Relating to pets / other animals

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Awww!

Why is it that cats like to visit with the neighbors and dogs don't?

My youngest dog, Sherry, is so cute it's disgusting. I can tell by how she's acting how she's doing that day. She thinks she's better than everyone and says so by sitting on your lap and just expecting you to pet her. I'm lucky she's gentle tempered and only weighs 8 pounds. That's not like my other oldest dog sheba who's a hefty 70 pounds. She doesn't have to say or do much to get she wants. The perks of being a big dog, lol.

I love my dog, I've not lived without a dog for nearly 10 years....
I spend everyday with my dog. I can read their body language so much better than I can a human's. And I think I've adopted dogs' body language a bit as well, ie. I only use real eye contact when I'm trying to be threatening or when I'm furious.
And when I'm intimidated, I immediately associate how I feel with a dog, tail down, head down...
...if that made sense...

I live with two cats.

I prefer their company to human company in every way.

I've lived with animals of some description all my life and find their more basic interaction helps me to unwind after being around people. Even those cats whose owners say will not socialize with strangers will come up to me as though they've known and trusted me all their lives. And then they purr.

My cats seem to understand what I want of them and they have found ways to get me to understand what they want of me. They have different expressions, chirps and meows for the various things they want and need. And an innate ability to know when I need them.

If only I could find a man with all the attributes of a feline...

When I was a toddler (around 2) and before my mum could stop me, I ran up to a Gander in a park and tossed my arms around it's neck, stayed there a sec and then let go and walked away. It never did a thing. They can be pretty aggressive birds too, but it must have sensed I was gentle/non-threatening... either that or it was damn shocked I had the gall to do such a thing.

Geese 'hug' each other much like that, except with one neck instead of two arms. He might have correctly understood what you were doing. Very tame ones will 'hug' strangers sometimes. A lot of the 'aggressiveness' of geese is because many of their friendly body-language signals look aggressive to humans.

My neighbour breeds rats and he let me hold a few. They were so gorgeous and I felt like I made a new friend. When I told mum I wanted one she immediately said no but she thinks it's ok as long as I don't let it out of its cage.
I just felt so comfortable and had a closer connection with one of those rats.
My neighbour said I was a natural at handling them.

Hey, thanks for sharing.. it makes sense when you explain it like that. I'll have to tell my mum.

I'm very interested in all this too. We have three cats and a dog, the real interesting bit for me is the interactions between the dog and the cats, totally different species but they have adapted to understand each other on a basic level. The dog is very protective of the cats, and the two youngest cats are totally fearless of the dog, the older one is a bit skittish but trusts the dog more than the other cats.

My Tegu tried to eat my foot yesterday. Luckily, he's still a youngster. It left a mark, but it was kind of funny.

1. Do you understand your pet's / other animals' body (non-verbal) language better than people's?

Yes. My rabbit is very quiet naturally so most of her communication is non-verbal. I know when she is in a good mood, in a bad mood or unwell.

2. Can you discern between your pet's tone of voice / intonation / sounds?

Although rabbits make few noises, the gentle honking sounds have a definate intonation to them. A high pitched honk means she's happy, a medium pitched honk means she's curious or exploring and a low pitched honk means she's in a bad mood.

3. What are your pet's personality traits, if any?

My rabbit Jenifer is very curious and loves a fuss. She doesn't get along with other rabbits (like AS but in bunnies!) but she is really friendly and tolerant, especially with one of the men who lives in our house and has autism but can be a bit rough with her sometimes! She loves to rub against me and sniff everything!

On the other hand, the rabbit who I got with Jenifer, Jasmine (who died) was quiet and introverted. She was friendly with the other rabbits, guinea pigs (my neighbour's ) and got on well with the neighbour's cat! She didn't like to be held, just gently petted and she was almost quite shy because she would hide away!

Finally, my third rabbit (who also died), Pippin, was really cuddly. He was really friendly, offering a lick on the face just because! He was always greeting new people by jumping up to them on the sofa and licking them (whereas Jen would probably bite them!) and would settle down next to them!

Whoever says rabbits have no personality has never owned one!

1. Do you understand your pet's / other animals' body (non-verbal) language better than people's?

Yes, especially cats. I've lived around cats all my life and even cats that are shy will come up to me. I tend to attract them, and occasionally wild animals as well.

2. Can you discern between your pet's tone of voice / intonation / sounds?

Definitely. I know when they want something but they don't differentiate what they want, they meow to get my attention and then they show me what they want. Its easy to tell what all their other sounds (ie hiss, growl, chirp, purr etc.) mean.

3. What are your pet's personality traits, if any?

Three very different personalities! Our first cat, he's a dominating and territorial alpha-male but very smart. He likes my husband best so mainly hangs out with him. Our second cat is the same age, theyre both over 10 yrs. old, she is very friendly, always wants a lap and being petted, and likes new people. Not as smart as our other cats, but can learn things ok. Our young cat we just got recently, she's only 1 year old, a part-feral I rescued. She bonded to me but no one else, so of course I kept her. She's timid and hates to be picked up, but is affectionate to me otherwise and very smart. Though we've had the first two for so long, I feel a special connection to this one, I guess because she chose me and trusted me to help her.

1. I'd say that I understand them equally well.

2. Yes. My cat's got very many different sounds. The offended miaow when I shut her out of my bedroom at night, the happy greeting when I let her in, the request for food, please. She's a right chatterbox, my cat. Talks all day.

3. My cat is a very social animal. She loves being with people. If we have guests she comes to be with us, trying out the different laps, looking into people's eyes and chattering with them. She grew up together with a dog, so sometimes I think she believes she's a dog, too. She's attentive and often obedient (imagine that, in a cat!) and she gives great comfort when I need it. I'm convinced she can read my thoughts and emotions, because often when I think "Where is the cat?" she replies from wherever she is, underneath the sofa or on the stairs. She's the most lovely creature there is and we love her.

Welcome aboard, Jaydee! It's amazing about the telepathy you mention!

TiredGeek, how does the cat show you what she wants? And would you like to tell how you rescued her? I love rescue stories...

Yeah, dogs tend not to keep grudges. Birds on the other hand seem to be able to keep one forever.

I understand my pets pretty well. The birds are simpler because, well, they talk; but I have no problem catching on to what the cat wants or her general mood. I kind of wish people would listen about the birds when they come over though. If I tell you one of them is getting pissed at you and is going to bite you, don't laugh me off and then get mad when you do get nipped.

My cat is a total spaz, and I honestly think she is aspiring to be a dog when she grows up. My cockatoo is pretty much just as much of a spaz (no surprise that they are best friends). My macaw is a total trickster and loves to play jokes, but for the most part prefers to be allowed to do his own thing. I had two cockatiels until recently, but one passed from complications while laying her first brood and the other suicided later that day. (If you need any proof that animals have personalities, there you go. Suicide in breeding pairs is common when one of them dies). I miss them a lot, especially because they would act much as Jaydee described their cat. If I was the least bit depressed there they would be wanting cuddles and trying to preen me until I felt better. One would always stick her beak in my ear if she thought I was about to cry because it made me laugh.

Awww I love these stories... So sad about the cockatiels