Is Your Cat Talking to You?

Do you prefer cats or dogs?

  • Cats

    Votes: 17 39.5%
  • Dogs

    Votes: 13 30.2%
  • Neither

    Votes: 2 4.7%
  • Both

    Votes: 11 25.6%

  • Total voters
    43
I stopped to say something to one of the cats during online high school classes, and was told that I sounded like a crazy cat lady. I replied that I had been home alone with essentially no one to talk to for 13 months, and I passed the crazy stage about 10 months before!

But to get back to the original question, I believe I've taken it a step beyond. I use sign language with my deaf cat (who happens to be named after a deaf student I had my first year of teaching). He understands "Up," "Come" and "Cuddle" but at 6 years old he's pretty consistent in pretending that he doesn't understand "No" and "Stop."
 
I use sign language with my deaf cat (who happens to be named after a deaf student I had my first year of teaching). He understands "Up," "Come" and "Cuddle" but at 6 years old he's pretty consistent in pretending that he doesn't understand "No" and "Stop."
PS, In Brendan's defense, the vet says that he's the best trained cat she's ever seen, because he comes out of the box when I sign "Come", jumps up on the table on the command "up", and when she wants to take his temperature, I sign "cuddle" and he stands on the table with his back legs and his tail up while hugs my neck or shoulder with the front legs and stays like that until I stop rubbing his head. He may be deaf, but he's definitely not "dumb."
 
I once read in a magazine that dogs are like men and cats are like women and I found that to be true. Even the fattest tomcat has something of diva and the most petite female dog is still a buddy.
I prefer buddies over divas, so I think I'm a dog person. We both are working full time so that is why we don't have a dog yet, it would be cruel to leave him alone all day, but after retirement and especially when we are no longer able or willing to travel, we will have a dog.
 
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I once read in a magazine that dogs are like men and cats are like women and I found that to be true. Even the fattest tomcat has something of diva and the most petite female dog is still a buddy.
I prefer buddies over divas, so I think I'm a dog person. We both are working full time so that is why we don't have a dog yet, it would be cruel to leave him slone all day, but after retirement and especially when we are no longer able or willing to travel, we will have a dog.
I believe that both are buds--but just as our human friends differ one from to the other, so do our 4-legged ones. Maximus (dog) is far less critical while Strindberg (cat) believes that I may have good intentions but require frequent proddings. However both would agree that their judgement is better than mine. 😌

They can switch expected roles. Strindberg (cat) follows me from room to room while Maximus (dog) is content to nap in the sun.

edit -- for grammar
 
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I am pretty sure that, on some level, I replaced my female children with male cats once the kids were grown and gone. Cats are easier.

As far as divas vs buddies, it depends on the individual animals, just like it does with individual people. I've volunteered in a cat shelter for several years and their personalities are different, just like dogs. Brendan, my deaf one, would have made an excellent dog as he's pretty sure it's his job to watch out for everybody and take care of them. Able, my brain damaged one (I'm not making that up, he's missing part of his cerebellum) is stand-offish and not a people person, but then again, that's probably how he survived, by keeping his guard up at all times (he was eventually nabbed on the streets of New Haven by someone who saw him and thought he must have been hit by a car and chased him down, which was probably pretty comical, because while he staggers like a drunk, he can haul-*** if he wants to!).

Once I pass through my Andersonville phase, the plan is to write about a fictional cat shelter somewhere in New England. I've come across a lot of interesting characters working there, and not all of them were cats!
 
We have a cat her name is Angel. She is almost 15 years old.
View attachment 402600View attachment 402601
Looks a bit like our cat, Felicity, who is 11. She only recognizes one word which is "foodie". Guess what that means?


fwe.jpg
 
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Looks a bit like our cat, Felicity, who is 11. She only recognizes one word which is "foodie". Guess what that means?

View attachment 403082
They are both just lovely! I believe that these saddleback in brown cats are all sweet, loving and wonderful. I had one myself: Billy Strayhorn--he'd lost his original home during one of Maine's ice storms and I was fortunate enough to snatch him off Death Row at an area shelter.
 
We've had five cats over the years and, as others have noted, each had their own distinct personalities. The one that decided I was its primary care giver made a number noises including meows. When the meow was used it had a question mark inflection that indicated he was looking for one of the other cats or people that he was living with. He also decided that any visitors that came to the house came to see and pet him. The only issue in our 'relationship' was when I went away on business, which owing to the nature of my job was frequent. When I would return home, usually in early evening on Fridays, I would be studiously ignored until I fed him on the following morning, at which time all would be forgiven.
 
I like both. Dogs LOVE me. Most dogs will do my bidding, even if their humans can't get them to do anything. I might have been suspected of witchcraft hundreds of years ago, but it's an ability that I just seem to have. Our current housemate is a cat. She became very anxious when her previous humans up the street were going through a divorce, so she asked to move in with us. I squared this away with her previous "mom" and she has been a very grateful companion ever since. She is currently sitting next to my chair, pleading very softly. She wants me to finish this entry so she can hop up in my lap. She vocalizes all the time, but never in an obnoxious way.
 
Pets can't and won't respect property lines. It's a sure fire way to get a neighbor ticked off cause a pet left a "surprise" in their yard. Or watch yhat certain neighbor react when your cat kills one of "their" songbirds. Dogs chasing grandkids is no way to spread goodwill.
 
Pets can't and won't respect property lines. It's a sure fire way to get a neighbor ticked off cause a pet left a "surprise" in their yard. Or watch yhat certain neighbor react when your cat kills one of "their" songbirds. Dogs chasing grandkids is no way to spread goodwill.
While that is often the case, it is also a failing of children--and some adults. 🙂
 
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