Your cats' vocabulary (or what they understand)? [Archive]

John Rahn

August 28th 03, 03:49 AM

Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
phrases.

Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
stampede into the kitchen.

Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
"You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.

My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).

And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.

Who else has 'understanding' cats?

John R.

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Angela Ryan

August 28th 03, 04:02 AM

"John Rahn" > wrote in message
...
> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
> phrases.
>
> Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
> I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
> stampede into the kitchen.
>
> Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
> "You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
> open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
> sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
> 'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
> a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
> what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
> room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.
>
> My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
> immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
> will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
> be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
> stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
> really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
> chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).
>
> And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
> he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
> too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
> with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
> cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.
>
> Who else has 'understanding' cats?
>
> John R.
>
>
> ----== Posted via Usenet.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
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Gizmo makes sure we don't sleep in, 10 minutes after the alarm goes off she
stands at the bedroom door meowing, as if to say "Get up and feed me" as
opposed to "get up, you'll be late for work"

She definitely knows the word "chicken" and will come from anywhere, even a
deep sleep if it means getting chicken.

She has a different meow when she wants food, another for when she wants to
go outside (to poop), when she wants to be left alone, when she wants you to
pay her attention and when she wants to play with the "red bug" (to name a
few)....they are all quite different

And then theres the noises she makes when she stands guard, translation, she
sits in the front window "keeping all the cats outside under control" and
talks to them, paws the window etc.

Somehow she also knows when I am going to be home as she is always sitting
on the porch when I drive down the street (my other half reckons she is
there for the half an hour before I get home, rain hail or shine, hence
can't say she is only sitting in ths sun).....she is lucky that I get home
around the same time every day

Yes, they are intelligent animals.....can be bad, or good

But we love them anyway

Purrs

Angela

L. Kelly

August 28th 03, 04:13 AM

"John Rahn" > wrote in message
...
| Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
| phrases.
|
| Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
| I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
| stampede into the kitchen.

LOL.....I can picture the stampede of rampaging kitties galloping to their bowls... :-)

|
| Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
| "You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
| open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
| sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
| 'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
| a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
| what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
| room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.
|
| My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
| immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
| will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
| be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
| stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
| really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
| chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).
|
| And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
| he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
| too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
| with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
| cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.
|
| Who else has 'understanding' cats?
|
| John R.
|
|
| ----== Posted via Usenet.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
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| ---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

My cats understand lots too. I recently ran a story about them chasing a slot car set
around my house. You can see pics of that event in my album below. It was a lot of fun.

Linus (Maine Coon) had the most fun of both my boys. He chased, stalked, bit and swatted
the cars. Every time he heard the squeak of the "pistol" he would come running no matter
where he was in the house. He does the same with the laser pointer. As soon as he heard
keys rattle, he comes flying into the room, thinking it's playtime.

When I leave for work, I tell the boys, "You boys behave now and I'll see you after
work." They both immediately jump up on the back of the couch and part the blinds so they
can watch me leave. They even seem to have the timing down so they can watch me
approaching through the front yard.

At bedtime, I say to them, "Hey boys! It's time for bed." They both immediately run in
and jump up on the bed to wait for my arrival.

When Brat (Siamese) wants my attention, he puffs out his tail to about triple its normal
size. When he does this, I ask him, "Do you want up?" He then pulls back a little and
takes a flying leap onto my chest for a cuddle. Once he arrives there, he puts his "arms"
around my neck and sqeezes.

