Do you expect your pets to talk to you?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
My 16 year old cat, Fuzzface, meows. I say, "Do you want to go outside?" Yup. Even though I know he's a cat, I ask him that. Like he's going to tell me he just wants a quick smoke before going to bed.
And it gets worse. At the door, I have one of those inside outside temperature things, and I TELL the cat, "It's cold outside". I don't really know if he speaks English.
Oh God, they're coming to take me away!
 

I ask mine questions too, and they stare at me with question marks in their eyes.

There are three questions they do understand:
Do you want lunch (or snack)? They immediately run into the kitchen meowing in the affirmative.
Want me to open the window? They run to the cat tree that sits under the window.
Ready to go night-night? They race to my bed, purring already.

I think they also understand when I tell them I'm going out. Also, oddly enough, when I ask myself Where did I put my phone? they all look at my desk, which is where I usually park it!

I wish I could understand THEM as well as they seem to understand me.
 
hahaha....I talk to my cats all the time too. They can keep a good conversation going. I'm sure they know English...they all can be sound asleep and all I have to say, "who wants a treat?" They come running from every direction and sit right at my feet. They sure are good company!
 

I talk to my dog and parakeets. Just like I'd talk to a human. I tell them the things I did during the day. I also tell them how much I love them and make kissing sounds to them, too!
 
I talk to my dogs, cats and birds all the time. I know that they understand a lot of what I say because of their reactions. Just because we don't understand their language doesn't mean they don't understand ours.
 
Well I don't actually expect my dog to talk to me, but I wish she could!

Like the others she races for the door when I say "out?" When I say "treat" she spins and jumps in excitement.

Mishka seems to have the talent:

 
I talk to my cat and dog all the time, little things like what, what is it? I usually get a mew for a reply from my cat. When I ask my dog the same thing when he looks at me, he usually runs and gets his ball, he wants to play. They do seem to know what we tell them, would be fantastic if they could respond in words that we understand....especially if they're feeling a little sickly.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I talk to my cat and dog all the time, little things like what, what is it? I usually get a mew for a reply from my cat. When I ask my dog the same thing when he looks at me, he usually runs and gets his ball, he wants to play. They do seem to know what we tell them, would be fantastic if they could respond in words that we understand....especially if they're feeling a little sickly.
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Yeah, especially when they're sick and you wish they could tell you what hurts. Or what they will eat when they aren't eating so you don't have to put out 5 things, hoping they'll eat one.
 
The dogs are spoken to constantly, they understand everything said, and respond accordingly.

...only thing, when they have doggie dreams, they do a poor job of describing what the dream was about.
 
I had a dog that used to "talk". She was part Shih Tzu/poodle. She would say "I love you". She would say this, the same sounds over again, very deliberately! I laugh when I hear other dogs do this! I always talked to our dogs. I even talk to my granddaughter's Guinea pigs when I pet sit. I believe animals respond to our tone of voice and also, basic words are surely associated with a meaning to our pets. Out--walk--eat--besides the normal commands, I think they do understand.
 
Crap, I talk to everything...possibly even the plants but we won't go there. You know our furry friends in particular try their darndest to understand us. Call me a crazy cat or dog lady and I don't care. It's so cute when the dogs give you that tilt head thing. They are REALLY Really trying to understand. Cats will just leap in your lap...they know a good purr will calm a bunch of worries. My Callie is unique. A big imposing dog and totally fearless of anything. But Mami crying and he trembles...poor guy just doesn't know what to do. But my daughter's pets know what to do by instinct.

<<<Rodent haters read no further>>>

We have a catch-phrase in our house "Hug a rat". My girl has a pack of white rats. Very social creatures including relating to humans. Last night I was melting down a bit. I went up and picked up my favorite. She licked my tears and snuzzled in my arms. Nothing like it...did she understand my words? Possibly not, but so much love there I can't tell you.
 
When I had my dogs and cats I always talked to them. I'm not sure if they had any idea what I was saying but I truly believe they can understand human emotions. It seemed when I was sad they stayed by my side more. When I was happy there seemed to be a lot of tail wagging going on and a lets play ball attitude. I only have my bird left now and I know that he can carry a grudge for quite awhile. In the evening when I sit in my recliner he wants me to scratch his head. I do this but after an hour of it I get tired. I gently push him away. He flies down on the floor and walks around grumbling in bird talk and ignores me until I bring him his favorite snack. White bread,which has to be absolutely fresh and a bit of American cheese, only American and not the processed stuff.
 
I talk to Hoot all the time, since there's no one else here to listen to me. He does sometimes answer me, but I don't speak Poodle. More's the pity.
 
I talk to Bonnie all the time, and I believe she understands a lot of it, or at least the general drift. I know for a fact she knows what a lot of words mean, like eat, walkies, bedtime, leave it and so on. She also knows "no" of course, but she is so good I hardly ever have to say it to her. She especially knows "go see Eddie;" he is the vet tech that gives her her special baths for her skin, and she LOVES him even though she is sort of suspicious of males in general. When I say "Let's go see Eddie," she runs to the door and jumps up and down, all excited.

She is a hoot!

In cast anyone doesn't know, Bonnie is my rescued pit bull girl and she is the sweetest dog ever.
 
