Do our pets wonder where we are when we're at work?

[Skittles]

I wonder if they think we've gone hunting, and privately think it's pitiful the number of times we return home without having bagged anything. :o

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Or come home not smelling of crotch or pee or garbage

Clever observation Skittles!

Maybe that's why they're always so excited so see the owner return - they think they're going to be bringing home a new kill!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. I'm sure mine think:

no lap on demand

i hope she brings home chicken

there's no one to turn on the water faucet

there's no one to open the closet doors when i need to check the place out

[JBoris]

3. I've always wondered what pets think of cars

do they understand that we make cars or do they think they occur naturally?

[AllegroRondo]

13. reminds me of other car ideas

I read an SF short story a long time ago, about aliens looking at the earth from a long way off and thinking that cars were the dominant life form. Humans were just parasites.

[Skittles]

24. how about aliens watching owners with their dogs

picking up their doodoo - who would they guess was the master? :o

[neweurope]

26. They know that little blue buses bring the food. People are just happening

along.

We have two cars - I drive the blue bus, and I'm the one that's most generous with our horses, bringing bananas and such :) while my partner is stingy. One night I left the car there, and in the morning we came with the other car. The horses who normally always come right up to us nodded politely in our direction - and planted themselves before the blue bus expecting the doors to open by magic and spew forth some goodies. I always thought I was the goodie-bringer to the horses. I'm not. I'm the lowly driver of the car that brings the goodies *sigh*

[anonymousdemocrat]

42. that's a great question

I don't know.

[Ladyhawk]

51. My parrot can hear my car coming from almost a mile away.

He starts yelling my name at that point, I'm told. He has gone riding in the car.

My opinion is that animals take "cars" for granted and don't think much about them other than that they are a way to travel.

[IStriker]

75. My dogs jump up from their sleep long before the car turns into...

our long driveway and start bouncing around, looking out the windows, getting ready to greet the driver who is returning home. This is not because the driver is returning from work at the same time every day like dogs who know what time to meet the school bus. They KNOW our car is coming. When we bought a new car, it took them about 2 wks. to react to it. When they are riding in the car, passed out sleeping for miles, when we get to about 1/2 mile of home, they get up and start hopping around all happy we are home. How do they do this?

[Ladyhawk]

82. They learn the sound of the individual car. It's pretty amazing, isn't it

My family swore that my parrot would start getting excited and calling my name long before I got home. They estimated that he hears my car about 7/10 of a mile away, when I turn onto a certain gravel road.

I have no way of gauging his hearing where I live now. I just hope the neighbors aren't too annoyed when he starts yelling and screaming my name. Hehe.

[IStriker]

89. It's both amazing and wonderful. Unfortunately, my dogs only bark...

instead of screaming my name. I'm jealous!

[ixion]

4. they think we're hunting without them

and they would be right, to some degree. :+

[Sporadicus]

12. Reminds Me of Some Comedian's Monologue

I don't recall WHO offhand - only the gist of his skit, which basically said that dogs must consider us amazing hunters when we come back from the supermarket with large cuts of raw meat.

[Skittles]

23. I like the one who said cat food should be bird and rat-flavored

when's the last time your cat dragged home a side of beef?

[Sporadicus]

28. I Remember That One, Now That You Mention It

Don't forget all the other wildlife our kitties drag home for us to admire. One cat I had years ago became so adept at catching shrews - still alive - that I had to check for a 'shrew moustache' before letting him in the house, lest I endure observing a massacre on my kitchen floor.

[Skittles]

29. my cat Clancy brings in lizards through the window

most of the time they are OK and I have to fight him to get them from him so I can take the little critters outside. :D

[havocmom]

5. Have always tried to take my dogs with me to pick up husband/kids

from work/school from time to time. They all have seemed somewhat relieved to see where the 'other pack members' spend time away from home. I do think they wonder and probably worry when they just don't know.

They also like to find out where the burgers and frozen yogurt comes from!

We just took grown daughter into town to the airport after Christmas. The 90 Pound Hound went with us. It is 3 hours into town. He is great in the car and generally gets a burger from the drive up window of some fast food establishment.

When we were leaving the airport parking lot, he got REAL happy to see dad whip out some $ and go towards a window. He did look somewhat puzzled as he sniffed the air and got no hint of burgers grilling. The parking attendant was very sweet & prepared for dogs. She handed my husband a huge dog biscuit for our 'good boy'.