They are both way too smart sometimes, but I love it!
--
Hugs,
Lynn

*strip CLOTHES to reply*
Homepage: http://members.shaw.ca/sewfinefashions/
See my boys: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/papavince_29/

L. Kelly

August 28th 03, 04:23 AM

"L. Kelly" > wrote in message
.. .
| My cats understand lots too. I recently ran a story about them chasing a slot car set
| around my house. You can see pics of that event in my album below. It was a lot of fun.
|
| Linus (Maine Coon) had the most fun of both my boys. He chased, stalked, bit and
swatted
| the cars. Every time he heard the squeak of the "pistol" he would come running no
matter
| where he was in the house. He does the same with the laser pointer. As soon as he heard
| keys rattle, he comes flying into the room, thinking it's playtime.
|
| When I leave for work, I tell the boys, "You boys behave now and I'll see you after
| work." They both immediately jump up on the back of the couch and part the blinds so
they
| can watch me leave. They even seem to have the timing down so they can watch me
| approaching through the front yard.
|
| At bedtime, I say to them, "Hey boys! It's time for bed." They both immediately run in
| and jump up on the bed to wait for my arrival.
|
| When Brat (Siamese) wants my attention, he puffs out his tail to about triple its
normal
| size. When he does this, I ask him, "Do you want up?" He then pulls back a little and
| takes a flying leap onto my chest for a cuddle. Once he arrives there, he puts his
"arms"
| around my neck and sqeezes.
|
| They are both way too smart sometimes, but I love it!
| --

Sorry to piggyback, but I forgot to add that Linus is a good "watch cat" as well. Last
week I was sitting here, working away on my computer. Someone knocked at my front door
and Linus went into action!

He began running between the door and me, meowing the entire time. He did not let up
until I opened the door and found out who was there. As soon as my hand touched the
doorknob, he jumped up on the back of the couch to be within close eye range of the
visitor.
--
Hugs,
Lynn

*strip CLOTHES to reply*
Homepage: http://members.shaw.ca/sewfinefashions/
See my boys: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/papavince_29/

John Biltz

August 28th 03, 05:01 AM

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 20:29:30 -0700, BricksInTheWall8 wrote
(in message >):

> My kitty does not seem to understand a single word...but she does understand
> hand gestures. If I wave with my hand for her to "come here" or "look over
> there" she understands. But no words...not "outside" or "treat" or anything.
>
>> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
>> phrases.

Maya has a pretty good vocabulary. The first she learned was "are you a
hungry cat?" But if I ask if she will walk me to the mailbox she is off
and trotting. I don't know why she enjoys that so much but she loves
walking me to the mail boxes. Bruiser knows "are you a hungry cat" even
though I never ask him. With him it would be a rhetorical question. I
ask Maya and he comes running hoping to steal her food as well as his.
He will come running from seemingly impossible distances. Maya has a lot
of Siamese in her and talks quite a bit. When she is mad she has a very
"interesting" vocabulary and talks way more than you want her to.

Hopitus2

August 28th 03, 06:14 AM

All the cats we've had with a drop of Siamese blood in them talked way more
than anyone wanted......very loudly! Oliver, our RB Oriental Shorthair (red)
had a big mouth on him and that "Siamese" tone of voice.
BT Rowdy seems to understand love baby talk as well as his name; Sylvie
definitely knows her name; and Maluce knows all her many nicknames, as well
as, "Get drinkie now!" when she has her little dark head poised under the
dripping kitchen faucet (she is the only one who is too dignified (?) to
lower her head to lap from the water bowls on the floor).
Oliver and I used to have regular loud conversations; he would answer
whatever I said with a loud bellow (God only knows what *he* was saying). He
outlived DurDur, his soul mate, by about 4 years. It's funny how some cats
really get attached to each other.

"John Biltz" > wrote in message
thlink.net...
: On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 20:29:30 -0700, BricksInTheWall8 wrote
: (in message >):
:
: > My kitty does not seem to understand a single word...but she does
understand
: > hand gestures. If I wave with my hand for her to "come here" or "look
over
: > there" she understands. But no words...not "outside" or "treat" or
anything.
: >
: >> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
: >> phrases.
:
: Maya has a pretty good vocabulary. The first she learned was "are you a
: hungry cat?" But if I ask if she will walk me to the mailbox she is off
: and trotting. I don't know why she enjoys that so much but she loves
: walking me to the mail boxes. Bruiser knows "are you a hungry cat" even
: though I never ask him. With him it would be a rhetorical question. I
: ask Maya and he comes running hoping to steal her food as well as his.
: He will come running from seemingly impossible distances. Maya has a lot
: of Siamese in her and talks quite a bit. When she is mad she has a very
: "interesting" vocabulary and talks way more than you want her to.
:

