This is not a joke. I was pondering this last night. Why does there seem to be no mental illness in animals?

- Peter.

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Formerly...
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How do you know whether or not a dog thinks that he is Napoleon?

I have a big hairy dog that thinks the greatest thing ever is to chase a thick piece of rope.

He probably thinks I am crazy since every time he brings me the rope I throw it away and he has to go get it.

The only animals we recognize as "crazy" are those that can't be bent to our will. The ones we can teach to do silly tricks we call "smart". Maybe it's just a perspective thing.

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I'm under the impression there is. Animals pacing in zoos and engaging in repetitive behavior is a mental change induced by captivity according to what I've read.

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1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
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Mental illness in what way? Animals have physical brain deformities just like some humans, which resorts in behavioral and nervous issues. Last time I checked you can't psychologically diagnose an animal because they do not have the cognition of humans (try giving a cat an ink blot test...) upon which our collective knowledge is based. Professional neuro researchers regularly use sheep, mice, and monkeys (not very common), dissect their brains and check for abnormalities...that's actually part of getting a degree in the field.

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all I know is the vet told my sister that her dog is retarded, but you can't really tell, at which point my sister asked if the animal is retarded and there is no way to know, hows does the vet know this?

I guess the vet just didnt like my sisters dog.

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Behavior so far out of the ordinary that it compromises the animals ability to live I guess. I know you can't easily define that or compare it to a human but just flat out bizarre behavior that's out of sync with an animals natural state seems unusual if not non-existant to me. Possible exception being Kerrys example of animals in captivity. But that would be something of a behavior induced change resulting from external influences instead of inherent brain defects like seems to be the case in much of human mental illness.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Fair enough. However, when that happens, happily, that animal usually dies, unlike people who can go on or are supported on by others. So out of captivity, the animal is "Darwined out" and in captivity, you changed the equation so it is harder to say. Only way to know if an animal has mental illness is to examine the brain and compare it to others. If you want to widen the scope of mental illness to define different behavior like we do with people, it becomes a huge mess.

OTOH, maybe we are overthinking things and trying to say "This is a norm. Deviation is mental illness.". At one time, hetrosexuality was the norm and therefore, if you were homosexual you were abnormal and was reflected in the DSM. Hence, IMO, the DSM is most useful for packing shipments or stabilizing a wobbly table.

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---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Cat being given Rorschach test:

Psychologist shows cat first image.

Cat: "Meow"

Psychologist shows cat next image.

Cat: "Meow"

Etc.

Cat ink blot test....show cat blot....mouse!.....show another blot....bird? another blot...mouse!....etc.

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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

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Mental state of animals??? I'd say I've owned animals with a good sense of humor. I had a cat which would hide behind a chair in the living room (especially in the mornings) and jump out to scare a family member when they walked into the room. Cat seemed to love it. Cat would walk away thinking, "Ha, ha, I got you." I'd do it back to the cat sometimes by hiding and scaring it. Cat seemed to appreciate that too.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

We have a cat that plays "corners" with us. Don't know how he got started on that one, it was probably a mutual thing that we sort of stumbled into together. But given that some animals are clearly capable of interacting with humans with forethought that's part of what made me wonder about brain dysfunction at the other end of the scale.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S