Helen,
That one has been kicked around a lot. I honestly don't know other than
God's personal interest in the animal kingdom He made. If He is watching
the little sparrows, He surely has the whole animal kingdom at heart. I
personally don't believe they have spirits but I do believe they communicate
with their Creator and I believe He communicates with them. I have
absolutely no, well, almost no, Biblical evidence for what I just said
either. I believe they have what I would call a God consciousness of some
type because I am convinced they are aware of their Creator.
Phil.