Mortality In Animals

[breadstick]

Are Dogs or Cats aware of their own mortality or are they always just in the moment?

[shoota]

If Mabel the Cocker pup jumps on my pendules one more time she'll find out about her mortality...

[Old_Geezer]

Can't say I've ever asked one.

I think they are aware when another has died. I've no idea if they have the ability to think about their own death, although evolution will have instilled behaviour to try to avoid it.

[Prudie]

I've tried to discuss this with my cats but they just take the fifth

[vetuste_ennemi]

I don't think they are, BreadStick. But, as OG observes, they do understand loss and, as far as we can infer, feel something akin to grief. You will have seen some of the documentaries with elephants "mourning" the death of an infant. And, sadder still, the apparent symptoms of psychotic distress when a baby elephant has seen her mother's face sawn in half by an ivory poacher.

[ummmm]

I think they are but not sure how in advance.

[wolf63]

I'm with shoota, if Frankie was aware of stuff like that he wouldn't scream in my ear at silly o'clock each morning for 'fud' or take three hours to take his medication each day.

His sister took I'll at home last November and died at the Vet. Frankie missed her for a short time (an hour or so)then he cheered up and celebrated. Frankie was bullied by his sister.

Animals live for 'now' and this seems to prevent the from suffering from Clinical Depression.

[Tilly2]

No, I don't think that dogs are aware that they are going to die.

They just look forward to their next playtime, walk, dinner, treat and sleep.
They don't dwell on their longevity.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Animals live for 'now' and this seems to prevent the from suffering from Clinical Depression//

Don't agree with that, Wolf.

"Memento mori"and "intimations of immortality" reflections maybe uniquely human, but all mammals who live familial groups see and, I suggest, to some degree understand loss, which is the commonplace tragedy of life. Innit?

[woofgang]

I think they know what death is but I am not sure that they are aware that they will die. I don't think that they are just "in the moment" though. I know that they can remember things because otherwise how could they learn.
I suspect that dogs at least are capable of problem solving by recalling actions that have worked in similar circumstances rather than just using trial and error and I know that my two have learned by watching each other.
I do think that dogs "live in the now" in the sense that they aren't capable of understanding that pain and fear now will have an end point; and that are "worth" tolerating for a better future. That's why I am careful about what medical interventions I will agree to, especially as mine get older.

[woofgang]

Some dogs do appear to suffer from reactive depression when they lose a companion. I don't know if dogs get endogenous (bi polar) depression

[ummmm]

My big fat cat woke my nan up one night with a meow she'd never heard, she wasn't in the habit of doing that, the cat lead her to the bathroom and just lay down, so my nan laid down with her and stroked her until she died. She knew she was going to die I believe.

[Tilly2]

I know that dogs do 'grieve'. I have witnessed that.

I am sure that they don't think, 'I will die one day too'.

[KARL]

The closest they come to awareness of mortality is in fear of coming to harm, as in retreating from anything they see as a threat.

[wolf63]

V E, dogs, cats etc do suffer from depression but not in the same way that we do. They are lucky. Their depression can be very severe and is usually triggered by the death of a loved one or trauma.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Yes, Wolf, that's what I'm trying to work out without anthropomorphic sentiments.

They have a nervous system and so, you might think, will obviously experience pain. That's an inference based on physical analogy.

But they have family arrangements and parental instincts however induced. (Come in Proefessor Dawkins). So you can infer, perhaps, the grief of a mother whether elephant or a cow who has lost a child. That's another inference, but based this time on a psychological analogy

[douglas9401]

They are blissfully unaware of impending doom, same with vet bills.

[Tilly2]

My vet's bill tonight was over £400. Ouch.

[Theland]

They grieve and mourn.

[douglas9401]

I don't doubt that, Theland, but they don't fret and fixate on it, they just have a good time then stop.

[david small]

Lots of animals know when death is imminent, illness, old age, they sense it. As they have no religion, there is no conflict in following natures dictate.