Animals in cages on factory farms or in laboratories don’t suffer: Is it true?

Question

I've seen pictures of factory farms and animals in laboratories. It looks so sad and I would think that they suffer. But I've been told that they don't suffer because they have never known anything else. Don't their instincts kick in though? I mean, a cow has to know that they are suppose to be on grass and a monkey has to yearn for the trees, right?

Answer 1

This is question which has occupied the minds of people who were trying to excuse or justify using animals for horrifying and painful experiments among other reasons.  One Rene Descartes claimed to have proved animals have no souls and are basically some sort of automated beings who only react and have no feelings of any kind.  Animals feel pain, they become lonely, they surely feel fear and suffering. Many times laboratory animals are mutilated and poisoned and other things in the name of research and, even though I do not subscribe to many of the things said or done by certain so-called animal rights activists, I certainly believe many of the animals are greatly harmed.  I also believe feeder lots and the environments I know a lot of poultry are kept in are not healthy because of the unnatural crowded conditions and the poor creatures must be miserable on some level.  Anyone who tells you otherwise is either terminally deluded or a flat out wicked liar.

Answer 2

You're projecting human values and abilities onto animals.  This is also called anthropomorphism.  

Animals do not have the higher cognitive functions like humans to contemplate advanced concepts like their place in the universe or the value of freedom.  Their instincts drive them to seek food, water, shelter, safety, and mates.  As long as these basic needs are met they do not long for the fields of their ancestors nor consider freedom as an ends to itself.  

Some animals are abused while in captivity by cruel or neglectful humans.  In which case, their basic needs are not being met and their instincts drive them to become discontent with their current surroundings and want to leave.  Since they are restricted from doing so, a condition equitable to human suffering arises.

The vast majority of captive animals are not abused and are cared for appropriately.  Their instinctual motivations are then satisfied so they are content with the captivity.

Answer 3

animals feel just as much as you and me, if not more.  If WE would suffer in those conditions they they certainly do too.  

I know people use the excuse that it is better to test on monkeys too save our own lives, but we shouldn't be so selfish.  I think what we humans should be doing is looking out for the greater good, and stop putting ourselves above animals.  Instead we should look at them as our "relatives" and help them just as much as ourselves.

Answer 4

in some cases, no.

in most cases, yes.

Answer 5

Yes they suffer, for instance several chickens on farms are stuck in cages so small and crowded that they cant even spread there wings. Animals are branded, they are put through a system in which there necks are cut, and sometimes it doesn't work correctly and they are boiled alive. Veal for example, is a baby cow over fed in a small cage, caged for life I'll add. Even if these animals do not know anything better and are born in captivity they still go through pain. Animals may not have the capability to speak for themselves in a language in which we understand, but they feel fear, they feel pain, and they wan't to be free. In my opinion, which  have a right to express whether you choose to agree or not, is that it takes a small person to kill an animal, and an even smaller one to eat one. If you would personally like to have a first hand experience at seeing the kind of torture animals withstand, visit www.peta.org . There are very few free range farms where animals enjoy there lives before they are killed.

Answer 6

Yes, they do suffer.