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Article: Animals make lovely companions but can they think and feel the way you do?
- Article from:
- Cosmopolitan
- Article date:
- February 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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My cat Ralph gets miffed whenever I pet the neighbor's kitty. He sulks and turns away. What makes him act so hands-off? An animal trainer would say I've upset my pet's routine, while a scientist would cite a territorial rival's irritating scent on my hand. But a cat lover would say, "It's obvious: Ralph's jealous." Who would be right?
just like people?
The belief that beasts have thoughts and emotions is often called anthropomorphism. Think poker-playing dogs and Disney hippos in tutus. You can probably picture other examples, each suggesting some similarity between ourselves and members of the animal kingdom. "It's natural for people to empathize and ...