Hey All,
I remember watching various shows on National Geographic, the Discovery
Channel and Animal Planet about how the NEW scientific evidence is that
animals DO experience the full range of emotions that humans do. They
love, they hate, they exhibit greed, they share, they show joy and
greif, they get jealous, they show compassion. I know my sources dont
seem very scientific but I remeber watching them and thinking Cool,
they finaly got it. After all, it was elementry to me, all you have
to do is watch animals for a while to see every emotion we humans ever
experience.
As for greiving in a dump situation? That definitely happens. I have
heard that same scenario from too many shelter friends and have
experienced it myself. One of my first rescue pairs were BigFun and
Frolic. They came to me from a military family that was moving. BigFun
was a big bouncy dark sable boy and Frolic was a petite sabe female
with advanced adrenal disease. They came in a homemade dirty cage with
ragged wire and dirty bedding. Frolic went in for adrenal surgery and
did not make it out. BigFun went into a serious depression. He would
not eat, would not play. He was fine physicaly, just heartbroken at the
loss of his home and his cagemate. It took me carrying BigFun around in
my arms for the most of each day and hand feeding him for about 2 weeks
before he finaly came around, BigFun would be depressed all day but my
husband said as soon as I walked in the door, his little head would
come up and the spark would return to his eyes. He would spend the rest
of the day following me around like a puppy. It is my beleif that the
only cure for this kind of depression is to somehow get the ferret to
form another bond with you. This made BigFun unadoptable afterwards as
I could not bring myself to breach this bond he had given me.
Over the years, I have watched science disprove itself given enough
time. I have had animal companions for most of my life. I trust my
eyes, my mind, and my instinct which all tell me that animals are
emotional beings that experience and exhibit the full gamit of
emotions.
--
His Lamb,
Karen
[Posted in FML 5510]
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