Are non-human animals conscious?
Let’s say you’ve just caught your cat gazing into the mirror—or your dog staring into space like they’re having deep thoughts. And you wonder: Is anyone home in there?
Science has wondered the same thing. In July 2012, a group of neuroscientists signed what’s now called the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness. Their conclusion? Let’s call it revolutionary:
“The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Non-human animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.”
Translation? If your pet is a mammal, bird, or octopus, they likely experience consciousness.
But how conscious are they? How much awareness is behind those wide eyes or twitching whiskers? Do they grow and learn like we do? Do they daydream or reflect—or even grieve?
According to Your Dog Advisor, dog parents often claim their pups are much smarter than science admits. They reference Dr. Stanley Coren’s breakdown of dog intelligence into categories like instinctive, adaptive, working, and obedience.
Who were the three most intelligent dogs? The poodle, border collie, and German shepherd.
Who were the least intelligent dogs? The mastiff, basset hound, and beagle. (Sorry.)
According to The Spruce Pets: “Dogs are generally considered to have the intelligence level of toddlers. Several factors go into that determination, including word comprehension, reasoning and problem-solving capabilities, responsiveness to training, communication skills (with humans and other animals), memory, and ability to predict human behavior.”
I could not find much discussion of helpful animals like service dogs, herding dogs, or bomb-sniffing dogs. And I wondered if it’s fair to compare an overachieving border collie with someone’s friendly mastiff or beagle.
So, what is consciousness? According to the Oxford Living Dictionary, it is: “The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.” We have higher-order thought. We have feelings. We have a sense of self and make decisions. The more we learn about how our minds are similar or different from our valued friends, the more we will be aware of their special needs and welfare.
Today’s most common pets are:
#1: DOGS are the top pet in the United States. At last count, 50 million households care for nearly 80 million dogs.
#2: CATS come in second with about 60 million in 30 million homes. Our cat purrs and snuggles. She follows me from room to room. She shows curiosity, especially about flowing water and gravity. Like many “Siberian” cats, she acts a lot like our dogs … but I’m still not sure how to rate her inner emotional life.
#3: FISH. Nearly 12% of all American households have at least one pet fish. But sorry (see the above declaration), they are not conscious.
#4: BIRDS. Almost 3% of U.S. households have a pet bird.
#5: REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS. I was surprised to learn that people, mostly millennials, care for almost ten million reptiles and/or amphibians. But, oops, not conscious.
#6 through #10: RABBITS, POULTRY, HAMSTERS, GUINEA PIGS, and FERRETS. All “conscious.” But poultry? Are you serious?
First off, we have to be careful to center our tests on each animal’s inner nature. For example, some behaviorists do not think much of dog intelligence. Dogs don’t always do well on mirror recognition tests. But then, sight isn’t their number one sense. Instead, a dog’s sense of smell is ten thousand times more sensitive than ours. James Walker, a key researcher in this area, has said, “If you make the analogy to vision, what you and I can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away and still see as well.”
According to a 2016 research study, dogs spent less time checking out their own urine marks than those of other dogs. Alexandra Horowitz, a renowned dog cognition expert, built on this finding by exposing dogs to various … samples. Some samples included diseased spleen or anise, and many samples were placed in locations the dogs had yet to visit. In every case, the dogs spent more time recognizing and investigating samples other than their own. As with some other species’ recognition of their own image in a mirror, the ability to recognize one’s own scent shows self-awareness.
Does your pet know that you’re different from them?
My dogs must know I’m not a dog, even though I’ve made sure they view me as their pack leader. Then again, Zooey asserted herself as the leader among our dogs from day one. I first met her when she was three weeks old, and she was already in charge of her siblings. And this holds especially true when our dogs are all in harnesses and ready for a walk or run. Really. I have witnesses.
Does your pet have a voice in their head? According to one source, “… dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, just as people do. Dog brains, like those of people, are also sensitive to acoustic cues of emotion.”
Ruffian, my older “Doodle,” clearly dreams. Sometimes his legs twitch while he sleeps. Sometimes he growls or whines. He sometimes even barks softly—clearly, he’s off in some snowy landscape in his sleep-chasing days. He often studies flags, works of art, and things high on my bookshelves. (I don’t know why.)
No matter what this quiz helps you decide, please remember that many pets seem to have emotions and that all creatures deserve our respect and compassion. Some animals herd sheep. Some animals snuggle. Some animals sit still and listen. Consciousness wears many masks. This quiz is just for fun, and I hope it helps you develop a closer bond with your little friend or friends.
Please read each statement carefully and score your pet with the points that best match your instant subjective appraisal.
SCALE:
1 point = never or seldom
2 points = rarely
5 points = sometimes
10 points = every day
20 points = many times a day
My pet:
Shows creative expression.
Has a sense of time.
Plans for the future.
Has a daily routine.
Remembers things from day-to-day.
Shows clear signs of recognition when shown a mirror.
Can retain and generalize information.
Recognizes me.
Shows that he/she/it loves me.
Shows joy.
Shows signs of grief.
Shows signs of envy or jealousy.
Displays a sense of humor.
Shows signs of maternal or paternal care.
Plays.
Protects children.
Protects other animals.
Makes decisions.
Can focus on more than one person,
Shows willpower.
Retreats somewhere safe or appears to think and reflect about current events.
Displays intuition.
Dreams.
Finally, circle one: My pet is ______ with you?
A. Independent
B. Co-dependent
C. Interdependent
Congratulations! The higher your pet’s score, the more likely it is that your pet is amazingly conscious! And now you can add or subtract these BONUS points:
Is your pet a mammal? Add 1,000 points!
Is your pet a bird? Add 1,000 points!
Is your pet an octopus? Add 1,000 points!
Is your pet a fish? Subtract 100 points.
Is your pet a reptile? Subtract 100 points.
Is your pet an amphibian? Subtract 100 points.
Final Thought: What Now?
If this article opened your eyes to how much your pet feels and knows, I hope it also opens your heart a little wider. It might change the way you speak to them, or what you assume they understand. It might even encourage you to listen more closely, watch more carefully, and respect their unique, often mysterious, internal world.
And if you’re looking for a new companion? Maybe look past the “dumb breed” rankings and see who makes eye contact. Who leans into your hand? Who seems, truly, to notice you?
Consciousness isn’t just about the brain. It’s about presence. About connection. About wonder.
So give your smart, sweet, silent, silly, serious, sassy, or snoring companion a gentle pat or scratch behind the ears. Because whatever else they are, if they’re a mammal, bird, or octopus…
They’re with you.
And that’s a kind of miracle.
⸻
If your pet scored off the charts—or even if they didn’t—maybe it’s time for you and your best friend to sit down with a good book. I write science fiction with consciousness in mind: the kind that spans species, spans time, and dares to ask the big questions.
Check out my latest titles on Amazon: 👉 HERE!
Who knows? Maybe your dog will even pick a favorite chapter.
