A lot of the lesser complex animals, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and reptiles probably possess a worldview down the lines of 'it just is' and accept whatever comes along - opt for the flow. But when you think about the relatively higher and much more complex animals, like birds and mammals, then brain complexity becomes such that to some greater or lesser degree, intelligence and a chance to think and figure things out needs to be considered.
For all those individuals that have companion animals, or perhaps those individuals that have just watched animals with a distance, you could have wondered how those animals view and perhaps even take into consideration life, the universe and everything. That‘s, each animal should have some kind of personal worldview ; a perspective or point of view probably forever beyond our understanding - usually although not always.
I am picking on cats during this particular case because I have owned cats nearly my life. This essay could just as easily happen to be dogs or horses or another domesticated mammal.
So what exactly are cats? Can we identify with these? Will they identify with us? Well, domesticated cats are playful ; curious ; adaptable ; selfish ; they dream ; they like variety though they may also be creatures of habit ; they could 'think' things through and produce decisions ; there is a vocal language and also a body language ; they display emotions ; they‘ve memory and hence somewhat a way of history ; they have a similar sensory apparatus once we have ; they‘ve their very own likes and dislikes should it be food ; a place to rest, where they need or do not enjoy being scratched or rubbed or petted ; and, briefly each cat has their very own very unique personality. Cats are certainly very self-centred, perhaps a little more so than typical adult humans, but certainly akin to human infants and toddlers whose worldview is extremely self-centred having a near 24 / 7 gimmie, gimmie, gimmie ; I‘d like, I‘d like, I‘d like. Cats, a minimum of those intersecting with humans possess a gimmie / I‘d like aspect for them, and like infants / toddlers the 'pester' factor could reach extremes. Briefly, cats really seem to become mini albeit furry versions of humans, especially infants / toddlers. But, how close might that version really be?
First of all, and perhaps like all animals, the cat probably includes a worldview something akin inwith it being the centre of things - the be-all-and-end-all - which the complete environment the cat finds itself in can there be to supply for many the cat's requirements. Coming from the domestic cat's point of view, the planet owes it a living ! How else could the cat view things? One's self perceptions are likely to revolve around 'I am the centre from the universe' because you‘re most intimately bound up with your worldview within and never as intimately with anything. Therefore, anything, inside a self-centred worldview should be subservient. In fact the cat often finds the hard method in which parts of the external reality have differing opinions. That never appear to shift the cat's worldview however that it must be 'top dog'* and deserves all the very best which comes its way - which may not be all of the 'best' that nature could provide however the cat does not understand that.
Cats certainly do not have comprehension, perhaps like toddlers, from being inside the way, underfoot, in danger from being trodden on or sat upon, while helping themselves to whatever section of household geography suits their fancy. One could conclude from their selfish (from our point of view ) behaviour, their worldview should be one among 'supreme being' and 'rank has its privileges', and this type of worldview will persist a minimum of until such time as their tail gets stepped on or they get tossed from the easy chair ! They still probably see themselves as supreme beings - it is their worldview individuals that is now somewhat changed.
The typical head from the household and cat owner is perhaps somewhat from the opinion or has got the rationale that 'I pay the bills, therefore I call the shots as well as what I state goes' ! Cats can probably understand 'head from the household' in which in cat society, as altogether animal societies, all cats aren‘t equal - there‘s a hierarchy you cat alone will certainly be 'top dog' because it were. But there is nothing inside a cat's worldview that corresponds to money or bills or economics or finance. Everything is really a free lunch, whether it is sunshine as well as electric / gas / wood heater you, the owner, purchase. Even when the cat goes outside and catches and eats a mouse, it is still as free a lunch as much as the cat is bothered like the food you set in its food bowl. To ensure that bit about 'I'm the boss because I pay the bills' has no meaning or significance towards the cat since the idea of 'bills' is foreign.
Cats do not have mythology about shopping. The post Xmas sales and weekly specials in the supermarket are alien concepts. So is nearly supreme abstraction to humans - time. Birthdays really certainly can be a non-event with no realization once they occur with no relevance in a event. Ditto those other special points in time like holidays we humans are obsessed with. Cats do not have a habit of staying up late on New Years Eve. It is of no consequence. Weekends are no except weekdays.
