It would surprise me to learn that animals don't have emotions and consciousness. I read once that we are not our thoughts - we are the agent that experiences

It would surprise me to learn that animals don't have emotions and consciousness. I read once that we are not our thoughts - we are the agent that experiences and hears our thoughts. I think that this meta-congition is uniquely human (and consequently, the ability to think about meta-congnition is uniquely human).