One of the coolest things I think science will begin to unravel in the 21st century is the concept of animal sentience. What do animals actually know, think and feel? Are they aware of who they are? I think it goes a lot deeper than we can even imagine.
It’s not just dogs and cats I’m talking about. I think all animals have minds that have deep thoughts. We just can’t understand them yet. Case in point, this video of this duck. He is jazzed to see his owner. Who knew ducks could be happy? See. So much to learn.
If you want a good read on the topic, I highly recommend this piece by John Jeremiah Sullivan.