90 Pound Hound was polite and took the offered treat, wagged his great fan of a tail and waited til we had pulled away before spitting the biscuit out with a disgusted "harrumph" and flopping down with a disheartened thud. It was his birthday too! He knew he was the victim of some sort of burger deal gone bad.

And he probably thinks his human sister resides at the airport,surviving on dry biscuits, since that is where we left her!

edited to add dog's theory about airport chow

[Skittles]

6. HA HA HA

cute!

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. Aww, poor 90 Pound Hound

You gave them money, where's his burger??

[havocmom]

14. Made it up to him with kibble in lamb sauce, smoked turkey and some

brie when we got home. He seemed to survive on that. :P

[Not_Giving_Up]

7. I know my cats are amazed by my shower

When I'm in there, they constantly paw at the door, trying to rescue me. They have figured out how to open it, I come home to it standing wide open , cat hair all in it...Guess they're having wrestling matches in there.

I don't know what they think when I'm gone, but I know that they know when I'm supposed to be home. Dora is indoor/outdoor and she meets me on the porch every day.

[Skittles]

10. LOL, Skittles used to hang out between the shower curtains

when Tom was taking a shower; one day he fell and landed on Skittles - HARD. Tom swears he would have broken his arm had he not landed on that 26 pound solid black bundle of feline love. Skittles now hangs out in bathroom with Tom - but on the floor, away from harms way. :D

[havocmom]

16. 26 pound cat?!? Wow, is Skittles a bobcat?

I would NEVER fail to deliver a burger to that fur child!

[Not_Giving_Up]

18. I thought Bear was big

He's about 15 pounds...none of it fat, he's a big, muscular, boy!

He won't touch table food though. He begs for it shamelessly, then sniffs, licks, and leaves.

[Skittles]

22. looking down on Skittles from above

he looks like a linebacker :D

[Skittles]

21. we really don't know why he is so big

he doesn't seem to eat more than the other cats, unless he's munching rats in the barn. He was a seven pound injured starving stray when we got him. I remember his biggest weight gain was when Tom and I went to England for a couple weeks a few months after we got Skittles - I accused the guy who looked after Skittles of feeding him protein shakes. :o

[Ladyhawk]

53. A cat that hangs around my mother's house is 25 pounds.

He's huge, black and has long fur. He's quite attractive, but is mean to all the neighborhood cats. I'd post a picture, but I'm quite heavy in it...lost some pounds since then, though I'm still not thin.

On edit: oh, what the hell, so I'm overweight. This cat is huge:



I was glad to see him after he'd been gone for a couple of weeks, so I brought him into the house. We weighed him (25 pounds) and took pictures. He doesn't belong to my mother, but she feeds him and two other neighborhood cats.

[Cuban_Liberal]

9. Look at this pic, and you tell me...

This is my dog, Brody, and this is where he is ever afternoon from about 3:00 on.



:)

[Skittles]

11. OMG, what a cutie pie

:thumbsup:

[Liberalynn]

15. He's Adorable

I have a three year old female German Shepard named Maxie. She always acts like she wants to go for a ride in my sister's Explorer when my sister comes to visit. Yet then she acts really nervous when we actually go. I have a feeling that since we tend to be away longer when my sister drives Maxie is just curious where we are all going without her.

[jonnyblitz]

17. looks like he is waiting for your or Paddy to come home..

cute face. :P

[Cuban_Liberal]

30. He's waiting on me.

He only does that when I'm gone, and never when Paddy's gone. We each have our 'own' dog (dogs' choices): Brody sees me as 'his' alpha, and Grover sees Paddy as his alpha. Both dogs love us and mind us, but they differ on who the BIG dog is.

:)

[intheflow]

46. That is the funniest picture!

I hope his front legs are just hidden, not amputated! ;)

[jonnyblitz]

19. I don't think the 3 cats that live in my house give a rat's ass

as long as their dry food thingy and water dish is full. Dogs I have lived with seem to be more concerned...

[NJCher]

31. not to get technical, but...

If a cat gave a rat's ass, that would mean the cat cared.


Cher

[jonnyblitz]

45. ummmm. I said I DON't think they gave a rats ass

they DONT care. exactly what i said. not to get technical but i believe you misread. :hi:

[Merlot]

49. I think that if a cat gave up a rats ass, it would care

See, to a cat, a rats ass has some value.
to us humans, not so much.

