Do animals ever get bored?
- Thread starter Jayson
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I was just thinking this the other night. I had a Jayson moment, haha.
It must be pretty boring not being able to do the things humans do, like go outside whenever we want, eat ehenever we want, watch TV, play video games, surf the net.....but maybe they are looking at us and thinking 'haha, suckers, they must be so bored not being able to sleep all day and chew on bones and play with tennis balls and yarn'.
It must be pretty boring not being able to do the things humans do, like go outside whenever we want, eat ehenever we want, watch TV, play video games, surf the net.....but maybe they are looking at us and thinking 'haha, suckers, they must be so bored not being able to sleep all day and chew on bones and play with tennis balls and yarn'.
In better quality zoos a lot of effort is put in to keep the animals from being bored.
My dog gets bored all the time. When she does, she starts getting into things. She's figured out how to open boxes and cabinets she can reach. She even got the refrigerator open once. She's also determined opening doors has something to do with the knob. However, she can't really reach them so it should't be a problem if she figures out that it's turning them that makes them work.
Parrots get bored. They need more mental stimulation than a cage provides. Boredom often leads them to feel despair, and they'll pluck themselves.
Some animals can be given very strict training -- and I'm thinking guide dogs here -- which trains them to not seek mental stimulation when they do feel bored. This is done to keep them under control and always serving their owner.
I have in the past looked after guide dogs for their owners, and having had a dog of my own when I was a child, I can compare. And I can see something substantial has been lost from their personalities. Part of the dog is somehow missing; they're more like robot dogs.
Some animals can be given very strict training -- and I'm thinking guide dogs here -- which trains them to not seek mental stimulation when they do feel bored. This is done to keep them under control and always serving their owner.
I have in the past looked after guide dogs for their owners, and having had a dog of my own when I was a child, I can compare. And I can see something substantial has been lost from their personalities. Part of the dog is somehow missing; they're more like robot dogs.
They can. One look at a dog's ears perking up and eyes lighting up when it suddenly realizes that it is going to be allowed to do something that it enjoys is proof of this. Each animal's mental process is different, but I think that it is fair to say dogs experience boredom much like children.
As a child, I think that each of us can recall a good deal of boredom. It was the result of any number of factors, and it wasn't necessarily miserable; but pretty much all of us can relate to the scenario of having a free afternoon and just not really having anything to do. Most of us can also relate to the scenario of a surprise hiking or bicycle trip, or company, which gave such an occasional boring afternoon new life.
As a child, I think that each of us can recall a good deal of boredom. It was the result of any number of factors, and it wasn't necessarily miserable; but pretty much all of us can relate to the scenario of having a free afternoon and just not really having anything to do. Most of us can also relate to the scenario of a surprise hiking or bicycle trip, or company, which gave such an occasional boring afternoon new life.
The three homeless cats I give love to at the park (though there are more), sometiems get bored of me. They'll want love for like five, ten minutes, then suddenly walk away, stop -- ass facing me -- and start licking themselves clean.
And sometimes, if bored, they'll find another cat, get down for the pounce, jiggle around, then leap for the other cat.
Of course, I imagine lots & lots of sleeping is from boardom; house cats get little real excitement.
And sometimes, if bored, they'll find another cat, get down for the pounce, jiggle around, then leap for the other cat.
Of course, I imagine lots & lots of sleeping is from boardom; house cats get little real excitement.
"What do dogs do on their day off? They can't lie around - that's their job." - George Carlin
Animals definitely get bored. And the result is usually the same as when people get bored-- they get themselves in trouble. 
All Seeing Eye
Admiral
I know of an animal that NEVER gets bored.............. Budgies.
My Budgies even when you let them out just sit on the top of the mirror or curtains and don't move a muscle, just the same as being in the cage.
They sit in the cage, they sit out of the cage, they simply just sit. Give then something to play with and what do they do? they just sit there sometimes just sitting there making loud noises all day.
My Budgies even when you let them out just sit on the top of the mirror or curtains and don't move a muscle, just the same as being in the cage.
They sit in the cage, they sit out of the cage, they simply just sit. Give then something to play with and what do they do? they just sit there sometimes just sitting there making loud noises all day.
I know of an animal that NEVER gets bored.............. Budgies.
My Budgies even when you let them out just sit on the top of the mirror or curtains and don't move a muscle, just the same as being in the cage.
They sit in the cage, they sit out of the cage, they simply just sit. Give then something to play with and what do they do? they just sit there sometimes just sitting there making loud noises all day.
My budgie got bored easily. He was always seeking new things to play with and wanted the run of the house. The problem was that he got old and blind, so he couldn't be let out of his cage or he'd fly into walls and hurt himself. But he got out anyway. He discovered that he could dislodge his food and water holders to create a hole big enough to slip through. Then he'd fly around the house and crash into a wall, before literally sliding down it like a cartoon character. He'd be put back into the cage to recover, and later he'd try another escape. He lived 11 years and died of old age.
My cats know our back door is opened somehow by the keys as they associate them jangling with the door opening.
Sometimes they reach up to jangle the keys when they want out expecting the door to open for them.
You can even get dvds for your cats, birds and mice running around on screen.
My cats love watching nature programmes.
They sit at the side of teh screen waiting for birds to pop out.
Well, we've already got something like that. It's called a window.
You can even get dvds for your cats, birds and mice running around on screen.
My cats love watching nature programmes.
They sit at the side of teh screen waiting for birds to pop out.
Well, we've already got something like that. It's called a window.
My cats scorn the window, it's not 1080p and doesn't have surround sound.
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