Bunny the Tik Tok Dog – Does Existentialism Affect Our Pets Too?
Bunny the dog sitting with her display of communication buttons, ready to display her knowledge to the world!
February 23, 2023
Bunny the Dog, a Tik Tok account for a dog who speaks to her owner through speech buttons, has been a viral sensation for some time. Whether Bunny is asking to go outside, wondering who’s in the house, or simply asking to play, the concept of our pets talking to us made Bunny one of the most lovable pets on the internet. After some time, Bunny began asking the unexpected. When phrases like “What Bunny?” and “Why Bunny dog?” started coming from her speech buttons, fans began to feel concerned for the poor dog. Bunny even asks them, “When Bunny die?” several times, showing that she is uncomfortably aware of her mortality. Many argue that the ability to articulate herself in word form may have spurred these deep thoughts, but what if our pets have always had these thoughts on their own? If these speech buttons are just a way to bridge the communication gap between ourselves and our pets, what does Bunny’s behavior tell us about our animals?
We all wonder what our pets are thinking about. Looking into their eyes, wondering what they are feeling, we all long for that level of connection with our animals that seems simply unattainable. Training pets to use these talking buttons is a great way to have a peek inside their little minds, being able to hear what they are thinking instead of making an educated guess. Oftentimes, we like to think our pets have no worries, but Bunny shows us this may not always be the case. Animals are intelligent; there’s no question about that. The question is, how much can they understand compared to humans? Bunny has been proving that she understands more about her reality than we would have considered. Pondering things like mortality, purpose, and reason is an experience we consider uniquely human. If Bunny experiences existentialism, does that mean all animals experience it? This is a question many fans are dying to know the answer to, and many scientists are working to find out.
Existentialism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person. People will often say they are having an “existential crisis” when they feel anxious about their purpose in life, which we have all experienced at one point or another. We tend to consider ourselves a higher life form than the animals surrounding us, but the fact that they share these complex feelings may change how we view our reality. “It’s a normal feeling for humans, so why not for dogs?” asks Camilla Lameiro (11). “[Dogs] are born and then taken away from their families to live in a home with humans so that we can feel superior and needed. In my opinion, being an animal and not experiencing existentialism is weirder than going through it,” she continues, commenting on how she thinks Bunny questioning her reality is entirely valid.
Whether Bunny terrifies you or fills you with joy is up to you. However, the conversations she brings to light with her active mind fascinate both sides of the argument. Her deep thoughts will prompt scientists to find a way for animals to communicate with us, regardless of species. These speech buttons may begin a new era of how animals are viewed in our society, whether we’re ready for it or not.
