Can animals develop Stockholm Syndrome?

[Sugar Pea 2,682]

I have asked myself this at least a dozen times after hearing this term. I wanted to get some insight from other people.

 

Lets say you give an animal away to someone they don't know. At first, they are scared and confused about who that stranger is (most animals anyway). After a while, the animal begins to open up to the stranger, and in time, becomes their best friend.

 

So it made me wonder if animals do indeed have this syndrome. Do you think so?

 

(Disclaimer: Do not take this seriously and go on some wild attempt to rant at me, and call this stupid. Its just an idea.) ^^

Edited July 15, 2014 by Peachie Buttbutton

[boiteporte 591]

I think some research has taken place concerning this matter. And I think that animals can exhibit the Stockholm Syndrom after having undergone sensory deprivation. Sensory deprivation occurs if an animal is taken from its natural habitat and put in a very unfamiliar setting away from its group for example. In this case, it will start to get stressed out and start showing symptoms of anxiety such as a tiger pacing back and forth in its cage or a bird plucking its feathers off.

 

 

The animal can then develop some kind of relationship with its kidnapper and I think that is as close as we can get to the Stockholm Syndrom

Edited July 15, 2014 by boiteporte

[Malinter 3,064]

Dogs have been known to stay loyal even to cruel owners. Defend them from attack even. So who's to say it can happen in animals of slightly higher intelligence like dogs, cats and pigs etc.

[Throwaway19573639385 764]

Only in the way @boiteporte has described do animals show something that comes just a little closer to Stockholm Syndrome. In the way OP here has described it's not really Stockholm Syndrome, just warming up to a new owner. Even humans show similar behavior during events like adoption.

 

Remember, just because we call ourselves "owners" of pets, doesn't mean we are their captors in the way Stockholm Syndrome uses this word.