Do rodents like rats and mice
feel pain?
Human beings can
be very arrogant, especially when it comes to
things that we believe are completely
characteristic of us but not of other animals.
We think that we are the only creatures on the
earth that can readily communicate with one
another, but animals such as dolphins, monkeys,
and even your cat or dog has a form of
communication that works incredibly well and
being able to share its frustrations and ideas
with one another. It may not be a 100,000 word
vocabulary, but there are discussions that go on
between animals of the same species like this.
One area, in particular, that people seem to be
the most arrogant about is that related to
whether other kinds of animals can feel pain. We
know when we have done something to our cat or
dog which has caused them to suffer in some way.
They will yelp or whine in some way which
immediately lets you know that they are
suffering in some kind of way. This allows you
to stop doing what you’re doing while the animal
scurries away.
We recognize things such as this, but often feel
that more primitive or less sophisticated kinds
of animals don’t suffer in a similar way. This
is true of such things as rats or mice which beg
the question do rodents like rats and mice feel
pain?
While the nervous system of these rodents may
not be nearly as sophisticated as yours, these
animals still suffer like any other kind of
animal when something has been done to harm
them. For example, if you were to burn or stick
a sharp object into one of these rodents it
would react immediately because of the pain that
it was suffering. This could mean it would try
to get away, turn and try to bite you, or be so
overwhelmed with the pain that it laid suffering
in agony. There is no two ways about it, these
animals do suffer.
For those who have a problem with rats or mice
in their home and are looking for a means to get
rid of them this may not be welcome news. Many
like the opportunities to use such contraptions
as mouse traps to try to get rid of their mouse
or rat issue. To know that these animals may
suffer when the trap closes on them may
discourage them from using this alternative to
be able to remove the rat problem from their
home. Apologies, if this becomes the case for
you, but no one should be naïve enough to
believe that these animals simply endure events
that could be quite horrific for them and, yet
not feel any pain at all. That simply isn’t
realistic.
Read more: Rat Control,
Get Rats Out of the
Attic, Rat
Trapping, Rats
in the Ceiling, Rat
Feces.
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