Equally the cat has apparently no worldview of tomorrow or of the longer term (though it features a memory in past years ). it does not have to save for any rainy day. I have never observed a cat hide away several of its dry cat food pellets for any future emergency or perhaps a midnight snack. A cat is extremely 'now' oriented. A cat probably has no concept of death, far less an afterlife. I have always tended to possess two cats at any given time upon the theoretical grounds they‘ve companionship when I am not around. Therefore, one cat will finally get to visit that great 'litter box inside the sky' and therefore the surviving cat (for a good length of time a minimum of ) will certainly be without its companion feline 'friend'. I have never noticed however any real change inside the behaviour from the surviving cat. The demise and removal of another animal has apparently all of the relevance of my tossing an empty can straight into the recycling bin. Now if I tossed the cat's favourite easy chair that will probably cause more of the reaction !
It is difficult to show a cat anything that is not already hardwired into its little grey cells. I am talking about you do not are likely to have guard cats, seeing-eye cats, or cats that sit up, stop on command in the corner, beg, and play fetch, etc. when their human owners say so. The cat's worldview is very foreign to such concepts, though there is little difference between a cat's IQ and also a dog's IQ. Maybe that is why the saying 'dogs have masters ; cats have slaves' !
So those are some significant differences involving the worldview mythologies from the cat in accordance with humans (or perhaps dogs, who, are very well known to 'grieve' upon the death of the fellow companion dog or of the owner. If I died, my cat's loyalty would shift quick-smart to another human who fed it ).
I noted above that cats dream and why not. I judge this because often when they‘re sound asleep I frequently notice their paws and mouths twitching as though in reaction to something happening inside their head. I assume it is not some abstraction that occupies this assumed dream state. It is probably associated with visions of chasing and eating fat mice and plump flightless birds ! There isn‘t any method of telling for sure, but that is what I suspect. In the event that they dream, they dream practical cat-related things.
I have never gotten the impression that the cat ponders anything at anytime but practical matters that possess a direct bearing onto it inside the here and at this time. An obvious example is any cat always finds itself on the incorrect side of the door, and you really are expected to correct that state of affairs as often as is necessary - and that is very often indeed. No wonder people install cat flaps ! Anyway, stuff like philosophy and religion and also the arts and mathematics and anything abstract not just is not considered and immediately dismissed, the cat probably can't even conceive of that things so as so that they could be dismissed as of no relevance towards the cat's worldview. There isn‘t any creativity with their little grey cells whatever. I greatly doubt whether any cat has pondered whether It‘s free will. My cats do not reply to cat art, such as the pictures of cats on calendars. Music soothes the savage beast but with one minor exception my cats happen to be oblivious to whatever kinds of music CD I am playing, whether it is classical or jazz, country & western or film scores ; vocal or instrumental. That certain exception is I once experienced a cat that will react to whistling inside a song that emanated coming from the speakers. Still, cats probably therefore never need to endure that annoying connection with having an irritating song play endlessly, again and again as well as over again inside their head !
When the cats were of the human mindset, they could conceive of something like : At first the good cat deity, lets name it Bastet (also spelled Bast, Baast, Ubasti and Baset ) following the ancient Egyptian cat goddess, created not just the domestic feline, but all that is part and parcel of the world. At first Bastet created the ever pristine litter box ; the ever full food and water bowls, and a lot of birds and mice for felines to chase, catch and snack on. That is in fact based on the mythology from the cat, when the cat experienced a human's imagination. Well actually, not. No cat has imagined any self-contained mythology in regards to the origin and evolution of cats. If cats possess a worldview mythology outside from the concepts of self and in fact now, and then it probably centres about what strange companions humans are. And I am 99% sure that while such human activities could be fascinating, they‘re equally incomprehensible.
Translated, whatever mythology our domestic feline companions develop that explains on their satisfaction their worldview, It‘ll bear little resemblance to actual human activities on behalf from the animal, like the idea of money to cover the goods and services it receives. The cats do not have conception of livestock (slaughtered as pet food ), of biological evolution (that provided the birds and mice and also the abilities from the cat to chase, catch and snack on them ), from the infrastructure that gets them their fresh water (along with other goodies ) that ends up like the end product with their water bowls, etc.
So while I do not have idea what worldview mythology my cats have (and that they probably are not the precise same - each cat's worldview will certainly be partially unique ) it is wrong.
