If animals could talk, what would they say about humans?..............

If animals could talk, I wonder what kind of "score card" they would give us humans?

"The more I know humans, the more I love my dogs" said Mark Twain.

I have very little personal experience with dogs, but with cats (the small variety) I have had the pleasure of sharing my life with a few of them. For the last few years my son and I have shared our life with an extraordinary feline by the name of Lovecraft (after the famous author). Lovecraft is a tortoise shell cat, and that she was different, was quickly apparent to us when we went to the animal shelter to purchase a cat. The cats needing homes were kept in large enclosures into which the potential buyers were able to step in to and familiarise themselves with the cats. Seemingly out of nowhere, Lovecraft suddenly leapt from a niche onto my son's back and clung on for dear life. No matter what he did, she would not let go. She choose him, and that was that. So what makes her extraordinary? Her "human" like behaviour and sensibilities; she "talks", she can open screen doors, occasionally even regular doors, she gets "depressed" (our interpretation) when my son goes away on business trips, she "comforts" us if we are upset (she will climb into our laps and stretch out a paw and gently pat our cheeks), if we are arguing she will push things of shelves until we stop, just to mention a few things that she does. Of course, not being cats ourselves, our interpretations of her behaviours could be totally wrong.

I have often heard people call animals stupid and other derogatory terms, but I can't help but wonder: who are we to ascertain whether an animal is "smart" or not?

An animal that adopts or develops human like behaviour, is a smart animal?

I mean, how do we measure animal intelligence? 

According to Frans De Wall, a Dutch biologist and primatologist, rather than judging animals intelligence by human standards, we should judge animals on their own terms; according to their own natural abilities. De Wall suggests that rather than just considering brain activity, we should also consider the body (as in imitation which is done through body language) when assessing animal intelligence. Humans can talk, which sets us apart from animals, but animals have other ways of communication such as echolocation (dolphins, bats) which De Wall says requires a lot of brain power.

If animals could talk, what would they have to say about us? How do we treat our fellow creatures on this planet?

Judging by how many species are on the verge of extinction, or are already extinct, I can't help but wonder if humans really are that smart at all.......

Does not each animal play a role in keeping a balance in nature? According to the importance of functioning ecosystems, animals and plants are very important: "an ecosystem is a community of animals, plants and microbes that sustain themselves in the same area or environment by performing the activities of living, feeding, reproducing and interacting. It is a relationship that exists between all the components of an environment. It includes plants, animals, fish and micro -organisms, including soil, water and people".

If humans are at the top of the food-chain, is it really all that smart to keep fishing the oceans, lakes and other water sources until there's no fish left? Or polluting the water, air and earth until nothing can exist in it? Or to keep killing the creatures that keep the ecosystem in balance?

I watched a short film clip on "what the planet would look like if humans disappeared", and if what is predicted in that film clip is true, then it seems as if the planet would perhaps be better off without us.....but then again, since it is humans making the predictions how could we possibly know for sure?

Although us humans seems capable of inflicting all matters of cruelty and other destructive actions, we are also capable of self-reflection and self-awareness, we are able to experience compassion and empathy which can motivate us to care about others, our environment, animals, plants, and any number of other things. According to some, dogs, rats, dolphins and elephants are also capable of "feeling" compassion, although, again, this is from a human perspective. And this, I guess is the heart of the matter of this post: "Our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings." (Pope Francis)

 

"Time spent with cats is never wasted." (Sigmund Freud)

 

"We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such suffering on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognise it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace." (Albert Schweitzer)