[Guaranteed]

71. Right, but, unfortunately, the cat never gave anyone a rat's ass.

The cat just doesn't give a damn.

[catbert836]

20. I've formed a theory about what my cats think

They think that each day, I go to a "meat buffet" that they never get to go to and after I gorge myself on the buffet, then I go to have a nice long nap.

[giant_robot]

25. This quote sums up how my cat feels about me:

Cats regard people as warmblooded furniture. - Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Deep End of the Ocean

When I'm gone, he has to find something else to sleep on.

[AllegroRondo]

27. The difference between cats and dogs

a dog thinks "This person feeds me and cares for me and loves me. He must be God."

a cat thinks "This person feeds me and cares for me and loves me. I must be God."

[Ladyhawk]

54. That's cute. I've heard this...

Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

I've added: Parrots have slaves.

[elaineb]

32. I must have a very sick sense of humor to find this funny but...

...I remember a co-worker (who owns two cats) once told me that she heard somewhere that if you don't return within a certain amount of time, that your cats think you've been killed and eaten.

Not being a cat owner myself, but knowing how nonchalant most cats act at their owners' return, I find this idea all the more hilarious.

My dogs act overjoyed whenever I return after being gone longer than a few hours, but I certainly hope it's not because they think I've been eaten!

[barb162]

38. My oldest cat stops eating after about 3 days of me being on

vacation. It terrifies me to leave for any extended period.

[Ladyhawk]

55. My parrot does this, too--after about three days.

It's a worry. Very rarely am I gone longer than two days, but I still call the caretaker because I'm hopelessly in love with the little green monster. If he's depressed, I talk to him on the phone and he perks right up.

[Blue Gardener]

92. My cats too

They hate it when I'm not home for several days. The little boy kittie just has the saddest look on his face when I finally come home. It makes me feel terrible and horribly guilty for leaving.

[Allenberg]

33. ...

One of my cats will often shun any attention I try to give her for a couple hours if I don't bring her anything. Spoiled brat. The other will nuzzle my legs until I pet him for a bit, and then he's satisfied.

[NJCher]

34. I take my cat to the supermarket to select her own food

He knew he was the victim of some sort of burger deal gone bad.

OMG, that is funny. What a great story. And the shower filled with cat hair cracked me up, too.

I used to take my cat with me to the supermarket. She traveled in a big blue bag about 14" square and that had netting so she could see out. A zipper on top kept me from running after her in the aisles.

Whenever we would come to the cat food aisle, she would begin purring. I would shake the various boxes of dry food in front of her but I never could detect much of a preference. But she always seemed happy on the way to the checkout stand, with all those cans and boxes beside her.


Cher

[havocmom]

36. Shopping with pets is a kick. I love to be the first one to take a dog to

PetsMart. My sister's coyote/elk-hound cross was so nervous: "Oh, no, I can't go in there! That's a people place." She calmed right down and got into it when she found out the employees all had biscuits in their pockets!

My brother's itty-bitty Pomeranian was terrified of being stepped on. I put him in a cart and he was fine. He insisted on getting out when he saw a damsel in distress. There was a cute, half grown German Shepherd female in total stress mode in the toy aisle. Her momma kept telling her' "Pick out a new toy" and the dog was almost in a panic... TOO MANY CHOICES. Ziggy, the horn dog, insisted on getting out of the cart and swaggering over to her. "Here, my dear, let me help you make a selection. I'm quite experienced heh heh heh with toys." **wink wink, nudge nudge. He is a real operator. After that, no fear of being stepped on for him, he was crusin for furry babes! He would be a regular mall-rat if he knew there were teen age girls there!

My sister's current dogs are like an old married couple: "Oooo, lookie, a store! Let's go look around..." says the bubbly Molly Dog. "Huh? are we stopped? Can we get out of the car? I hate the car. I don't get to walk around with my cigar butt in the car. I'm missing the game. Shop? HUH? If you are hungery, I'll just go catch something fresh for you to eat? Want a toy, I'll find a stick somewhere..." mumbles the once feral Cisco.

The cats tensed up a bit but smells and their own curiosity always got the best of them and held their interests. Pit bulls dragging men down aisles made them a tad anxious though.

The 90 Pound Hound was a bit intimidated at first, being a country dog and all. But all the interesting smells got the best of him. He really liked watching the puppies there for dog school. I think he could have spent all day watching them. Cats in cages were an interesting idea to him. We could see the wheels turning. Dogs on tables getting haircuts were a puzzle. And then there were all those kids to pat him...

