Sentience in dogs and cats: Review

Authors

  • KEILA BATISTA FURB - UNIVERSIDADE REGIONAL DE BLUMENAU
  • Ágata Aline Mota Dal Pont Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária
  • Nicolau Cardoso Neto Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária
  • Silvio Luiz Negrão Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v16Sup1.a1314.1-5

Keywords:

Animal welfare, animal behavior, consciousness, sentient beings

Abstract

Sentience is the ability that an individual has to feel positive and negative emotions and consciously have feelings. The scientific literature confirms that, in addition to humans, vertebrate animals and some invertebrates have neuronal substrates of consciousness. Dogs and cats have indicative behavioral and mental characteristics that lead them to be considered sentient beings. Therefore, this study aims to carry out a bibliographical survey of the last 15 years on sentience, specifically applied to dogs and cats. During the development of the research, it became evident that dogs and cats are sentient beings, as they demonstrate through body language, namely, corporeal, visual, vocalization expressions, as well as through neurological physiology, that they have mental capacity to feel pain and suffering.

Published

2022-10-30

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