More going on in a dog's mind than most people give them credit for
Posted by TinTexas on Jan 23, 2008 · Member since Aug 2006 · 1216 posts
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3162659.ece
So sad that Oscar the dog didn't understand that Arthur the cat is dead but it's nice that his people got a new kitten for him.
Poor doggie!!! :'( I'm glad his folks got him a new friend.
*sigh* Such a sweet but sad story. Makes me really cherish our dogs, who are the bestbestbest of friends. Little Dog often licks Big Dog's face and falls asleep with his chin resting on Big Dog's head.
When Boobie my old cat died at home and in my arms, I showed him to everyone and let them see he was gone. As I did with Isabela. They all seemed to handle these two deaths better than the ones that were brought to the vet to be put to sleep.
With Boobie and Isabela, they all seemed to know they were gone and why. With the others, the remaining looked for them. That broke my heart.
Although Pie Shop my old cat and Biko, my parrot grieved for Boobie even though they knew he was dead. Pie had been Boobie's constant companion for close to 20 years. Pie died within a few months later. He had lost his best friend. Biko, my parrot mourned for Boobie well over a year. He used to say, Boobie, Boobie come here. Biko was in the same room that Boobie and I were in when he passed. So he listened to and watched Boobie leaving and me sobbing. I did carry Boobie to him and let him look, see and think about what had happened. As Grey's have the emotional stability of a 2 to 3 year old child and the intelligence of a 3 to 5 year old, he paid full attention to the whole process. After Boobie was gone, Biko started saying...Boobie...Boobie..Boobie and started plucking his feathers. It has been over 8 years since Boobie left and Biko still continues to pluck. He finally stopped saying Boobie after a year. Thank God as every time he said it, I got emotional.
Thank you for sharing the story. It shows us that animals do have hearts and souls. They mourn and grieve just like we do.
They are not just 'things'. They are living, caring and emotional souls.
I did once read a funny story years ago where a family thought their Chihuahua was dead and buried him. Their other dog dug him up and he was alive! :-)
We all know animals have feelings. Elephants weep and grieve when their babies die.
I wonder why humans think we are the only ones with feelings as we have shown over history that many of us don't. Humans are the only ones that kill for pleasure. Except maybe well fed cats that are placed outside. They kill and play with their prey. Another reason to keep cats indoors.
OK, I am done! :-)
About 18 years ago my mother had a little crossbreed that was dumped at the local vets and she took in. My sister, at the same time, had a Bernese mountain dog. They loved to play together and my mom had videotaped them once. A year after the taping, the Bernese mountain dog was stolen and never found.
Fast forward almost 2 years. I was visiting my folks and my mother put the tape in the VCR to show me what the dog that was stolen was like. There was my mother's Bonny and the other dog, barking and playing. Bonny the real dog was in the room, and when she heard the other dog's bark, she began to look all over for her, whining and barking. She kept looking under and behind the TV. She was so distressed--you could see she recognised her friend's bark and was torn between "happy, where is she!" and "hey--confused--where IS she?" I made my mother turn the VCR off because it was so upsetting to watch her. My mother was sitting there going, "Oh that's interesting, let's watch and see what happens" and I'm like, "Turn it off, you're making Bonny sad!!"
Dogs DEFINITELY understand waaaay more than they're given credit for.