JHBennett

August 28th 03, 07:27 AM

For comparison, I've read somewhere that dogs usually have a vocabulary of
about 67 (why they didn't just say 70, I don't know) words and phrases they
understand. I do think it most interesting what they will come up with, but
do remember that we're a very important part of their lives, and what they
do, most of the time, is observe our actions and behavior. I recall
watching a video of a cat who had learned to turn the lights on and off, by
jumping up to the switch on the wall, however, the most astounding stunt
performed by a pet I've seen was the tape of a dog who had learned to let
itself out of the house, by the front door, and get back in. Something had
arroused the owner's suspicions and he set up his home video to see what was
going on, while he was at work. The tape caught the dog opening the front
door, leaving it adjar, then opening the outside storm door. Some time
later, the dog returned, opened the storm door, came inside, and pushed the
front door closed. Ah...... not that dogs are smarter than cats, but I
doubt a cat would have sufficient body mass to pull off a stunt like that.
Naturally, somebody will prove me wrong ;-)
Jack

"John Rahn" > wrote in message
...
> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
> phrases.
>
> Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
> I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
> stampede into the kitchen.
>
> Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
> "You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
> open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
> sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
> 'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
> a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
> what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
> room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.
>
> My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
> immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
> will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
> be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
> stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
> really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
> chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).
>
> And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
> he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
> too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
> with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
> cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.
>
> Who else has 'understanding' cats?
>
> John R.
>
>
> ----== Posted via Usenet.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
> http://www.Usenet.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000
Newsgroups
> ---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption
=---

lrulan

August 28th 03, 10:05 AM

Jazz knows a lot of words:

breakfast soup (or lunch or dinner) sends him running to the kitchen meowing
all the way
Go wee-wees for Mama (he stands still so I can pick him up and put him in
the litterbox where he either goes or jumps right back out)
Where's daddy (he look at the front door to see if Daddy's come home)
cookies, snackies, treats (makes him run to the kitchen and sit in front of
his food bowl)
kisses (offers the top of his head to be smooched or gives me big, wet
sloppy licks)
brushes the tiffies (he stands still so I can pick him up and bring him to
the bathroom to brush his teeth)
and tons of other phrases

I think it's the constant repetition that makes them aware of what the words
mean. I think Jazz is sick and tired of hearing some of them <g>
Jazz's mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we came, to the stars we return
from now until the end of time

"John Rahn" > wrote in message
...
> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
> phrases.
>
> Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
> I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
> stampede into the kitchen.
>
> Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
> "You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
> open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
> sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
> 'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
> a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
> what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
> room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.
>
> My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
> immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
> will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
> be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
> stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
> really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
> chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).
>
> And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
> he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
> too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
> with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
> cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.
>
> Who else has 'understanding' cats?
>
> John R.
>
>
> ----== Posted via Usenet.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
> http://www.Usenet.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000
Newsgroups
> ---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption
=---

Seanette Blaylock

August 28th 03, 06:52 PM

"JHBennett" > had some very interesting things to say
about Re: Your cats' vocabulary (or what they understand)?:

