Do animals know love?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205291)
Walnut Creek, California
November 23, 2018 1:22pm CST
Love is pretty hard to define. But you know it when you feel it. In the New Testament, several different kinds of love are mentioned, including agape, agapeo, philadelphia, and philio. All are ancient Greek words. Eros is too, but it's not in the New Testament.
Charlie, the orange kitty in this photo, is my buddy. We have some pretty serious purr fests when I go to his house (also inhabited by my friends Michael and Pamela). But his best friend is black and white kitty, who lets me pet him a bit, but only a bit.
Looks to me like they love each other. Do you think animals know love as we know it?
29 people like this
36 responses
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
23 Nov 18
I surely think my dogs love me and I sure love them but these two don’t love each other!!
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse These two are not related, he has only been here a year and she has been with us 12 years. She is bossy and he is afraid of her lol
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205291)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Nov 18
@BelleStarr Heh. Got it. Does the older one "tolerate" the younger one's energy?
1 person likes this
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
24 Nov 18
do they give you permission to take their intimate moment?
2 people like this
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse come on i am sure you just deleted the ones where they cover their face with their paws.
@resukill22 (25052)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
25 Nov 18
@TheHorse maybe yes, because they have their own family too.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205291)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Dec 18
@resukill22 I'd have to research whether lizards and other herps "raise" their young as mammals do.
1 person likes this
@Dyvette16 (4301)
• United States
23 Nov 18
Cute cats, I believe animals do know love as we know it , if anything some know it better than some humans haha my puppy would never not love me
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205291)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Nov 18
@Dyvette16 Very true! Hugging a horse's neck is satisfying.
1 person likes this
@Dyvette16 (4301)
• United States
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse such big animals , the bigger the more to love
1 person likes this
@thedevilinme (3893)
• Northampton, England
23 Nov 18
Nope. The gestures to humans are simply to get food
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
24 Nov 18
I beg to disagree with you that the gestures to humans are simply for food. My dog goes to me not only to get food. When she needs to be cuddled, when she needs to be on my lap. She stares at me longingly and could see love in her eyes and when she does that it's not to ask food because when I try to distract her with food, she ignores the food and would run to me instead. So you are wrong!
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85265)
• Bangalore, India
24 Nov 18
They certainly do and that is how I feel.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85265)
• Bangalore, India
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse With both. They show love to humans who are caring for them and also to their peers.
1 person likes this
No, it happened that she was asleep and then suddenly she jumped like she felt that something was wrong, she was trying to persuade me to come to my face to touch me.
@wolfgirl569 (94806)
• Marion, Ohio
23 Nov 18
Yes I do. Not marital love in the way we think of it but love to want to be near and take care of yes.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (94806)
• Marion, Ohio
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse Not many, I know wild geese and wolves are.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205291)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Nov 18
@wolfgirl569 Some ducks may be too. I'll have to check.
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
29 Nov 18
For sure they FEEL CARED/LOVED! And they reciprocate it by making you feel loved by them.
1 person likes this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
30 Nov 18
@TheHorse Thank Heavens! At last somebody agreed with me since the last time. 
@florelway (23092)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
24 Nov 18
It's better to know your dog than love your dog. Love is a rational emotion. Animals are brute therefore they are not capable of loving which is exclusive only to human beings.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23092)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
24 Nov 18
@TheHorse in the hierarchy of living things animals belong to brutes, humans the rational and plant are sentients.
