Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Posted by Animals at 5:09 PM Saturday, April 3, 2010

Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Is It Weird to Talk to My Cat?

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 03:56 PM PDT

Thats-my-spoon Generally, and I say "generally" in quotes, people think dogs are friendlier than cats. People treat their dogs like little kids or at least like intelligent beings who understand the world around them. We all know, from books like Inside of a Dog, that dogs ... don't understand very much about our lives. All they care about, and choose to understand, is what we share with them.

Cats, on the other hand, get treated like - pillows. I don't say that lightly. Some cats are cuddly and enjoy being petted or catered to. Other cats, like the resident Queen Wabby, prefer to be left alone, except when it's time to eat. Then...she's all attentive and meowy. When she's looking for food, you can actually carry on a conversation with her and I'll be darned if she doesn't act just like she knows what you're saying. She even replies as if she's having a conversation of some importance.

But mostly she's very pillow like - soft, mushy, and quiet.

Dogs will watch your face and your hands and your actions, to try and determine if you're happy, sad, mad, or reaching for a treat.

Cats will watch your face...and judge the possibility of getting a treat like breakfast, lunch or dinner, by the way you approach them. They like to hear the sing-song quality of talk that usually means you're in a good enough mood to maybe feed them early. (some cats do like to "have fun" like the ones in this video)Come-on-lets-go-for-a-walk

So, is it weird to talk to my cat when I know the only thing she's after is...dinner? I don't think so. I like to talk to Wabby. She comes up on our bed at night and sits there and we have long conversations. I know that all of her meowing, no matter how plaintive or soft or continuous, is directed at getting me to feed her something. Even if she just got done eating!

With dogs - it's similar, since dogs like to eat a lot, too. But, dogs actually want to be with you because they like being with you. If you aren't ready with a treat, or if dinnertime is a long way away, they'll hang around anyway. That pat on the head, that "maybe later" tone when they're there with the leash in the mouths, tells them you still love them and they'll get what they want, eventually.

Cats don't do eventually. Cats only do "now."

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