>For comparison, I've read somewhere that dogs usually have a vocabulary of
>about 67 (why they didn't just say 70, I don't know) words and phrases they
>understand. I do think it most interesting what they will come up with, but
>do remember that we're a very important part of their lives, and what they
>do, most of the time, is observe our actions and behavior. I recall
>watching a video of a cat who had learned to turn the lights on and off, by
>jumping up to the switch on the wall, however, the most astounding stunt
>performed by a pet I've seen was the tape of a dog who had learned to let
>itself out of the house, by the front door, and get back in. Something had
>arroused the owner's suspicions and he set up his home video to see what was
>going on, while he was at work. The tape caught the dog opening the front
>door, leaving it adjar, then opening the outside storm door. Some time
>later, the dog returned, opened the storm door, came inside, and pushed the
>front door closed. Ah...... not that dogs are smarter than cats, but I
>doubt a cat would have sufficient body mass to pull off a stunt like that.
>Naturally, somebody will prove me wrong ;-)

Both DH and I have caught Felix in the act of opening the sliding
screen door to the patio [naturally, he doesn't close it after himself
:-)]. He hasn't taken to opening the glass door yet, we think because
it's too heavy for him and there aren't any good paw holds. :-)

--
Seanette Blaylock
"You attribute perfect rationality to the whole of humanity, which has
to be one of the most misguided assumptions ever." - Alan Krueger in NANAE
[make obvious correction to address to send e-mail]

Seanette Blaylock

August 28th 03, 06:52 PM

Marina

August 28th 03, 07:25 PM

"JHBennett" > wrote

Ah...... not that dogs are smarter than cats, but I
> doubt a cat would have sufficient body mass to pull off a stunt like that.
> Naturally, somebody will prove me wrong ;-)

Well, Frank opens doors that aren't too heavy for him. He can even open
doors that open inwards, i.e. you have to pull the door toward yourself
while you press down the handle. I don't quite understand how he can do
that, but I've seen the result. Fortunately, my balcony door is heavy, and
the handle has to be pushed *up* while opening it, and he hasn't figured
that out ... yet.

--
Marina

John Rahn

August 28th 03, 10:02 PM

My big boy Cosmo likes, for some reason, to open EVERY cupboard door in
the kitchen.

Sometimes in a nice quiet house, late at night, I will hear "thump ...
thump ... thump ..." and I'll know it's him. And sure enough, when I
get up in the A.M., every lower door in the kitchen is open.

And I've seen him stand up on his hind legs, with both front paws on
one of the drawers in the bathroom, and walk back, sliding the drawer
open, then inspect what's inside.

He's such a wierdo (I say that with love).

JR

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JHBennett

August 28th 03, 10:04 PM

"Seanette Blaylock" > wrote in
message ...
> "JHBennett" > had some very interesting things to say
> about Re: Your cats' vocabulary (or what they understand)?:
>
> >For comparison, I've read somewhere that dogs usually have a vocabulary
of
> >about 67 (why they didn't just say 70, I don't know) words and phrases
they
> >understand. I do think it most interesting what they will come up with,
but
> >do remember that we're a very important part of their lives, and what
they
> >do, most of the time, is observe our actions and behavior. I recall
> >watching a video of a cat who had learned to turn the lights on and off,
by
> >jumping up to the switch on the wall, however, the most astounding stunt
> >performed by a pet I've seen was the tape of a dog who had learned to let
> >itself out of the house, by the front door, and get back in. Something
had
> >arroused the owner's suspicions and he set up his home video to see what
was
> >going on, while he was at work. The tape caught the dog opening the
front
> >door, leaving it adjar, then opening the outside storm door. Some time
> >later, the dog returned, opened the storm door, came inside, and pushed
the
> >front door closed. Ah...... not that dogs are smarter than cats, but I
> >doubt a cat would have sufficient body mass to pull off a stunt like
that.
> >Naturally, somebody will prove me wrong ;-)
>
> Both DH and I have caught Felix in the act of opening the sliding
> screen door to the patio [naturally, he doesn't close it after himself
> :-)]. He hasn't taken to opening the glass door yet, we think because
> it's too heavy for him and there aren't any good paw holds. :-)
>
That's neat! Depending on how much of a project you want to make of it, it
wouldn't be all that difficult to rig something along the base of the glass
door he could push against. Epoxy comes to mind, with a short, *L* shaped
piece of metal, about chest high. Weight of the door, while a factor, would
be less important than friction. So, if you can get enough lubricant on the
wheels so it glides easily, he might be able to pull it off. Next part of
the project would be to teach him to close it behind him. Kind of makes you
wonder what they'd be doing, if they had an opposing thumb, doesn't it?
Cheers,
Jack

m. L. Briggs

August 28th 03, 10:11 PM

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 05:05:32 -0400, "lrulan" >
wrote:

