Bees play by rolling wooden balls — apparently for fun. The cleaner wrasse fish appears to recognize its own visage in an underwater mirror. Octopuses seem to react to anesthetic drugs and will avoid settings where they likely experienced past pain.
All three of these discoveries came in the last five years — indications that the more scientists test animals, the more they find that many species may have inner lives and be sentient. A surprising range of creatures have shown evidence of conscious thought or experience, including insects, fish and some crustaceans.
That has prompted a group of top researchers on animal cognition to publish a new pronouncement that they hope will transform how scientists and society view — and care — for animals.
Nearly 40 researchers signed “The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness,” which was first presented at a conference at New York University on Friday morning. […]
I saw two new large studies which proved that the Neutering and Spaying of dogs as well as cats can cause them to have Denentia as they get older. I experienced it first-hand with my last dog which was a “seniors for seniors” deal where they gave me a free dog because I was old and the fog was, too. It was a mail and I saw the signs of dementia during his last couple of years. He really went down hill during the last year of his life; to the point of stopping eating and drinking water durine the worst part which was the last 3 months. He died in my arms while I was trying to give him some water. I do not have time to explain all of the many factors involved with his lapse into dementia. He was almost as bad as my mother who forgot she had a son and did not even recognize me as her son before passing away. They need to stop these creuel forms of punnishment which the animals do not deserve. When he was younger, he was a very intelligent dog, but as he got toward the last year of his life, it was like he was another dog. I really miss him, and hate what the neutering did to him; it was cruel.