Are animals self-aware?

What in the actual fuck...?

 

Cannibalism is not enough. I'm sure raw pork doesn't come close to cooked bacon.

 

Some good weed huh?

 

Who said anything about IQ equaling “worth”. Jumped the shark on that one, dude. And the shark has no clue he’s a shark.

 

if the young bull runs down the hill, and the old bull walks down the hill, what does the really old bull do (in your experience)?

 

Our microwave conked out about a week ago and I was about to throw myself off a cliff. Just kidding, but I did feel a little bit like Laura Ingalls Wilder heating my water up for my tea every morning until it got replaced, lol.

I think there is likely a spectrum of self awareness, corvids are extremely intelligent... the more interesting question to me is the level of sentientness, and what that means.

 

Disagree.

Ever been near a cat? They absolutely know when they're being dicks.

 

<3

 

Hooks the young bull in the nads and says thanks for warming this heifer up.

 

Kitty! Lol. That cat is responding to its staff's reaction. A no consequence "no" (subtext: you're so cute....rrrrrrrrrrrrr). It may not be aware it's gorgeous, but it can sure tell by how its staff reacts. Our cats have free rein, except in the kitchen. A couple of assertive commands, with occasional firm course corrections, remedied that, no shouting, no laying hands on (OK boy cat needed a swat and sulked), no water squirts, etc. Strictly I mean it tone of voice.

As to being sociopathic dicks with prey, yeah, they are predators... inside belongs to me and lives, outside belongs to them and they can do
what they like...

 

Oh before I forget, @SpeedyE , check out Falconry and Me on YT. Amy is wonderful with her birds; I think you'll love it.

 

For the sake of this discussion, I’m not talking about large predators that see everything as food (bears, lions, alligators, etc).

Take rabbits. There is a wild rabbit that hides underneath the storage building in the backyard. I set a plate of food out for him all the time. But if he sees me, he will run.

However, I have seen him standing beside another rabbit, and one time beside a bird.

Why run from me but not them?

If he isn’t self-aware, then how does he know I am not a rabbit or bird?

Does he just know that I’m bigger than he is?

 

Bill Lumbergh voice “Yeeeaaaah...Im gonna have to disagree with you about the super IQ statement there.....mmmmmkkaaaayyyy”

 

No, sweetie, it doesn't eat any other sentient being. It instinctively knows it is potentially prey. Unless you're a plant. Then you're the prey.

 

Timothy Treadwell thought that he was hanging out with his friends.

 

Shit. I didn’t even think about that. That makes sense.

But that also explains why they can be domesticated, and why I can now pet the cows across the street.

Their instinctive reaction is “run so I don’t get eaten”, but over time they learn I have no intentions of doing them any harm.

 

Ahem...



They've even been heard to converse with each other...

"Everything we eat screams."
"I know, right?"

 

For sure though like people at times they self impression is flawed. For instance the 14" Sheltie Spitfire thinks he can rule the world. Strange things most dogs accede to him, including large ones. Though on the large ones there does seem to be a bit of what @#$#@ is up with the hairball. Oh and I swear Sca thought he was Sable colored as all the adult Shelties in his kennel were. So the dog in the mirror was not him in his mind. Oh and strangely Shelties get along with Shelties though that could be breeding as herding dogs that worked in groups on the Shetland Islands.

Oh and cats are the Karens of the world. They are pretty sure everyone else should submit to them.