>Jazz knows a lot of words:
>
>breakfast soup (or lunch or dinner) sends him running to the kitchen meowing
>all the way
>Go wee-wees for Mama (he stands still so I can pick him up and put him in
>the litterbox where he either goes or jumps right back out)
>Where's daddy (he look at the front door to see if Daddy's come home)
>cookies, snackies, treats (makes him run to the kitchen and sit in front of
>his food bowl)
>kisses (offers the top of his head to be smooched or gives me big, wet
>sloppy licks)
>brushes the tiffies (he stands still so I can pick him up and bring him to
>the bathroom to brush his teeth)
>and tons of other phrases
>
>I think it's the constant repetition that makes them aware of what the words
>mean. I think Jazz is sick and tired of hearing some of them <g>
>Jazz's mama

Princess (Siamese RB) understood almost everything I said to her. One
night she was sitting about five feet from me and I told her how
beautiful she was. Then I said "You really are a beautiful girl --
you have such dainty little feet". She looked at me, raised her right
paw and looked at it for a few seconds, then put it down. Amused, I
said "yes, you have really beautiful feet". At this point she raised
her paw again,looked at it for a second then started to tenderly lick
it. MLB

JHBennett

August 28th 03, 10:23 PM

"John Rahn" > wrote in message
...
> My big boy Cosmo likes, for some reason, to open EVERY cupboard door in
> the kitchen.
>
> Sometimes in a nice quiet house, late at night, I will hear "thump ...
> thump ... thump ..." and I'll know it's him. And sure enough, when I
> get up in the A.M., every lower door in the kitchen is open.
>
> And I've seen him stand up on his hind legs, with both front paws on
> one of the drawers in the bathroom, and walk back, sliding the drawer
> open, then inspect what's inside.
>
> He's such a wierdo (I say that with love).
>
> JR
John, I'm not sure "big boy" is an adequate description. That critter has
to be huge and strong to pull that kind of stunt off. My guess is the reach
to a drawer would be something on the order of 26 inches, presuming a
standard counter height of 31 inches. Then, to pull it open? Best not
cross him, buddy.
Jack

ann

August 28th 03, 10:33 PM

My cats know a few phrases. If I ask if they want to go out, they will go to the
door to be let out on the porch. They are only indoor cats. Of course they know is
it time to eat. They will come if called name. The funniest one is when there are
birds at the feeder and I want then to see them. I call them and act all excited and
tell they to come quick and I will ask what's out there. They will run into the
dining room and jump up on the chest by the window to look out.

Ann

John Rahn wrote:

> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
> phrases.
>
> Of course, all of mine know the phrase "Are you guys getting HUNGRY?".
> I LOVE to whisper that when they are all napping - it's an instant
> stampede into the kitchen.
>
> Cosmo seems to have a large understanding vocabulary ... if I ask him
> "You want to go open the back door?" he FLIES into the bedroom so I can
> open the sliding door so he can look out and sniff the air. Or when my
> sister pulls up and I tell him "Kim is here to see you." he goes nuts
> 'cause he just loves her. He understands quite a bit. Or when I get him
> a new toy I will tell him "Hey Cos, I got somethin' for ya." he knows
> what that means and runs out to see what it is. He enjoys sitting in a
> room full of people and listen intently to what everyone is saying.
>
> My Dusty cat goes crazy if I ask her "Where is your toy?" She
> immediately starts talking back to me and looks for it. Sometimes she
> will find it and bring it to me. Or in the morning I will tell her "You
> be a good girl." and she knows that means I am leaving, and she runs to
> stand in front of the door to argue with me about going out. Lately she
> really seems to be picking up the phrase "Get 'em." She will actually
> chase the boys when I tell her that (is that wrong?).
>
> And Oreo ... well ... Oreo is still very much the adolescent male. If
> he was human he'd be one of those 14 year old boys with feet that are
> too big that he's always tripping over, and starting every sentence
> with "Duh....". But he's coming around. He seems to be a very sharp
> cat. Cosmo is teaching him a lot. Just gotta work with him some more.
>
> Who else has 'understanding' cats?
>
> John R.
>
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Seanette Blaylock