My cat, which in fact is my son' s(rescued from flood) cat and has been with me only for two years, can communicate with me perfectly well. On his meowing, I ask 'what' up?' and he leads me either to the place where his food and snacks are stored or to the garden door or, when he wants stroking, stays beside and waits for the sign before jumping on my knees. I had a very smart dog earlier and never thought, cats might be like this too.
 
Yes... I always talk to my animals... and then I switch to what I imagine their voices to be... and answer myself... for example

Me: What happened little boy?

Dog (me): Mama.. my chew toy rolled under the coffee table.. please get it!!

I also use the pets as an excuse for talking to myself.. which I really like to do.
 
We all have little "tells" where our pets get the meanings of words we say, or we get indications from them. But I gotta admit I feel kind of dumb telling my cat ,"It's cold outside." I mean, really, what's he supposed to do? -Put on his winter fur coat ?
One of the nice thing about my cat is he understands intent. I've done things to him-by accident. And he understands there was no intent.
 
Abby talks to us through her actions. If she agrees with what we say, she wags her tail and expects to be scratched behind the ears. If she is in trouble and we tell her so... she crawls up on the couch, lays down facing the back of the couch and won't look at us for hours. We can even offer treats, but she's mad at us. When she thinks she's pouted long enough, she gets back off the couch and the tail starts wagging again... sorta like my wife. (Oh, my wife doesn't have a tail!) :>)
 
Vedaarya said:
My cat, which in fact is my son' s(rescued from flood) cat and has been with me only for two years, can communicate with me perfectly well. On his meowing, I ask 'what' up?' and he leads me either to the place where his food and snacks are stored or to the garden door or, when he wants stroking, stays beside and waits for the sign before jumping on my knees. I had a very smart dog earlier and never thought, cats might be like this too.
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My granddaughter's cat does that, too. In fact I'm in a bit of a sticky situation with "Monroe". My granddaughter is in the military and when she divorced early this year, ex-her husband took the cat. A few months ago she went to visit Monroe and found him in locked in a bathroom at the ex's girlfriend's house, living in squalor with a horrible flea infestation, so she took him. As she could be sent on a months-long deployment at any time, she asked me to foster Monroe until I can find him a new home. I can't keep him permanently because I have two cats and that's all I am allowed (rental apt). I treated him for the fleas, of course....after his first bath, the water was dark pink from all the bloody flea excrement, the poor dear! He's is a sweet cat and very intelligent but no one is interested in taking him. I've tried going through pet adoption and pet relinquishment agencies, and private organizations, but none are taking cats right now (it's kitten season). I even posted him on my Facebook. No response.

I just remembered my point (lol!); yes, cats are clever and intelligent, and they also have individual personalities, like dogs. Their brains are smaller and that might be why their range of emotions is more limited and they aren't as trainable. I find cats can be loyal, though, and sometimes even protective....I suppose that depends on their personality.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
We all have little "tells" where our pets get the meanings of words we say, or we get indications from them. But I gotta admit I feel kind of dumb telling my cat ,"It's cold outside." I mean, really, what's he supposed to do? -Put on his winter fur coat ?
One of the nice thing about my cat is he understands intent. I've done things to him-by accident. And he understands there was no intent.
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Yes! Mine too. Of course, if I step on a tail or something and hear a yowl, I immediately apologize....it's reflex...but they stop yowling soon as I say "Oh! I'm so sorry!" and the look in their eyes is one of forgiveness. Except for Farley. He looks at me with daggers in his eyes.
 
Most animals learn words by association.

My dog "knows" all the usual basic commands, but she's also learnt others.

Chickie gets her to touch the fridge - "treat" and she touches the cupboard door where they're kept.

Her latest one is "stinkie" - that means my perfume and she'll rush to the drawer where it is kept and touch that particular drawer.

I'm a great believer that you can teach animals by the reward system. It can take some time, but the more they learn, the keener they become to learn more. Simply because they are rewarded by either your appreciation of what they have learnt, a pat or a very simple food reward.
 
IMHO that they can sort some words or tones. My dogs know treat/walk/out. They also know HEY or YO!
Treat-go to Mommy for yummies
Walk-whoever gets to the door first gets a walk first
Out-do you want to line up to go out the back door? Let's go.
HEY-Whatever you are doing better stop in the next ten seconds I mean it.
YO!-You know that is absolutely frickin' unacceptable and it. will. stop. this. second.

They also understand "Who's my BayBeee?" Then both lay belly up.
 
I did have a cat, Mike, who when he 'meowed" it sounded like "go out". I'd be on the phone and Mike would be at the and he'd meowed, "go out". People couldn't believe it was a cat meowing. Then one day I was talking to Pat (my ex, now) and Mike meowed " go out". She said " who's there?" I told nobody. "Well SOMEBODY said "go out".
Now you try to convince somebody your cat talks. She eventually heard Mike.
 
QuickSilver said:
Yes... I always talk to my animals... and then I switch to what I imagine their voices to be... and answer myself... for example

Me: What happened little boy?

Dog (me): Mama.. my chew toy rolled under the coffee table.. please get it!!

I also use the pets as an excuse for talking to myself.. which I really like to do.
Click to expand...


I do this, too, QS. And sometimes I'll tell her all about something I just want to rant about, as in "Bonnie, can you BELIEVE that so and so did such and such . . . ." OR "Bonnie, why do I always put my keys in stupid places?"
 

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