in that way. Dogs can too. At least that's what I think. Of course, I could be wrong. What about you? What do you think?

I think that a cat is a mammal, ALL of whose genders
are either male or female not neuter, therefore
he or she cannot be logically represented by the pronoun " it ".

We have no means of know ing whether even other humans
love or not; however, my best bet is affirmative for both.

this is why david is one of my favorite posters.

ur just awesome.

Writing in large red print is not proof either.