[baavgai]

Yep, I have two cat at the moment, but I've had dogs I'd chat with, too. The python had no ears, so...

I feel animals are probably more sensitive to certain emotional cues than people. In a sense, it's pretty much the only vocabulary they have. Just like a small child, if I call kitty's name while I'm in a good mood he'll come right on over. If it sounds like I'm annoyed with him, the same words will get a disparaging "yeah, right" look.

Talking calmly to critters will calm them down, if you mean it. They aren't often fooled by calm words with the intent to go to the vet.

I talk to them off handedly, though. If we're crossing paths, I'll usually say "Hey, puss" or "Yo, cat." or any number of things that acknowledge they're there. I don't know why, it just seems kind of rude to do otherwise. They know the usuals, like "food" and such. "Piss off" is understood and even if delivered gently, they'll get out of the way. "Cat" delivered in an annoyed voice is a time out. It will stop what's going on and will result in feline flight or immediate grooming.

[NickDMax]

@r.stiltskin -- perhaps in the post I was, but truly he has quite a large vocabulary. As I understand it, it is pretty easy to show that most dogs have a vocabulary of at least 30 words or so.

This is harder to show with cats since they are not really as cooperative (just because a cat understands does not mean he/she cares) -- however the same basic estimate holds for cats as well.

Kat (that is the name of the dog -- don't ask me I didn't name him) understands a good set of nouns and verbs and even the occasional adjective (or at least compound noun). However the word "walk" trumps everything... for example even if you say "go to the vet" in an excited tone he may act a little confused -- but he still picked up on "vet" and is not willing to come too close -- yet the tone still makes him hopeful. -- but say, "wanna walk to the vet" and he goes NUTS and will go and get the leash. He is deathly afraid of lightening -- yet will still get excited for a walk on a day with heavy rain and thunder -- but will not get too far once he gets outside (yet is still happy he went.)

[NeoTifa]

Does telling them they're ugly and hissing at them count?

[SixOfEleven]

NickDMax, on 11 Jun, 2009 - 08:52 AM, said:

I get made fun of quite a bit at home because I talk to our pets. I say hello and good-morning to them, I ask them questions. I compliment them, I explain what is going on. It is not as though I really expect them to start talking back in complete sentences with an English accent one day -- I just feel that it is rude to bark commands at them all the time.

Plus I believe that at the very least with a combination of Pavlovian coincidence and a little animal sense the pets pick up a small vocabulary this way. My cat definitely knows the words: "can", "outside", "nap", and "Time OUT!" and "treat"-- I suspect that he also has learned the word "vet". Our dog knows the words "out" (but not really "outside"), "walk", "bone", "rope", "ball", and even "toy" as a general term (the others are specific to the type of toy).

So anyway, I don't see anything wrong with talking to the pets... its not like I really expect them to understand. -- Am I crazy?



I have no idea how this ended up in the C++ section... moved

I talk to my dogs all the time, as well as the cats. Every morning, when I get up, I have my dogs up on my lap, one is big lab mix, the other is a beagle. I give them TLC and tell them that they are good dogs and other stuff. When I go to bed I do the same thing. They seem to understand what I'm saying. When I'm not feeling good they seem to sense it. They understand a lot of words as well: "breakfast", "ball", "water", "snuggles", "walk time", "bed time" and other words as well.

Cats are a little different.

[KYA]

Was this locked temporarily...?

[BetaWar]

I talk to my dog, she seems to understand things, like "go to bed", or "upstairs". I talk to her, and my cat (though she doesn't seem to care about what I say so much).

[gabehabe]

I always talk to my dog. You'd be seriously surprised by how much he knows. And he pulls different faces depending on what you do/say, as if he's actually responding.

He also gives you a dirty look if you look at him while he poos. Then he turns away from you lol.

This post has been edited by gabehabe: 11 June 2009 - 11:20 AM

[computerfox]

"go poop already!! why aren't you pooping" :death stare: dog: "stop being rude dude, seriously. do i watch you when you squat?" :turn around" that's so epic ROFDIL!!!

[no2pencil]

When I talk to my cat, if she's in a playful mood, she will flop onto her back & roll around, purr, meow, & swat playfully.

[eZACKe]

I always talk to my cats. They can pick up on what you're saying by how you say it sometimes.

[b.ihde]

gabehabe, on 11 Jun, 2009 - 06:18 PM, said:

I always talk to my dog. You'd be seriously surprised by how much he knows. And he pulls different faces depending on what you do/say, as if he's actually responding.

He also gives you a dirty look if you look at him while he poos. Then he turns away from you lol.

LoL, same here with my dog

She really understands pretty much what i m talking to her.. I really wonder sometimes..

Even today, i said, where are my shoes, and she started to search, and found: a towel!
heeeey, great one, good dog!! pretty close, maybe next time

[gabehabe]

BENJI!

[baavgai]

gabehabe, on 11 Jun, 2009 - 01:53 PM, said:

BENJI!

? That's actually the name of my first dog. German Schnauzer. Smart little guy. Named before the movies came out.

[OliveOyl3471]

I have had cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, a gerbil, birds & ducks, frogs, and fish, and I always talk to them. So maybe they don't all understand, but it's therapeutic for us humans, I think.

One fish I had was named Jackie. He(or she?) was a Jack Dempsey, and I had him for about seven years. He would take the food pellets right from my hand. Of course I had to hold it really close to the water, lol.

Talking to the birds was different, since they were cockatiels and I had heard that you could teach them to talk. I also tried teaching them the Andy Griffith theme song by whistling it so they could hear. They would appear to be listening, and I think they actually got part of it. The one male I had would whistle (or sing or whatever you call it) "charge" whenever he would um, get lucky, with his lady bird. lol

I talk to my dogs, too. All of us here do. When we first got Cooter, our big tan lab, my daughter would always tell him, "you know you're not our dog, don't you? We already have a dog."

Like you, Nick, I also talk to wild animals sometimes. Once or twice when a wasp has entered the building uninvited I have told them to leave, pointed to the door, and they did leave. They probably were headed that way anyway, but I like to think they obeyed. lol

edit--how could I forget the ducks? Of course, they do fall under the 'bird' category

This post has been edited by OliveOyl3471: 11 June 2009 - 07:37 PM

[gabehabe]

baavgai, on 11 Jun, 2009 - 07:18 PM, said:

gabehabe, on 11 Jun, 2009 - 01:53 PM, said:

BENJI!

? That's actually the name of my first dog. German Schnauzer. Smart little guy. Named before the movies came out.

My dog is called Ben. Also, I found out my friend's dog is called Ben today. But I was actually referring to b.ihde, his first name is Benji.