Do pets really remember?
 

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story supporting
this.


Cats definitely can remember. I adopted my first cat (at least, the first
one that was "my own" as an adult) when I was graduate school -- feral, and
developed into a marvellous companion. I still spent summers with my
parents and continued to spend several weeks at their home even after I left
graduate school and was "on my own." On one occasion when I was visiting
them, they had some minor construction work done. The handyman who was
working for them went into their basement, opened a hole into the wall,
removed ductwork that extended upward from the basement into the second
story of the home, and inserted new ductwork. I wasn't home at the time,
but my father stood at the exterior door to the basement until everything
was inside just to make sure that nothing could happen to my cat.

By the time I returned home, everything had been completed. I started to
hear my cat (Raucher) cry out. I kept calling him and he kept crying. I
followed the cry all over the house and couldn't figure out where he was.
Then I looked up and discovered his paw sticking out of an airconditioning
vent (ceiling height) of the first floor. He had somehow crawled up the
wall, the ductwork was inserted (fortunately without injuring him), and he
was now plastered in the wall!! My father went up to the second story where
the ductwork ended beneath a closet. He sawed a small hole in the closet
floor and called my cat. Raucher crawled up to him, lifted himself part-way
out of the hole but realized it was too small, then backed down and hung on
and waited for Dad to enlarge the hole. I have always thought that was
incredibly smart -- in a similar circumstance, I would probably have
panicked and gotten myself wedged by trying to force myself through a
too-small opening.

As to your specific question: from that time on (and this went on for
several years because my parents used this same person as a general handyman
for many projects), every time that man's truck entered the driveway,
Raucher would disappear. He did it only for this person's truck -- he never
hid out from anyone else, and he even didn't hide from the handyman if he
came in his car instead of the truck. He would go into hiding as soon as
the truck entered the driveway and would remain in hiding until it left.
The minute the truck exited the driveway, Raucher would reappear.
Remarkably intelligent, I think!

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story supporting
this.


Cats definitely can remember. I adopted my first cat (at least, the first
one that was "my own" as an adult) when I was graduate school -- feral, and
developed into a marvellous companion. I still spent summers with my
parents and continued to spend several weeks at their home even after I left
graduate school and was "on my own." On one occasion when I was visiting
them, they had some minor construction work done. The handyman who was
working for them went into their basement, opened a hole into the wall,
removed ductwork that extended upward from the basement into the second
story of the home, and inserted new ductwork. I wasn't home at the time,
but my father stood at the exterior door to the basement until everything
was inside just to make sure that nothing could happen to my cat.

By the time I returned home, everything had been completed. I started to
hear my cat (Raucher) cry out. I kept calling him and he kept crying. I
followed the cry all over the house and couldn't figure out where he was.
Then I looked up and discovered his paw sticking out of an airconditioning
vent (ceiling height) of the first floor. He had somehow crawled up the
wall, the ductwork was inserted (fortunately without injuring him), and he
was now plastered in the wall!! My father went up to the second story where
the ductwork ended beneath a closet. He sawed a small hole in the closet
floor and called my cat. Raucher crawled up to him, lifted himself part-way
out of the hole but realized it was too small, then backed down and hung on
and waited for Dad to enlarge the hole. I have always thought that was
incredibly smart -- in a similar circumstance, I would probably have
panicked and gotten myself wedged by trying to force myself through a
too-small opening.

As to your specific question: from that time on (and this went on for
several years because my parents used this same person as a general handyman
for many projects), every time that man's truck entered the driveway,
Raucher would disappear. He did it only for this person's truck -- he never
hid out from anyone else, and he even didn't hide from the handyman if he
came in his car instead of the truck. He would go into hiding as soon as
the truck entered the driveway and would remain in hiding until it left.
The minute the truck exited the driveway, Raucher would reappear.
Remarkably intelligent, I think!

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story supporting
this.