WOW what a cool place, except that all the employees keep trying to give him biscuits and since he is polite, he takes them. Since he has not pockets, he looks around slyly for some place to spit them out without being seen. He just doesn't do dog biscuits. He keep hoping the employees will wise up and give him ak-mak crackers with Brie.

Shopping with pets is great fun.

[NJCher]

48. I think I love 90 Pound Hound.

You should write a book of his adventures. I'd buy it!


Cher

[Ladyhawk]

57. My parrot loves to ride on the handles of shopping carts.

Gabby the Amazon got permanently kicked out of Wal-Mart. The "associates" didn't buy the "hearing-ear bird" argument. Bummer. Oh well, since Gabby's slave has become a progressive, she doesn't shop at Wal-Mart anymore.

Sometimes I take Gabby into Orchard simply so he can have an adventure. He loves shopping carts. I'm not sure why. I put him on the handle and push. His eyes constrict to tiny pin-points and his tail fans wide.

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!" I say.

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!" he says.

He grunts and giggles and gets all excited. He especially loves to go really fast, but we have to be careful no one gets run over. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"



Cute, isn't he? :)

[Guaranteed]

72. LOL hee hee! nt

[Dukkha]

35. It seems like some have no concept of time

You run out for five minutes on a beer run and upon return they act like you were on vacation jumping around.

Then there's what my cats have done on a couple occasions. When you do go on vacation they show their disapproval by peeing on you bed.

[Vidar]

108. Wonderful old George Carlin routine on this.

[barb162]

37. my cats either sleep or if I am gone "too long" they start knocking

lamps around

[amazona]

39. judging from what my parrot says

He thinks I am at the beach or out shopping "in town" or possibly in a bar enjoying rum and coke. He does get a little het up about it when I go on a long trip, but as he prefers vacations lasting 2-3 days, he just has to adjust.

[Ladyhawk]

59. This parrot lover needs a picture, please. :)

I'm guessing you also have an Amazon, by your name. My Amazon is pictured above. He's 17 years old--had him his whole life--and his name is Gabby.

Amazons are the best.

[amazona]

90. he's a yellow-fronted amazon

36 or 37 years old. He's super smart.

[Ladyhawk]

94. Beautiful. All the yellow-headed / fronted / naped species are great! nt

[Ladyhawk]

95. Also: your bird is the same age I am. :) n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. Reminds me of one of the few Cathy cartoons I found funny

Cathy is leaving for work, and she tells her dog, "Remember to stay off the couch but you can sleep on the dog bed. Bark at intruders but not at the mailman. ..." It goes on and on like this for three frames.

After she leaves, the dog is thinking, "When people wonder what dogs think about all day, they forget all the memory work involved."

[PopSixSquish]

41. My 15yr Old Cocker Howls Like a Banshee When I Leave For Work

I'm sure my neighbors appreciate it.

[Ladyhawk]

60. When I leave, my parrot shouts my name and screams.

I'm sure my neighbors appreciate it, also. :P

[demily]

43. My friends' theory

Some friends of mine have two inside cats, and the only reason they get to leave the house is to go to the vet. So my friends' theory is that the cats think whenever their owners leave the house, they're going to the vet! Makes sense, doesn't it?

[madison2000]

44. They probably think we've gone to the dog park without them

or wherever it is we go when they get to go with.

I've tried saying "Mommy needs to go to work to earn money to buy dog food" but he doesn't seem to believe me!

[Ladyhawk]

61. There should be a "Bring Your Dog to Work Day"

Then the dog would get the idea that you're going someplace really boring. :D

[Mad_Dem_X]

66. I like this idea!

My dog is very well-behaved around people; he would just lie in his doggie bed next to my desk all day and not bother anyone.

[intheflow]

47. My dog is sure I'm out hiking at the good smelling places

where he can run free--dog parks and the like.

Of my cats, Lyle doesn't care as long as I give her lovig when I return.

Harley, on the other hand, is sure I'm out on other pet-finding missions. Got her as a kitten, and a week later came home with Lyle. That was bad enough, but a few months later we got a DOG. And when that dog died, we got another dog...and then ANOTHER! So for one week I had a blissfully content kitten, and for the last 14 years I've had a bitter, angry bitchy kitty.

Still love her anyway.