August 29th 03, 12:55 AM

"JHBennett" > had some very interesting things to say
about Re: Your cats' vocabulary (or what they understand)?:

>> Both DH and I have caught Felix in the act of opening the sliding
>> screen door to the patio [naturally, he doesn't close it after himself
>> :-)]. He hasn't taken to opening the glass door yet, we think because
>> it's too heavy for him and there aren't any good paw holds. :-)
>That's neat! Depending on how much of a project you want to make of it, it
>wouldn't be all that difficult to rig something along the base of the glass
>door he could push against. Epoxy comes to mind, with a short, *L* shaped
>piece of metal, about chest high. Weight of the door, while a factor, would
>be less important than friction. So, if you can get enough lubricant on the
>wheels so it glides easily, he might be able to pull it off. Next part of
>the project would be to teach him to close it behind him. Kind of makes you
>wonder what they'd be doing, if they had an opposing thumb, doesn't it?

I don't think the management would go for that kind of mod to the
door. :-)

--
Seanette Blaylock
"You attribute perfect rationality to the whole of humanity, which has
to be one of the most misguided assumptions ever." - Alan Krueger in NANAE
[make obvious correction to address to send e-mail]

Brenda Watkins

August 29th 03, 01:26 AM

John Rahn

August 29th 03, 02:28 AM

No ... no ... no ... it was the bottom drawer of the bathroom cabinet.
And it rolls very easily. Actually I think he did it accidentally - but
maybe not!?!?!?

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Marina

August 29th 03, 04:59 AM

"John Rahn" > wrote
> My big boy Cosmo likes, for some reason, to open EVERY cupboard door in
> the kitchen.
>
> Sometimes in a nice quiet house, late at night, I will hear "thump ...
> thump ... thump ..." and I'll know it's him. And sure enough, when I
> get up in the A.M., every lower door in the kitchen is open.
>
> And I've seen him stand up on his hind legs, with both front paws on
> one of the drawers in the bathroom, and walk back, sliding the drawer
> open, then inspect what's inside.
>
> He's such a wierdo (I say that with love).
>

Oh, yes, we have the No Doors Shall Remain Closed rule here, too. Not just
cupboards, but closets and room doors have to be at leats ajar for Frank to
be happy.

--
Marina

LOL

August 29th 03, 07:25 AM

John Rahn > wrote in message >...
> Just wondering how many have felines that understand how many words and
> phrases.
>
>
(snipped for length)
>
> Who else has 'understanding' cats?
>
> John R.
>

Mike knows quite a few words - "mousie," "bowl," "pounces", "crazy
time" (play time), "out," "inside," "be good" (means I'm leaving the
house or going to bed, depending on time of day), "mama," "daddy,"
"water," "look," and I'm sure there are more I can't think of offhand.
I hate to admit it, but there are some words (especially the o-u-t
word, if he can't actually go o-u-t right then) that we spell in front
of the cat.

Mike is not the brightest of cats, but he has his moments. Before I
started working in a more casual office, where this rule didn't always
hold true, he used to watch what shoes I put on when I got dressed in
the mornings. If I put on my tennis shoes, he would get excited and
bounce around because it meant I was staying home and he could go
outside. If I put on any other shoes, he would know I was going to
work, and would curl up to go back to sleep.

