RSPCA Animal Futures - Are we ready to talk to animals?

Society has always been fascinated by the prospect of one day being able to talk to animals.

But if we did all turn into Dr. Dolittle overnight, what would animals want to tell us? And would we like what they have to say?

And amid the growth of artificial intelligence, will we soon be able to communicate better with our animals than ever before? Or is the proliferation of bad advice online, and the way some animals remain undervalued by society, mean we're a bit tone deaf to animals' wants and needs?

Broadcaster and journalist Kate Quilton is in conversation with Professor Daniel Mills, from the University of Lincoln, who has spearheaded research about the variety of facial expressions pulled by cats, and utilises computer vision technology to interpret what they mean. He discusses how we process information about what our pets are thinking and feeling; and considers whether animals would ever even want to have conversations with humans!

Kate also catches up with the RSPCA’s own Dr Samantha Gaines, who is the charity’s Head of Companion Animals. She talks about whether we are any good at reading our pets signals, and how the internet can be both a force for good and bad in sharing animal training information. In a must-listen moment, she also grapples with the challenging topic of how we can ever truly know if the pets we share our homes with are happy.

The Animal Futures podcast is part of the RSPCA Animal Futures Project, which explores five possible scenarios of what the world could be like for animals in 2050. People can have their say on the future of animal welfare by joining The Big Conversation, and playing the RSPCA’s Animal Futures game.

Host: Kate Quilton
Guests: Professor Daniel Mills and Dr Samantha Gaines
Produced by: Mark Adams, Chris O'Brien, Emily Prideaux and Jo Toscano.

Animal Futures Project: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/animalfutures
Animal Futures Game: https://www.rspca.org.uk/webContent/animalfutures/
Animal Futures: The Big Conversation: http://rspca.org.uk/bigconversation