Concepts In Animal Behaviour Flashcards
1
Q
Why is a clear definition for animal welfare beneficial?
A
- legislation and policy
- public statements
- scientific measurements
- education for pet owners
- is a complex concept and can have a range of perspectives and attitudes
2
Q
What is the definition for animal welfare?
A
- the welfare of an individual in its state in regards to its attempt to cope with its environment
- there is a clear focus on the state for the animal
3
Q
What does the term cope imply?
A
- implies it has a mental and physical stability to react to and withstand changes in its environment
4
Q
What is 1 of the more recent definitions for animal welfare?
A
- an animals welfare relates to its ability to adjust to, or cope successfully with the prevailing conditions in which it finds itself
- focus on characteristics of an animal, not something that is given to it
5
Q
What is the most recent definition for animal welfare?
A
- animal welfare is to do with the feeling experienced by animals: the absence of strong negative feelings, usually called suffering, and the presence of positive, usually called pleasure
- focus on the quality of life experienced by the individual
6
Q
What is welfare?
A
- welfare is about both positive and negative emotions and therefore about the satisfaction of needs and desire
7
Q
What is animal welfare?
A
- it is a multi-dimensional concept related to the state of an animal regrading to its attempt to cope with the environment
8
Q
What impacts welfare?
A
- needs
- freedoms
- coping
- control
- feelings
- stress
- health
- behaviour
- sentience
9
Q
What are the 5 freedoms?
A
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from discomfort
- freedom from pain/injury and disease
- freedom from fear and distress
- freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour
10
Q
What do the 5 freedoms ignore, and what do they provide?
A
- it ignores that animals can interact with and adapt to their environments
- they provide useful guidelines for welfare assessment in intensive farming systems but have limited use for companions animals
11
Q
What is stress defined as?
A
- as an environmental effect on an animal which over-taxes its control systems and reduces its fitness, or seems likely to do so
- this suggests welfare is best determined when an animal responds to stress in its environment
12
Q
What does the relationship between stress and welfare suggest?
A
- wherever there is stress, welfare is poor
13
Q
When is an animals welfare compromised?
A
- when an animal cannot adapt or react to the demands of the environment
- when it cannot cope in its environment
14
Q
What situations should stress refer to?
A
- stress should only refer to situations where there is failure to cope
15
Q
How do animals feelings relate to their welfare?
A
- animals are likely to have a positive welfare if its feeling pleasure, contentment and joy
- welfare is likely to be negative if its feeling pain or anxiety
