1. Characteristic of a person or animal that is able to experience what is going on; conscious: All sentient animals are able to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel unless they have been deprived of a sensory element as a result of injury or some other damage to their senses.
2. Regarding an animal or a human being that responds emotionally rather than intellectually: Carol is convinced that her cat has sentient reactions when she is packing her suitcase to go on vacation because her feline always reacts by being sad and angry.