Through science people can more correctly satisfy animals 'biological needs, but scientific research has its limits, and by extrapolating a human model of pain sensation one may overlook other animals' biological characteristics. It was recently discovered that octopuses, which are mollusks, have a nervous system more similar to that of humans than do many other vertebrates. This suggests that invertebrates also have the sensory ability to feel pain.
藉著科學，人們可以針對動物生理需求給予更準確的滿足；但是科學研究有其侷限，痛覺由人來推演也可能疏忽其他動物的生理特性，近來人們就發現軟體動物章魚，比其他脊椎動物有更接近人類的神經系統；非脊椎動物也可能存在痛覺的感知能力。