Cats definitely can remember. I adopted my first cat (at least, the first
one that was "my own" as an adult) when I was graduate school -- feral, and
developed into a marvellous companion. I still spent summers with my
parents and continued to spend several weeks at their home even after I left
graduate school and was "on my own." On one occasion when I was visiting
them, they had some minor construction work done. The handyman who was
working for them went into their basement, opened a hole into the wall,
removed ductwork that extended upward from the basement into the second
story of the home, and inserted new ductwork. I wasn't home at the time,
but my father stood at the exterior door to the basement until everything
was inside just to make sure that nothing could happen to my cat.

By the time I returned home, everything had been completed. I started to
hear my cat (Raucher) cry out. I kept calling him and he kept crying. I
followed the cry all over the house and couldn't figure out where he was.
Then I looked up and discovered his paw sticking out of an airconditioning
vent (ceiling height) of the first floor. He had somehow crawled up the
wall, the ductwork was inserted (fortunately without injuring him), and he
was now plastered in the wall!! My father went up to the second story where
the ductwork ended beneath a closet. He sawed a small hole in the closet
floor and called my cat. Raucher crawled up to him, lifted himself part-way
out of the hole but realized it was too small, then backed down and hung on
and waited for Dad to enlarge the hole. I have always thought that was
incredibly smart -- in a similar circumstance, I would probably have
panicked and gotten myself wedged by trying to force myself through a
too-small opening.

As to your specific question: from that time on (and this went on for
several years because my parents used this same person as a general handyman
for many projects), every time that man's truck entered the driveway,
Raucher would disappear. He did it only for this person's truck -- he never
hid out from anyone else, and he even didn't hide from the handyman if he
came in his car instead of the truck. He would go into hiding as soon as
the truck entered the driveway and would remain in hiding until it left.
The minute the truck exited the driveway, Raucher would reappear.
Remarkably intelligent, I think!

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.

My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.

My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.

"Teddy" wrote in message
...
My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.


My cats *definately* understand the differences between: "Wanna go for a
walk?" (they'll run to the front door), "Wanna go downstairs?" (they'll run
to the cellar door), "crunchies" (they'll run to the dining room).......

And I *believe* I say those things with the same tone/pitch in my voice.

"Teddy" wrote in message
...
My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.


My cats *definately* understand the differences between: "Wanna go for a
walk?" (they'll run to the front door), "Wanna go downstairs?" (they'll run
to the cellar door), "crunchies" (they'll run to the dining room).......

And I *believe* I say those things with the same tone/pitch in my voice.

"Teddy" wrote in message
...
My cat 'Dirty Face' knows several words. Birdie, No, Daddy, out, Bad
kitty, bite (for food), out back, etc Also understands when I ask "
Want to sleep with me?" She goes to the bed to sleep, otherwise sleeps
in the living room. Also "Want Me To Get The Spray botttle?" She
flattens her ears and backs away. The other cats understand most of the
words also.


My cats *definately* understand the differences between: "Wanna go for a
walk?" (they'll run to the front door), "Wanna go downstairs?" (they'll run
to the cellar door), "crunchies" (they'll run to the dining room).......

And I *believe* I say those things with the same tone/pitch in my voice.

"Linda E" wrote in message
...


My cats *definately* understand the differences between: "Wanna go for a
walk?" (they'll run to the front door), "Wanna go downstairs?" (they'll
run
to the cellar door), "crunchies" (they'll run to the dining room).......

And I *believe* I say those things with the same tone/pitch in my voice.



My cat Dash (RB) always knew who my parents were, even after I had moved 500
miles away and hadn't seen them in a year. She would run and hide whenever
strangers were came in the house, but if they were here, she would run at
first, until she heard their voices, then she came out.

Of course, for those who feed canned food, their cats know the sound of the
can opener. Mine also know the sound of their automatic feeder, and my
mom's cat knows deli paper.
--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
Check out www.snittens.com