The difference between us and our pets is that our pets can't outright tell us that they're
in pain - often, the exact opposite is true - they hide all signs of pain as a survival mechanism they developed over thousands of years of evolution to keep weakness hidden from predators and other members of their own colonies, Your pet may tell you
in different ways when they are uncomfortable, such as by whining or whimpering, staying too still and showing little interest
in what's going on
around them, sleeping more than usual, becoming aggressive or intolerant of petting or exercise or even by becoming more active - pacing,
circling,
wandering - as the pain is too much for them to sit still and rest.
Wandering around Tate Britain
in the wintry gloom last night, just a handful of visitors
in the gallery, I was struck by the correspondences between the work on show, the way they
circle around similar, somewhat introspective themes: death, life, rebirth.