------
Krista

lrulan

August 29th 03, 08:15 AM

"Marina" > wrote in message
...
>
> >
>
> Oh, yes, we have the No Doors Shall Remain Closed rule here, too. Not just
> cupboards, but closets and room doors have to be at leats ajar for Frank
to
> be happy.
>
> --
> Marina

We do here too. Jazz will sit in front of and YOWL at any closed doors
especially to the washer/dryer cabinet.
Jazz & his mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we came, to the stars we return
from now until the end of time

>

John Rahn

August 29th 03, 12:32 PM

That's funny. Cosmo does that too at closed doors. He's got a closet
(just one) that for some reason, he HATES it when the door is closed.
He will sit in front of the door and meow like crazy, stand up and
jiggle the door knob until I get up and open the door so he can go
inside.

And GOD FORBID that you go into the bathroom and SHUT THE DOOR (I live
alone). He HATES that (so I do it just to mess with his head) . He will
sit outside and cry so sadly, jiggle the knob scratch at the door, and
stick his bog paws under the door. And when I FINALLY open the door he
will come in, yelling at me.

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JHBennett

August 29th 03, 08:49 PM

"Tanada" > wrote in message
...
> JHBennett wrote:
> >
> >
> > John, I'm not sure "big boy" is an adequate description. That critter
has
> > to be huge and strong to pull that kind of stunt off. My guess is the
reach
> > to a drawer would be something on the order of 26 inches, presuming a
> > standard counter height of 31 inches. Then, to pull it open? Best not
> > cross him, buddy.
> > Jack
>
> Jack, I have a maine coon kitty (QC) who loves to help me cook. She
> stands with her paws on the kitchen counter and watches everything that
> happens. She has also been known to open cupboard doors (we have
> latches on the cupboards here, so it's a lot harder but she's managed)
> and we cannot put food in the lower cabinets. She doesn't climb the
> counters (thank bast) so the upper cupboards are reasonably safe for
> food storage. Knowing QC, she'd open any food cupboards and let the
> other cats have a feast, so we use shelves in the garage for storing non
> perishables and canned goods. It works, though it is also confusing for
> first time visitors.
>
> Pam S.

I'm having visions of the house shaking whenever she walks through a room.
BTW, you do know there are child locks for cupboards. They're clever little
nylon gizmos that you can use to fasten the knobs of two doors together so
they can't be opened, until you pop a release. You're probably having more
fun with the present arrangement though, aren't you ;-)
Cheers, Pam
Jack

Tanada

August 29th 03, 09:54 PM

JHBennett wrote:
>
>
> I'm having visions of the house shaking whenever she walks through a room.
> BTW, you do know there are child locks for cupboards. They're clever little
> nylon gizmos that you can use to fasten the knobs of two doors together so
> they can't be opened, until you pop a release. You're probably having more
> fun with the present arrangement though, aren't you ;-)
> Cheers, Pam
> Jack

Jack, I know about those latches, as I bought some for a friend of mine
some time ago. In our case, we'd have to put knobs onto the cupboard
doors as they're the kind that you pop open by putting your paw, oops
fingers, between the cupboard and the frame. The Cootch doesn't pop
door open very often, and I rather like knowing that my little <G> girl
can do these things if she wishes. For being such a big girl, QC aka
the Cootch, is very light on her feet. She was sick some time ago and
is only now starting to gain her weight back. I'm now wondering if she
ingested some poison, or a tiny amount of antifreeze when she was out
last winter, as she acted like a friend of ours' cat when she got a few
drops of the stuff.

The Cootch isn't as big as MIL's cat, Leo RB, was. He weighed 45 lbs
and could cover their German raised picture coffee table. He had a paw
span of about 4 inches and ate whatever he wanted. He was best friends
with their 8 lb white deer chihuahua. The two of them would chase each
other through the house. It sounded like a herd of elephants chasing a
herd of sheep, and was guaranteed to wake anyone up from a sound sleep.

