We know so little about our own consciousness, let alone that of animals. Which leads to the question: what does your pet think of you?
Animals in general, and pets in particular, clearly have some level of thought. They can learn some basic tricks, and many of them respond to their name. They exhibit feelings, at times being happy, or sad, or angry.
Some pets have even learned a rudimentary way of talking. By programming a number of buttons that say a particular word when pressed, the owner of a dog or a cat can teach the pet to press a button to “say” words like “food”, “walk”, “play”, and many others.
Of course, this may be a combination of rewards training, randomness, and anthropomorphizing. It is difficult to say for certain, since we don’t really know what pets think or feel.
Still, humans that have pets can discern patterns in behavior. A cat owner may notice the cat being able to tell when dinner time is approaching. Or a dog might associate the picking up of a leash with going out for a walk.
It is fun to speculate how exactly our pets see us. Do they see us as just an odd-looking member of their species? Is the owner seen as a parent, or are they seen as a juvenile who needs protection and feeding? (People who keep cats, for example, may be familiar with being “gifted” with a dead mouse or bird.) Or perhaps they understand the concept of different species?
If you have a pet, or know someone who does, have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of that pet? What do they think of us?
Related questions: What is your relationship with your pet? How does your pet bring you joy? Is your pet part of your family? Cats or dogs?
I am certain animals are capable of thoughts and feelings. Also, different animals have differing levels of intensity in how intensely they use their handful (or more) of senses to interpret the world. The animals I have had the opportunity to spend extended time with—including several farm animals—are partially the product of their upbringing. They are also capable of attachments to other beings. Lastly, regarding generalities, animals can communicate, and this communication is often intentional, not simply instinctual.
And so what does this mean regarding my friend (and pet), Luca? Luca is a rescue dog. We know nothing about his early months. However, he suffers from attachment issues and almost immediately formed a strong bond with Rebecca. This attachment is more intense than we regard as normal. As such, I play second fiddle to her despite all the good things we share.
I feed Luca and give him treats. I also take him on long walks, let him do his business, and spend a lot of time sniffing whatever interests him. Rebecca and I have agreed on my roles by intention. We want him to feel a greater connection with me.
That said, Luca definitely loves me. On weekends, while I am reading or spending time on my laptop, he is almost always lying between my outstretched legs. He shows incredible excitement when I say, “Outside!” And I think he likes me for the extended times I allow him to sniff away while we are on walks. As I am the treat-master, he expresses incredible excitement at the usual treat times—after coming back inside from a walk, when filling his treat-sphere (which he plays with for several minutes each morning), and the rare times I ask him to do a trick for company. Luca (because of his attachment issues) hates it when Rebecca or I leave the house. And as an expression of his love, he often waits by the door when he thinks either one of us will be returning home. Luca thinks Rebecca and I are super because we let him smell our breath a couple of times each day—his incredible sense of smell makes this part of how we bond. Luca also loves that he can sleep at the foot of our bed each night.
Does Luca get frustrated with me? Sure. He hates it when I take longer than usual to understand he wants to go outside. He and I have daily arguments about when dinner should be served. And sometimes, he doesn’t like it when I want to pick him up while he is happily spending time with Rebecca.
Luca is a great pet, and I am sure he sees us as friends, just as I do regarding him.