However, we will speculate ; take scenarios which are part and parcel of the world, natural or otherwise, and check out to work out how they see and interpret things through their eyes.
So exactly what goes via a cat's mind when it is not immediately worried about me ; now - when it is not in immediate need of catering to varied biological requirements and functions? The cat is simply sitting, wide awake, alert, observing, but What‘s it thinking? Will it need to be deep in thought in the least? Most likely not I suspect. Actually, it is more inclined as not they‘re observing just for the benefit of observing - always looking out for something to chase and eat (that is probably just hardwired to their brain ), or for something which may chase and eat them.
I am talking about my cats are curious about birds ; I am curious about birds too - except for totally different reasons. However, my cats are interested inside a clean litter box, but what goes through their minds when every time they navigate to the litter box it is pristine, though it wasn't in which condition just a little while back for obvious reasons? Will they associate that 'it wasn't then but now It‘s pristine' phenomenon having a cat deity or with me or neither? Cat food appears on demand in bowls they eat from, yet they do not have comprehension from the chain of events between manufacture, distribution, the call for money to purchase, transport, open and pour into those bowls that food. How will they account to the food that somehow magically appears before them? Do there is a food bowl mythology? Or, perhaps it‘s a phenomena that just is, and that they think forget about about this when compared to a fish ponders the nature of water it swims in. For some reason I see it very difficult to picture my cats deep in thought wondering about those whys and wherefores related to the food they consume.
Well We‘ve some idea exactly what a cat's worldview mythology is (me ; now ), and is not (nothing that is abstract ) however you, the owner, are not an abstraction. How will you slot in within your animal's mythology?
Cats should have a field day with respect to inventing a mythology that accounts to the strange habits of these creatures they share their environment with - humans. For instance, my cats see me getting dressed every morning - I am putting upon the fur. Since cats need not dress, this behaviour should be really weird for them. Ditto producing the bed or washing the dishes. The cats should be totally freaked out by my habit of deliberately getting wet via a daily shower or bath. What activity could repulse a cat greater than that? Yuck ! How can cats explain the dwelling they reside in together with all of the stuff it contains? I do know where all of it comes from, but how will they account for all of it? Will they even bother to attempt to account for it? Part of the all is my laptop computer (PC ). They see me typing away for this PC but I‘m certain they do not have comprehension of what this PC device is or why I am pecking away onto it rather than paying focus on them. When Time passes from the house, shopping say or off on the club for a couple of cold beers, will they wonder where and why? Will they worry that I might not return, especially if I do not they‘re going to find themselves inside a pretty pickle. Or, is the point I am away of no interest and no consequence and causes no speculation? Since they do not seem agitated when I leave, I suspect they do not have comprehension from the possibility that I might not return, being hit from the proverbial bus instead.
So, do my cats attain a point of view, a worldview mythology to account for birds (an all-natural part of the environment ), litter boxes (not so natural ), and PC's (totally unnatural )? I suspect they do not. These items just are and please don‘t require any mythological interpretation to otherwise explain them.
Cats prefer to lie and stretch in and take in the warmth from the Sun. How will they account for sunshine which warmth since presumably they know nothing of stellar astrophysics, nuclear fusion, photons, etc.? Might it be, if this be in the least, which our cats conclude that at first that great cat deity Bastet created the Sun to provide pleasure and warmth for them, but, Bastet hides the Sun at regular intervals (through the night ) so they won‘t totally spoil us cats? Most likely not I suspect. The warmth from the Sun probably just is (like water usually is to the fish ) - actually they could not even result in the connection involving the Sun, sunshine, and also the warmth that gives them.
Conclusions & Summary : And now what is a domestic cat's worldview mythology? Well, when the cat could speak, it could say something such as this : It is about me ; it is about now ; everything else just is and when it does not affect me now, it is not relevant.The greater I give it some thought, the greater I draw a parallel between a cat becoming an eternal toddler (me ; now ; everything else just is, albeit intriquing worthy of exploring ), but a minimum of without having the temper tantrums !
*The standing observation or joke is that the dog thinks to itself that 'my human feeds me and plays with me and looks after me, therefore he should be a god'. The cat thinks to itself that 'my human feeds me and plays with me and looks after me, therefore I should be a god ! ' There is an awful great deal of relevance in which observation IMHO.