Devoted SocImages readers know that I will make any excuse to put up a video involving animals. I’m going to do it right now.
The video is a dolphin petting a cat. In the first part of the video, you’ll see the dolphin come out of the water and try to put his chin on the top of the cat’s head. In the second part of the video, you’ll see how the dolphin learned to do that. The cat very clearly wants to rub the top of his head, specifically, on the dolphin and the dolphin is paying attention and learning.
This isn’t just adorable interspecies communication, it’s proto-culture. It’s the transmission of an idea. I don’t know if all the dolphins in this video pet the cat this way, or if it’s just one dolphin, but I can certainly imagine one dolphin teaching the next, just as the cat taught the first dolphin.
Or, to put it more simply, humans aren’t special because we’re humans, were special because we’re animals.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 14
Larry Charles Wilson — March 20, 2014
The cat seems to be using the same technique he/she uses to get humans to rub her/his head.
Bill R — March 20, 2014
Best not to think of individual species or individuals with a species as "special" in comparison to others, as that's an English word with too many connotations, but rather as different or even unique.
Humans are quite unique among animals on the planet, with comparatively incredible abilities to design and build. I often wonder if we're all that different from many other species with respect to our emotional and social lives, but we seem to add significant complexity there too.
Jennifer Arthur — March 20, 2014
Love the bossy kitty!
Anna — March 21, 2014
Any chance to share animal videos. In this one, a determined sheep teaches a calf how to properly headbutt: http://youtu.be/D02F9HeSQbg
Peter Finn — March 21, 2014
I agree with Bill R that "humans are quite unique among animals", especially since we have the ability to speak and "to design and build", we also have the ability to control fire.
What is seen in this video could perhaps be a "social bond" between the cat and dolphin. Maybe if humans could perhaps show the same "social bond", then maybe the world would be a much better place?
Eliza — March 23, 2014
My cat rubs his face like this on things that smell good to him. This dolphin probably just smells like delicious fish! Haha!
Guva — April 26, 2015
Please don't think that this is a cute video. This is Thunder a Dolphin that was captive in the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada Florida. The Cat's name is Arthur. This is a captive dolphin that died due to feral cats faeces and urine run off into the sea pen of the Dolphins.If you listen closely to the video they are telling the paying customer where the fish is to feed the dolphin and you can hear also the whistles. This is not out on a boat either. The dolphin is also trained to do this. US-Government standards dictate that you do not house cats near marine mammals. Please lets stop this stupid video making the rounds. Captivity is everything but cute!
Captivity kills !
http://dolphinelle.wordpress.com/.../cat-and-dolphin.../
1 — March 11, 2020
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lisa — December 18, 2020
He’s adorable. Just don’t forget to get some good cleaning supplies 🙂 Especially if this little one is staying in your house and is allowed to lay down on that gorgeous white rug.savannah cat for sale
zack smith — December 20, 2020
Not at your children’s grief, of course, no one wants that, but at the unfortunate chain of events that led to your own hamster zoo! We don’t hve any pets.Tips and Tricks
JohnMate — April 15, 2021
Great article I would like to read more about this !