Do animals have emotions? – Quiz

1. Read the text and answer the questions.

1. What’s the main reason why it’s not easy to understand how animals are feeling?
Animals can’t verbalise their feelings.

2. In an experiment, what did dog owners pretend to do to test their animal’s emotions?
They pretended to cry and be upset.

3. Why would a giraffe experience the emotion of grief?
Because someone in their group had died.

4. True or false? Insects don’t have feelings.
False. It’s believed even tiny creatures like insects might have emotions.

5. Which creatures are being legally recognized as ‘sentient’ in the UK?
New legislation in the UK means all vertebrate animals and crustaceans will be recognised in law as sentient beings.

2. Choose the appropriate word or phrase to complete the following sentences.

1. Looking at the photographs stirred up a lot of memories from our wedding day.

2. Our boss is empathetic – he understands when the work is making us stressed.

3. Despite the setback, I’m optimistic about the future of our company.

4. My son gets angry when he can’t verbalize how he is feeling.

5. She was filled with joy when she received the offer from her dream university. 

Do animals have emotions?

When you encounter animals, do you wonder what they’re thinking? Seeing a newborn lamb or a cute puppy might stir up happy emotions in us, but what are they thinking? Does the look on their face and how they behave indicate how they’re feeling – or are they feeling nothing at all?

Humans have a complex range of emotions, but it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside the heads of animals, mainly because they can’t verbalise their feelings. Perhaps it’s pets we think we understand most – as they are the animals we spend a lot of time with and therefore get to know best. Some of us own dogs because they are good companions, are loyal and seem to connect with us. We might even think they love us, although love could just be a human emotion. Professor Kim Bard, an expert in comparative developmental psychology from the University of Portsmouth, told the BBC: “We have a few studies now that actually show, scientifically… that [some] dogs will respond with empathetic concern when their owner – but not a stranger – pretends to cry.” The empathetic ability of cats, however, is harder to work out.

Other non-domesticated animals might have feelings too. Giraffes and whales, for example, are known to experience grief when someone in their group dies. Farm animals we often eat, such as cows and chickens, are also believed to experience pain, joy and other emotions. Their wellbeing is now taken into consideration more. And in the UK, new legislation means all vertebrate animals and crustaceans will be recognised in law as sentient beings. It’s believed even tiny creatures like insects might have emotions as well. Research is beginning to show they experience a wide range of feelings. Writing for BBC Future website, Zaria Gorvett says “they can be optimistic, cynical, or frightened, and respond to pain just like any mammal would.”

Dr Barbara J King, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, told the BBC: “If we understand the profound depths of emotions animals can feel, this should make us question the existence of zoos and slaughterhouses around the world, and rethink those systems.” It does seem all creatures feel emotion, but what is not clear is do they feel the same way as us?