[Merlot]

50. My cats think any time away from them is just wasted.

But since I usually come home with their food, they get over it.

[Ladyhawk]

52. When I take my parrot with me, he knows that drive-throughs mean...

...french fries. Oh wait, I mean freedom fries. Wait, no I don't.

He knows that if you talk into the little box, the person at the window will give you french fries, so he talks along with me. It makes ordering hard, especially since he mostly says gibberish. What a cutie, though! :)

[Darth_Kitten]

67. LOL he gets fries?

:D

[Ladyhawk]

81. Most parrots LOVE french fries. They shell them like nuts. n/t

[IStriker]

77. I had a big red Dobie who loved Mc D's burgers...

He would give you a really dirty look if you passed up the Golden Arches instead of driving through. Later on I had another red Dobie and my hubby had a chocolate Lab that we used to take with us a lot. They were very jealous of each other and always competing for our attention. One morning we spent almost all our money on some flea mkt. finds. When we stopped at McD's, we ordered them plain biscuits instead of their usual sausage biscuits. They gobbled up the biscuits in one bite and then proceeded to get into an argument because they were both convinced the other had stolen the sausage out of their biscuit. It was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen them do.

[Ladyhawk]

80. LOL...hehe.

Animals are so much smarter than most people realize. I've ALWAYS loved animals, but I didn't realize how intelligent they really were until I hit my late teens. Some parrots in a pet shop where I worked convinced my of high parrot intelligence. Lately, I've taken a closer look at dogs and cats. My cousin's dog, a silky dauchsund, or however you spell it, is incredibly intelligent, as is a Papillon / Corgi mix owned by a local bird breeder.

[shiina]

56. Yes! My cats always used to try to follow me when I left

[bvar22]

58. I've been tempted to set up the VidCam...

...on a motion sensor just to find out what the animals do when I'm gone.

[HuskiesHowls]

68. Somebody set up a webcam

so he could watch his dogs from work. Had some cool pictures of what goes on, too!! I don't know if its still live, or not...but its still up.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~skealt/
Its called the Yuki, Monty, Maxwell show!

[steely]

62. My cute cat is so dumb, she doesn't notice when I leave

but if my wife leaves, the cat will start pining for the fjiords, not quite caterwauling.

[Ladyhawk]

63. Hey, I liked this thread. Don't let it die just yet.

More about Skittles and the 90 Pound Hound, please. :)

[Skittles]

74. I've asked Tombo to get a picture of Skittles for me

one that shows ALL OF HIM. :o

[Ladyhawk]

79. Sounds like you'll need the wide-angle lens...LOL!

Did you see the picture of Shadow the cat I posted above? He's a cat that prowls the rural area where my mother lives. Everyone feeds him, so I don't think he really belongs to anyone. However, he is not feral. He isn't exactly a "cuddly-bunny," but he tolerates being handled.

[Skittles]

83. I just checked him out - LOL

he is big INDEED. Skittles is solid black too - sometimes I call him butterball although it upsets Tom who claims "he's not that big". LOL, I always pick up Skittles then pause a bit for a final heave to my shoulder. One time I was in this mindset when I picked up Tom's seven pound old lady Himalayan, Tibet, and I nearly tossed her over my shoulder! :o

[Ladyhawk]

86. Hehe...gotta see that Skittles kitty.

A friend of mine also has a huge, black, long-furred kitty. His name is Percy. The cat in my mother's neighborhood was originally named "Bobby," but I call him Shadow.

Here are a few more pictures for size comparison. Even though I've lost some weight since these pictures were taken, I am NOT a small woman. I'm 5'8" and the kitty is a VERY BIG kitty.







I really like Shadow, but he's rather mean to Checkers and Kali, the two other kitties that mooch off my mother. They are half his size.

P.S. Tell Tom that Skittles really is that big...LOL. 26 pounds? That's a huge cat. Just before these pictures were taken, Shadow weighed in at 25. He looks like a f-ing panther.

[Merlot]

87. Wow, what an amazing cat

Look at those feet...that cat's not fat, he's just BIG!

You know, cats are planing to rule the world someday...

