Going Bananas Over Baby Punch

Clinging For Warmth

“In most rescue cases, clinging onto toys serves as a self-soothing response,” says Dr Bommu Meenakshi Reddy, a veterinarian. Dr Bommu points out that Punch, who seems to be holding the toy close to his chest, is not doing so out of playfulness or curiosity. It is the way one holds on when letting go simply feels too dangerous.

Dr Bommu explains that in very young animals, this behaviour is instinctive — a survival response rooted in seeking warmth and contact. In rescued animals, however, especially those that have experienced injury, loss, or separation, it is more often linked to stress. Dr Bommai says, “Most of the time, clinging onto toys or things is a temporary coping mechanism.” Explaining further that once the animal feels secure and the environment becomes predictable, the behaviour gradually disappears.

Dr Parul Chaudhri, Animal Communicator & Pet Psychic, says, “When any young animal is separated from its mother or experiences social distress, there is a rupture in the sense of safety.” Dr. Parul notes that a soft toy or blanket often becomes a surrogate anchor, not because the animal mistakes it for something real, but because it carries the imprint of comfort and connection. It fills the space left behind by disrupted attachment. She emphasises that this behaviour should not be misread as dependency. Instead, it reflects an intelligent attempt at self-regulation in the absence of secure emotional bonds — a powerful reminder that animals do not merely endure experiences, they feel them deeply.

Animals Feel Too

Aleesha Agarwal Goyal, Founder of the Mystic Purple, explains, “Animals are the happiest in their own tribe, with their own species.” Pointing out that there aren’t many differences between human behaviour and animal behaviour. Aleesha notes that both animals and human children rely on transitional objects to regulate overwhelming emotions. She quips, “Neither operates primarily from logic, but from emotional instinct and innocence, seeking a safety net that allows them to feel secure enough to grow and thrive.”

She adds that this need does not disappear with adulthood — even humans continue to rely on comforting objects or routines to keep their nervous systems regulated.

Animals feel the same things humans do – fear, comfort, loss, attachment but they speak a different emotional language. Where humans articulate distress through words, animals express it through the body. A human may say “I am anxious” - an animal, on the other hand, may pace about, withdraw, cling to a stuffed toy or simply sleep it off. It's not about them not feeling; they just express differently.

Dr Nishit S Gokhran, a Veterinary Surgeon from Mumbai, says, “Mammals being more developed do show more attachment to objects as compared to other species.”

According to Dr Nishit, such behaviours are often temporary and tend to resolve once the underlying trigger is removed. He explains that many animals naturally return to baseline behaviour when they feel safe again. However, repeated or prolonged exposure to stressors can lead to lasting emotional and behavioural changes, indicating long-term impact rather than a short-term response.

Supreme Emotional Intelligence

What’s intriguing is that animals possess a form of emotional intelligence that is profound, precise and often underestimated. They also read emotional states not through words, but through micro-signals: tone shifts, posture changes, breath patterns, scent, and energy. This is not instinct alone — it is emotional attunement. (See box)

Animal Instincts

• A dog senses anxiety long before a human names it.

• Horses respond to inner fear even when the rider appears calm.

• Herd animals register tension in one member and adjust collectively.

Dr Nishit explains, “Animals have a higher level of emotional intelligence compared to human beings as of today.” He opines that almost all animal behaviours are basic and raw in nature, as their actions are driven mostly by the pure instinct of survival.

However, Dr Parul also advises that these gestures shouldn’t just be taken as cute or adorable. She says, “As someone who works intuitively with animals, I have learned that behaviour is often their clearest language.” Emphasising that what looks adorable on the outside is, in reality, a coping mechanism on the inside. Aleesha says that many rescued and previously abandoned dogs show a strong emotional attachment to stuffed toys or familiar blankets. She recalls communicating with a female dog who would consistently cling to a soft toy during episodes of pseudo-pregnancy — using it as a source of comfort and emotional regulation during a particularly vulnerable phase.

Understanding Life

It is a simple truth: Baby Monkey Punch is not an exception — he is a mirror. A fragile body navigating unfamiliar human faces and fractured lives, displaced and alone in a world that no longer feels safe. Like so many others, he has not lost his ability to feel. Instead, he has found a way to endure — clinging to a soft toy not out of weakness, but as an instinctive act of survival. And perhaps the hardest truth of all is this: animals ask for very little. No explanations. Only reassurance. Only presence and the chance to feel safe again!