Rats and Empathy
Katey Ann Klingel
Past experiments have noted that chickens and mice both show empathy, and for the first time rats are proven to have as well. According to the article, Empathic Rats: Rats Choose to Help Others, on Huffpost, some scientists from the University of Chicago hosted a study on rats where a rat was put in the position to eat chocolate for themselves or free a companion rat from a trap. The past idea of empathy was known for these other animals, so they scientists knew how to test for the empathy alike the other animals. As predicted, the rat went to open the trap for their friend, even though they had never been taught how to open the trap. This is believed to be an instinct of empathy, the door would take multiple attempts to open, yet the mice keep trying in pursuit of their friend. However, unlike the other tests, these rats were not put into pain to gain the empathy. Animals are very commonly mistreated in these experiments and AWA is fighting to protect animals in experiences like this. The article argues that the mistreatment of animals is wrong and that we should treat animals as how we would treat other humans. Empathy and compassion is transferable and using or showing compassion can cause the people around you to obtain and share that trait.
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| Empathic Rats: Rats Choose to Help Others, on Huffpost |
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