[Ladyhawk]

88. If they get much bigger than this, we are in serious trouble.

Can you imagine tiger-sized domestic kitties? :scared:

[beam me up scottie]

91. OHMYGOD!!! You have pictures of my garbage-can kitty, Newton!

I don'thave any digital pics of him but he looks EXACTLY like the catzilla you are holding. When people see him and I explain I found him scrounging out of a garbage can, half-starved, fur all matted and covered with fleas, they do NOT believe me. They think he is some special breed. I tell them-yeah, it's called Lucky. Newton is a doll. He loves any kind of attention. He tries to sneak into the cat carrier when one of the other kids has to go to the docs. He actually got away with it a couple of times when he was little and I didn't notice the weight difference (not that that could EVER happen again, he doesn't even fit into the carrier by himself anymore) When we go to the vets, he won't stop purring so they can listen to his heart. They have to hold alcohol under his nose to stall his engine for a minute. I can do anything with him he is so relaxed. When I first brought him home, he wasn't scared of anything. He was so mellow I actually thought he was brain-damaged. If anything, he is one of the smartest cats I've ever known. I love all my animals but Newton really is special.
I always wonder what would have happened to him if I hadn't stopped traffic that day so that I could retrieve him from a garbage can.

[Skittles]

103. hehe, all that hair makes him look even bigger

Skittles is a short-hair although he did do a credible imitation of Shadow when he was up in a tree - and a coyote was at its trunk. :o

[Pepperbelly]

64. my dog Heidi is AMAZED at the struff I bring back when I go hunting.

But what confuses her a little bit is even though alpha male is a MASTER hunter and kills many good things, they are all wrapped in that clear shit that blocks most of the smell. Whaz up with that?

[Darth_Kitten]

65. No, I tell my pets where I'm going.......

that I'm going to work and will be home soon. :)

[HuskiesHowls]

69. We tell the dogs that we're "going to work"

and they all head to their crates, waiting for their treats.
We tell them we need to leave for a while, and they need to go to their beds, they all go. They know where they need to be when we leave.

[pink-o]

70. My cat sleeps all day

doesn't matter if I'm at work or at home--the only difference is she gets my lap when I'm there.

But this cat thinks she's a dog--when I do come through the door, she's all over me, demanding cuddles. She even licks my face like a dog (a dog with an icky dermabrasion tongue!)

I had to reply to this thread, because I was thinking something similar just yesterday. Anyone who has cats living in their homes knows that no matter how you try to wear them out during the day, the bloody animals are nocturnal and there's nothing you can do about it! I live in an in-law without a real door on the bedroom, so kitty can paw at me all night while I'm trying to sleep. I know she's coming in for the kill when I hear that purring in my ear and she starts licking my face again. I've put up with this for 3 years, because she's so loving and adorable, but I never thought of her motivation until yesterday:

I think she's worried that I might be dying if I lie prone for too long. And if I'm dead, then who the hell is gonna feed her? So she comes over and revives me every chance she gets.

Anyone else have this experience with their pets?

Oh, and BTW, Ladyhawke, great parrot! I had a parakeet when I was a kid, he lived for 12 years and was smarter than all the cats and dogs I've ever been guardian for. They say that parrots and raven and crows have the intelligence of a 3 year old child (no, I think the birds are smarter than some) so you have to keep them constantly stimulated.

I have enough problems with the Cani-Gatto kitty!

[Skittles]

73. my cat Clancy presses on my nose when I'm sleeping

like I'm some kind of alarm clock. He wants me to get up and give him "new food" - doesn't matter there's plenty of "old food" left. :o

[Lorien]

76. Mine don't; I work at home. But

God forbid I'm away from home for most of the day for any reason. I come back to the two younger cats plastered against the front door (which is glass-so it's easy to see this pitiful sight). Oberon is ofter standing on his hind legs, pawing wildly. When i come in there's headbutts, rolling on the floor (them, not me!) and of course, a complete inventory taken if I bring in any bags.

My late kitty Peewee used to wail at the top of his lungs when I left for work in the morning. I could even hear him as I was getting into my car! I wish he could have spoken English for just two minutes, then i could have explained to him why I was 'abandoning" him 40-60 hours every week, poor guy!

Here's pics, for those who need a daily kitty fix:

Oberon:
http://www.catster.com/?100240

Puck:
http://www.catster.com/?100222

Miro:
http://www.catster.com/?100247

Peewee:
http://www.catster.com/?100334

[koneko]

78. Astute observation

I have loved reading through this thread.

My Frank & Beans are pretty aloof when I get home, but will pounce on my lap when I do eventually sit down.