Pam S.

JHBennett

August 30th 03, 07:19 AM

"Tanada" > wrote in message
...
> JHBennett wrote:
> >
> >
> > I'm having visions of the house shaking whenever she walks through a
room.
> > BTW, you do know there are child locks for cupboards. They're clever
little
> > nylon gizmos that you can use to fasten the knobs of two doors together
so
> > they can't be opened, until you pop a release. You're probably having
more
> > fun with the present arrangement though, aren't you ;-)
> > Cheers, Pam
> > Jack
>
>
> Jack, I know about those latches, as I bought some for a friend of mine
> some time ago. In our case, we'd have to put knobs onto the cupboard
> doors as they're the kind that you pop open by putting your paw, oops
> fingers, between the cupboard and the frame. The Cootch doesn't pop
> door open very often, and I rather like knowing that my little <G> girl
> can do these things if she wishes.

Thought so ;-) --JB

For being such a big girl, QC aka
> the Cootch, is very light on her feet. She was sick some time ago and
> is only now starting to gain her weight back. I'm now wondering if she
> ingested some poison, or a tiny amount of antifreeze when she was out
> last winter, as she acted like a friend of ours' cat when she got a few
> drops of the stuff.

Hopefully there's a special place in hell for poisoners. --JB
>
> The Cootch isn't as big as MIL's cat, Leo RB, was. He weighed 45 lbs
> and could cover their German raised picture coffee table. He had a paw
> span of about 4 inches and ate whatever he wanted.

As in *try and stop him.* --JB

He was best friends
> with their 8 lb white deer chihuahua. The two of them would chase each
> other through the house. It sounded like a herd of elephants chasing a
> herd of sheep, and was guaranteed to wake anyone up from a sound sleep.

What happened to that light on their feet bit, Pam? Actually, I had no idea
domestic cats could reach such a size.... Sure we're not talking about an
Ocelot or similar such critter? Frankly, I'd like to have a cat like that
simply to observe what it could do. I once saw a friend's cat--very
ordinary--jump to the top of a door, which was adjar, in a single bound from
the floor. One moment she's sitting at the base of the door, looking up.
The next, she's perched on the edge of the thing looking down on everything.
Had to be a leap of around 6 & 1/2 feet straight up. They certainly have
amazing agility.
Cheers,
Jack
>
> Pam S.

JHBennett

August 31st 03, 06:25 AM

"Tanada" > wrote in message
...
> JHBennett wrote:
> >
> >
> > What happened to that light on their feet bit, Pam? Actually, I had no
idea
> > domestic cats could reach such a size.... Sure we're not talking about
an
> > Ocelot or similar such critter? Frankly, I'd like to have a cat like
that
> > simply to observe what it could do. I once saw a friend's cat--very
> > ordinary--jump to the top of a door, which was adjar, in a single bound
from
> > the floor. One moment she's sitting at the base of the door, looking
up.
> > The next, she's perched on the edge of the thing looking down on
everything.
> > Had to be a leap of around 6 & 1/2 feet straight up. They certainly
have
> > amazing agility.
> > Cheers,
> >
>
> If I remember correctly Maine Coons are known to reach 30+ lbs and
> Norwegian Forest cats can reach into the 40+ lb range. I just know that
> MIL's cat was a big softy in most things, though he loved to play rough
> with the hoomins. He was terrified of going outside during the day, but
> wanted out as soon as it was dark. Normally, he was fairly light on his
> feet, but all bets were off when he was chasing Tinkerbelle, the
> Chihuahua. Tinkerbelle, was quite fast, but would slow down just enough
> so that Leo could keep up with her. When the two slept together, it
> looked like Leo had given birth to some really strange kitten.

Sounds like a sight to behold. --JB
>
> Pam S. who should post the picture of Leo and baby Mike

Please do!
Cheers,
Jack