Do animals have a conscience?

Question

A conscience is the mind’s power to overcome instincts and base desires. Some people think it is instilled in us at a young age, others believe it is partly something we are born with whether from a higher power or from some sort of hardwire inside the brain (personally I believe it is made up of all of the above).

When a pet animal is house trained we are teaching them to control their instincts. Some of the learned habits are based on wild behavior and pack animal submission, but at some point I believe domesticated animals seem to develop a sort of sense of right and wrong.

I have heard it theorized that the advanced nurturing that an animal receives as a beloved pet actually encourages higher though in animals and not just the appearance of such (anthropomorphized).
What do you think?

Apparently studies of feral domestic cats living in a cathedral in Rome have shown that cats ARE pack animals, just a different flavor of pack animal from dogs.

They hunt in small packs and even use complex cooperative maneuvers to catch their prey.

Answer 1

In the movie, "K-PAX", starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges, there's a line that caught my attention:
"Everyone in the universe knows the difference between right and wrong."
I think when we train our pet to pee outside, we're not so much affecting their instincts, since they still pee, but teaching them a new routine based upon a reward and/or absence of negative feedback.
We're born with some pretty basic, self-centered desires. Some of us don't successfully outgrow those to a large extent! How much is "nature" and how much is "nurture", to successfully teach a child to live outside themselves is a fascinating question.
But to return to your question, which was specifically about animals, I think animals have souls, as defined by having "mind, will and emotions".
I think K-Pax's statement has SOME basis.
One might observe a dog has a conscience. A dog is a pack animal and, as such, responds to pack hierarchy and the behavioral correction by the pack hierarchy, for it's own well-being and the good of the pack.
One might suggest a cat is somewhat lacking in conscience, that it is pretty self-absorbed. (Note, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that - I rather like cats!) But a cat isn't a pack animal and goes about it's own business until/unless it runs across another creature that is intent on changing the cat's behavior for some reason or another.
I think that humans are designed with a conscience but that it, like many other traits and skillsets, needs to be developed. It usually is, according to societal pressure or according to the desires of the parents if different from from society.
I think an animal, in lieu of a conscience, responds to it's own desires and needs as well as input from other creatures, including, if the animal is a pet, it's owner.
Like many others, I tend to associate (probably incorrectly) certain emotions to my pet(s) that really are something else.
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Perhaps Roman Catholic cats are an entirely different breed o' cat??!! ;)

Answer 2

I think we can never know. Even if an animal only acts according to his/her instincts and seem never be able to control their desires, we can never know whether he/she is doing this intentionally or not. From all we know, he/she might be faking their actions to convince us, humans that they have no conscience. We have no capability or ability to know for sure, at least for now. But I believe someday, with advance in technology, we might be able to know. People who believe that humans are the only beings who have conscience are prejudiced.

Answer 3

Man is the only higher animal who is a sentient being capable of reason and possessing a conscience.