As for nocturnal events, both have honed their skills at rousing mumma. . .
Frankie stretches his paw to my face, with claws litely extended, so he can run his claws on me. He does it so lightly that it doesn't break the skin, but it's enough pressure to get me up cos I'm afraid he'll go too deep. He used to just place his paw, then when he realized I didn't react, he started stretching the claws out & resting them. So he's worked up to his latest move.

Beans will do one of two things - she will either pick up my glasses (with her mouth) off the bedside table & drop them on the floor, or she'll gnaw on the bedside table. She is such a FREAK - she just walks up to things, opens wide, and starts chewing.

[Skittles]

84. LOL - Frank and Beans

are they siblings?

[koneko]

85. Yep they are

I named them after that scene in "There's Something About Mary"

FranksAndBeannnns!!! heh-heh.

[Ladyhawk]

93. I still like this thread. I don't want it to die just yet. So there. nt

[Kat45]

96. Whenever I go out, I tell my bird where I'm going and

when I'll be home. And on the occasion when I get home much later than I had told her, I apologize to her. Especially if I didn't leave a light on because I thought I'd be back well before dark.

[Ladyhawk]

97. Remind me what species Gracie is.

She looks like an Australian parakeet of some kind. I don't recall the species name.

Damn, usually I'm really good at remembering things like this.

[Kat45]

99. She's a pacific parrotlet.

They're only 4" tall and they're from South America. Their closest parrot relative is the Amazon, and they seem to think they're as big as an Amazon. LOL

[Ladyhawk]

102. OH...I didn't have scale! Yes, I know parrotlets.

They are so tiny and cute. Yes, I've read that they are related to Amazons. That is truly interesting. I haven't had experience handling them, but would like to. Amazons are my favorite genus. :)

Do you have more pictures?

What most people don't realize: little parrots are just as smart as big parrots...and big parrots are SMART! When it comes to birds, you can predict intelligence not by brain size, but by brain structure and brain to body-size ratio. Certain birds have an extra area in their brains that makes them smarter. It's a forward part of the brain called (I think) the striatal area. It exists in parrots, jays, crows, ravens, mynahs and related species. Interestingly, all these species can mimic human speech.

My little Senegal is very bright, probably smarter in some ways than the big, fat Amazon. :)

[Digit]

98. I do the same thing with my parrot. Plus, I lv PBS on for Sesame Street.

We have a ritual in the morning. I come downstairs and peek in one of the holes she has chewed in the sheet. She peers back at me and says in the sweetest little voice, "Hiiiiii". Then I say back, "Hi Baby". I give her breakfast and before I leave, I let her know that momma has to go to work. I let her watch PBS all day and she really seems to enjoy Sesame Street and Teletubbies.
It is amazing to see the intelligence of these animals and all the love they can exhibit.
I adore my sweet birdie.

[Kat45]

100. That's cute. What kind of parrot do you have? n/t

[deadparrot]

101. My cat wants me to get the hell out of the house.

She crawls into my bed when I get up, when it's still warm, and falls asleep. On my days off, she bites my toes and gives me this look that says, "What the hell are you doing here? Get outta my bed."

[Skittles]

105. I'm very forgetful

and poor Clancy has actually run and skidded into the front door to prevent me from leaving until I have filled his bowl. Poor thang has learned how long a 12 hour shift can be. :o

[murielm99]

104. All cat and dog lovers should read The Autobiography of

Foudini M. Cat.

It is narrated by a cat, and has a wonderful dog named Sam, too.

Foudini talks about designated people, maps of smells, and other wonderful things. His dreams are cool.

I don't quite know how a human writer could have such insights into cat logic.

It is a hilarious and touching book.

[B Calm]

106. My neighbors Boxer knows when I get home from

working the midnight shift. He must think I work at the Milk Bone factory..

[Skittles]

110. I love Boxers - so freaking REGAL looking

:D

[Dees]

107. My Lab is oblivious. He likes uninterrupted snorgin'

He definitely will check out the grocery bags with close scrutiny. "Whatja bring me"?

[crispini]

109. My tabby cat is always sitting in the window when I come home...

demanding food. :) The black cat doesn't care, she knows I'll turn up eventually and feed them. The tabby's a bit of a needy sort since she was rescued from the parking lot -- she has food issues and will sit and beg for people food when-ever I'm eating.

As far as nocturnal, mine apparently do stuff during the day, because they both sleep through the night. Right on top of me, which is how I know. They only do this in winter though. One between the knees, and one on the small of the back. They're heavy!