Pleasure and pain

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read more on animal ethics

Do cats feel pain?

Anyone who says that animals don't feel pain is really saying 'I don't care if they do.' Most people who say that fish feel no pain are usually the sort who love going fishing. If they believed the fish felt pain, they would then have to accept they are hurting an animal. Scientists now know that all animals who have a brain, from butterflies, fish, lizards, cats and elephants all feel pain and respond to it by avoiding that pain. Because all animals feel pain, they have a moral right to be free of pain. In the wild, if they are being threatened by an enemy, they have a right to run or fight. In domesticating an animal, we accept responsibility for that animal and therefore a responsibility for the pain it feels. In owning an animal as a pet, we have a duty to ensure that this pet is living in such as way that it is free of pain and stress. This is a legal responsibility, upheld by the RSPCA and all city councils.

If a cat in the wild breaks its leg, it usually dies from starvation because it cannot hunt. That is nature's way. But if we are able to help a cat with a broken leg and do not do so, we are acting immorally. Veterinarians spend a lot of time concerned about the health and well-being of animals and to this they invest a lot of time and money learning how best to treat animals in order for them to be healthy and stay healthy. The use of medicine's for pain relief have been revolutionised over the last century, and it is inconceivable that only a hundred and fifty years ago, some people were operated on without the use of anaesthetics. Nowadays, veterinarians worry if a cat has received enough pain relief after being spayed. There are a huge number of drugs which they can use, from aspirin-type drugs, cortisone and opiate drugs like morphine.

But how do we know if a cat is in pain. Obviously if it has a broken leg, it will not use that leg, and there is usually swelling, redness and heat in the area. However, other types of pain such as we experience with 'tennis elbow', a tinge in the back and other subtle pains are hard to detect in cats. However, their body language does help give us a clue. A cat with a sore back usually stands up slowly and when picked up suddenly will yell in pain. A cat with arthritis in a hip or shoulder will resent having that area touched.  

Never give Aspirin or Paracetamol to cats

Never use Dettol®, tick washes or dog worming pills  

Sometimes a vet will prescribe pain relief because he suspects the cat is in pain, and if the cat suddenly appears much livelier over the next few days, more than likely the cat was in pain. Sometimes, especially in older cats, this is the only way to know if they are in pain. The types of pain relief which can be used in cats is very limited compared to those used in other animals. Aspirin for example can only be given at a dose of 5mg/kg body weight to adult cats (about 1/10 a normal aspirin tablet), and only on every second day.

Why cats purr

Cats purr when they are sitting on your lap. A queen cats purr when it is feeding its kittens. Cats purr when they you first come home from work. Cats purr when they have just caught a bird and eaten it. Most people therefore assume cats purr because they are happy - perhaps a cat's way of saying 'I love you'. This makes sense because cats rarely purr when they are alone. So purring is likely to be a social thing but it could also be not only a sign that the cat is happy but could also be for your benefit. How could this be so?

Most vets will tell you that they have seen a cat purring when it was dying. This is something quite remarkable and has led many vets to argue that purring may be more than just a sign of being happy. It has been suggested that purring may also be a method of calming others. We see a similar thing in a group of people who have just experienced a traumatic event. Someone reaches out and hugs their friend because they see them in pain and wish to soothe their grief, even though they themselves may be traumatised. This is what is called altruism, and occurs in all species of animals. Altruism is related to the size of a social group and in solitary animals like cats, the amount of altruism they show is small compared to dogs. Reaching out and helping others also is a way of reaching into ourselves and helping ourselves. Perhaps a cat's purr on its death bed is a way of reassuring its owner that it still loves them. What we do know is that all animals fear death, not just humans, and a cat who is approaching death from cancer, organ failure or old age, must know its death is near. So, for a cat to purr under such circumstances, one can assume it is not for the cat's benefit but for the loved ones present. Purring seems to be a two-way thing. A way for a cat to tell you it is happy, and a way of reassuring those it loves. We see this with a queen that is purring while its kittens are feeding - not because it is content, but to reassure and calm the kittens while they feed.

This is such a spectacular thing of cats that it should not be called altruism, but instead - compassion.

Why cats sleep and dream

Cats are prolific sleepers. They do not sleep the way humans do. Cats prefer to have three or four sleeps during the day rather than one long sleep at night. The main reason for this is that cats are nocturnal. At night, they normally are active, hunting for mice. Even though they are domesticated, cats still continue with this way of sleeping.

Cats, like most animals, dream during their sleep. Why animals dream is not known. We still don't know why people dream but it may have something to do with healing. After we have been physically active, we rest. This is important for our muscles to recover their strength. Sometimes when we are relaxing, we stretch a muscle to release its stiffness. In a similar way, the dreams we have are possibly the mind's way of relaxing and the sudden bursts of dreams may be the mind's way of stretching itself to release some excess chemicals in the brain.

The best way to know your cat is dreaming (what is called REM sleep - rapid eye movement) is by the movements of its paws and whiskers. If a cat is asleep and not moving, it is in deep sleep. In humans, this period of sleep doesn't normally involve any dreaming. The same probably applies to most other animals. And what is also interesting is that dreaming (REM sleep) is vital to health. A person or cat who is deprived of dreams usually suffers sever mental exhaustion after three or four days and any longer time without sleep has been known to kill. The subconscious mind, which is the part of the brain that controls heart beat, breathing, etc is thought to be the part of the brain that needs dreams the way the rest of our body needs oxygen - without it, the subconscious mind can’t function.

Not that we should worry about depriving our cat from sleep. After a late night of prowling, a cat will always know where to find a quiet place to catch a dream or two. A ten minute cat nap (what people now refer to as a power nap) is usually enough to keep your cat going for the rest of the day.