Rats will be companions of the emotional

Scientists in Canada have discovered that mice could be capable of showing empathy for each other.

The discovery was made during experiments in which well-acquainted mice were caused to suffer pain together. The findings have been published in the latest issue of New Scientist magazine.

In one experiment two mice were fed vinegar, which caused mild stomach-ache for around 30 minutes making the creatures wriggle in discomfort.

Researchers at the McGill University observed that cage-mates that had previously spent time together wriggled more, and seemed to synchronize their wriggling.

But in tests where the mice were strangers to each other, they displayed few signs of pain.

It is thought that this masking of pain is done to avoid revealing vulnerability to a potential rival.