Very deep stuff and I'm learning lots, thanks. But about that Wittgenstein quote, I can't help but to disagree a little. I think we and lions could understand each other, at least some bits and pieces. We are closer to most mammals in emotions and instincts than people who defend slaughtering them want to believe. Humans like to smell each other on the temples and surrounding areas just like cats. We both sniff better when we open our mouths and wrinkle our noses. Like lions we hunt in teams, pecking order is very important, and we love the excitement of the chase. Etc there are so many examples, I wonder if Wittgenstein ever had a pet, and if he did, if he ever truly observed it. :)
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I'm actually prone to agreeing with you- I think that, ultimately, we have significant capacity for comprehending the mental states and emotions of other terrestrial creatures. Wittgenstein's quote is, however, one of those ideas that does need to be confronted in related discussions.
I'm not familiar with whether Wittgenstein owned pets himself, but his comments were to a great extent representative of the general views of his time on animals. They were often thought of as mere automatons, simply reacting to stimuli, without any real emotions. It was even widely believed that they couldn't feel pain. He's actually rather enlightened in that context- he did seem to believe that they were actually capable of perception and more than merely reacting to stimuli.