Cambridge Festival Speaker Spotlight

Estherina Trachtenberg is a Blavatnik Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge and is currently working in the lab of Prof. Duncan Astle. She studies social connectedness and its impact on health, cognition, and the underlying brain networks.

Estherina will be giving a talk at our Family Weekend in the Department of Psychology on whether rats feel empathy.

Do animals feel empathy?

Frans de Waal, a renowned expert in social behaviour, dedicated his research to understanding empathy in animals. He showed that empathy is not unique to humans. Many species, including monkeys, dogs, rats, mice, and even birds, display empathy-like behaviours. This idea dates back to the 1960s when psychologist Russell Church found that rats would stop pressing a lever for food if it caused another rat to receive an electric shock. This suggests that rats are affected by the distress of others, much like humans.

Empathy has deep evolutionary roots. It began with mothers caring for their offspring and expanded to social groups, where pack leaders or dominant individuals helped sick or injured members. Even Charles Darwin recognised this, writing that animals assist others in distress—especially within their families. He believed the highest moral achievement was concern for the well-being of all living creatures, both human and nonhuman alike. As de Waal (2007) famously said: "We call a traitor a ‘rat.’ Rats and mice, however, are giving scientists clues to the evolutionary origins of empathy."​

In what ways do animals express empathetic behaviour?

Many animals show signs of empathy – the ability to recognise and respond to the emotions of others. This can take different forms, such as helping, comforting, or even sharing emotional experiences. For example, studies have shown that rats will work to free a trapped cage mate, even when there is no immediate reward. Primates, like chimpanzees, are known to comfort distressed group members with physical touch, much like humans do when they hug a friend in need. Elephants have been seen standing by injured or grieving individuals, offering social support.

Even smaller animals, like mice, appear to 'feel' the pain of their companions – when they see a familiar mouse in distress, their own sensitivity to pain increases. Surprisingly, even ants have been observed tending to the wounds of injured nestmates, the first known case of healing behaviour in insects. And dogs, one of the animals we know best, often approach and try to comfort their owners when they seem sad. These behaviours suggest that empathy is not unique to humans– it exists across many species, likely because social bonds and cooperation are essential for survival.

Do rats exhibit empathy-like behaviour similar to humans?

Yes, research suggests that rats display empathy-like behaviour, much like humans. Inbal Bartal and colleagues, who developed a unique way to study helping behaviour, found that free rats will work to release a trapped companion, even when there is no reward. In one experiment, rats had to choose between freeing a trapped cage mate or accessing a chamber filled with chocolate—a highly desirable treat. Surprisingly, many rats helped their companion first, even before eating the chocolate, suggesting they genuinely cared about their peer’s distress rather than acting out of self-interest.

Further evidence comes from Nobuya Sato and colleagues, who showed that rats  help cage mates that are soaked in water, even though they dislike getting wet themselves. Importantly, rats did not open a door unless the cage mate was visibly struggling, showing that their actions were not random but based on recognising distress.

These findings suggest that rats are capable of prosocial behaviour—acting to benefit others—and may even be motivated by empathy-like feelings. Research has also linked these behaviours to brain areas involved in empathy and social bonding, similar to those found in human brain studies. Over the past decade, studies have strengthened the idea that, like humans, rats can recognise distress in others and take action to help, offering valuable insights into the evolutionary roots of empathy in social animals. 

Does this behaviour vary across different situations, for example, when directed towards strangers?

Yes, rats’ willingness to help depends on their strain, sex, and social familiarity. Some rat strains, like Long-Evans (black-hooded) rats, are considered "extra smart" and tend to figure out how to free a trapped rat faster. Females are generally more prosocial than males and are more likely to help strangers.

A key factor is familiarity—rats are more likely to help those they grew up with. Inbal Bartal and colleagues showed this by letting a Long-Evans black-hooded rat "adopt" a white Sprague Dawley baby. When the rat grew up, it helped its familiar black-hooded cage mates but not the white rats, showing that social bonds—not genetics—determine whom rats help.

Interestingly, younger rats, similar to human teenagers, helped both their own group and strangers, while adults were more selective, mainly helping their own kind. This suggests that the ability to distinguish between “us” and “them” may develop over time—just like in humans.

How does studying empathy in rats enhance our understanding of human empathy?

Studying empathy in rats helps us understand the basic biological and environmental factors that shape empathetic behaviour—not just in animals, but in humans too. Surprisingly, rats and humans share similar brain structures and genetic traits related to empathy. By observing how and why rats help each other, scientists can gain insights into what drives empathy, how social bonds develop, and what influences prosocial behaviour.

At the same time, research on empathy  sheds light on the opposite side of human nature—conflict and division. Studies suggest that empathy is often strongest within familiar social groups, while distrust or lack of concern for "outsiders" can contribute to hostility, exclusion, and even war. Just as rats are more likely to help those they grew up with, humans naturally tend to favour their own communities, sometimes at the expense of others. Understanding how these social boundaries form can help us find ways to reduce prejudice, promote cooperation, and build more compassionate societies.

By studying empathy in animals, we can better understand both the forces that bring people together and those that drive them apart—knowledge that is essential for addressing societal challenges and fostering a more connected world.