30/03/2024
Well, to answer that question โ yes cats do experience emotions. However, cats cannot tell us what emotions they are experiencing as they are non-verbal and cannot consciously describe them to us ๐ญ๐ฃ๏ธ
Cats use their highly attuned senses to help interpret the world around them and are guided by their instincts to survive ๐โโฌ
Itโs thought cats' emotions are activated by motivational-emotional systems in neural pathways of the brain ๐ง and that these are responsible for the instinctual emotional arousal that then drives their behaviour, rather than emotional โfeelingsโ like us humans, as we have the cognitive ability to think about our emotions and express how we are โfeeling' ๐ญ๐ญ๐
These motivational-emotional systems are classed as either engaging (positive) emotional motivations or protective (negative) emotional motivations and they serve a really important function - to help cats survive ๐ช
๐บIf engaging, these systems motivate cats to search for and obtain resources such as food, water and shelter, develop social skills, reproduce, and help mother cats care for their kittens, all of which aid with survival.
๐พIf protective, these systems motivate cats to avoid danger and defend themselves, stay safe, retain control over their environment and resources or protect themselves from further harm if they are ill or injured, which again, is important for cats who are genetically programmed as self-sufficient survivalists.
Itโs thought cats can experience emotions that humans are familiar with, such as pleasure, anxiety, fear, frustration and pain (which is both an emotional and sensory experience) ๐โโฌ
Cats are not thought to experience more complex emotions such as jealousy, spite, guilt or remorse, as they live in the now, and do not possess the same advanced cognitive abilities as humans ๐ง
So, if a cat performs unwanted behaviours such as scratching on undesired surfaces, urine marking in the home, or even biting or scratching humans, there will be a different emotional motivation behind this behaviour, and usually the catโs needs have not been met in one way or another๐โโฌ
๐References and recommended reading:
Ellis, S.L. (2018) โRecognising and assessing feline emotions during the consultation: History, body language and behaviourโ, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 20(5), pp. 445โ456. doi:10.1177/1098612x18771206.
Heath, S. (2018) โUnderstanding feline emotions: โฆ and their role in problem behavioursโ, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 20(5), pp. 437โ444. doi:10.1177/1098612x18771205.