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Cat news shocker! They ignore their owners, study confirms
Charlotte Observer ^ | 04/29/2014 | Kathy Antoniotti

Posted on 04/29/2014 11:15:45 AM PDT by boatbums

The agony of unrequited love. It may be what keeps us devoted to the felines in our lives. A recent study confirms what cat owners have long known. Our cats understand us when we talk to them, they just don’t give a fig about what we have to say. A study by two University of Tokyo researchers determined cats recognize their owners’ voices from those of strangers. With the owners out of the cats’ line of vision, researchers played recordings of three strangers calling the cats’ names followed by a call from the cat’s owner and then by the call of another stranger. Researchers charted the cats’ reactions by measuring a number of responses, including head movements, tail and ear movements, eye dilation and vocalization or whether they moved their paws. When strangers called their names, the cats had no reaction to the voices whatsoever. When the cats heard their names being called by their owners, they moved their heads and ears to locate where the sound was coming from. Researchers say it proves that while cats can distinguish their owners’ voices, their responses are not communicative. In other words, he hears you just fine, he just doesn’t care what you want from him.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/28/4871733/cat-news-shocker-they-ignore-their.html##storylink=cpy

(Excerpt) Read more at charlotteobserver.com ...


TOPICS: Humor; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: cats; kittyping
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To: Texan5

May God bless you if you rescue the cat from these narcissistic ID10TS. You can rest assured that if you move away without taking the cat, it most likely will be eaten by a predator.

Oh. Are you moving to a different home in the same tract that is still near your thoughtless
neighbors? I got the impression that you were moving out entirely. The cat will return to
their house if you allow it to be an outdoor kitty.


81 posted on 04/29/2014 5:12:53 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

It depends on what I find when I’m able to buy-but none of the properties in this subdivision are less than 3 acres-the largest are over 16, and the subdivision covers a large area-about 25 square miles. The furthest I will consider going is the next subdivision, 5 miles away and it is more of the same acreage-only lots-the subdivisions here are designed for keeping chickens, goats etc.

My cats are never outdoor cats-in this area a loose cat or dog is going to have a short and brutal life-the thoughtless neighbor’s cat would have been long dead but for the goodwill of other people letting him stay within their fences, garages and barns. Once he is relocated, he will never be returning to those uncaring owners...

The local vet I go to has a homemade poster in the reception room-it is a mountain lion crouching under some trees, with a photo of coyotes next to it-the caption at the bottom says “an outside cat is a dead cat-keep your pet indoors-and alive”.


82 posted on 04/29/2014 5:40:39 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers

They all have their own unique personalities-don’t they?

I don’t know what it is about cats that have been on their own for awhile and being carried around-Midget girl is okay with being picked up and carried a short distance, but if it goes on too long, she gets nervous and wants to be put down on her paws again-maybe it is a remnant of caution-she thinks one of the predators she was hiding from when she lived in the woods has somehow gotten ahold of her...


83 posted on 04/29/2014 5:53:08 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: TexasFreeper2009
Any cat trained properly will do what you want them too.

Cats just have to be taught that YOU are dominant from a very young age. You do this by holding them belly up in a cradle type position from the time they are a small kitten. If you do this they will display nearly all the traits that dog owners love about their pets, and nearly none of the negative traits associated with cats.

This may serve as a potential business. There are dog-training services, why not cat-training services?

84 posted on 04/29/2014 6:02:01 PM PDT by Vision Thing (obama wants his suicidal worshipers to become suicidal bombers.)
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To: Texan5

That sounds like an excellent plan, Sir or Madam.

None of our cats were ever allowed outside alone for any reason.

After years of being indoors, they usually have no desire to see the great outdoors up close and personal.

My late Rocket was the only guy who wanted to go out, and I would take him for walks around the yard,
never more than 3’ away from me. He chased chipmunks, ate grass, and threatened to go out on the road
(but never did it). When he was done, he would lead me over to the man door of the garage and stare at the
doorknob until I let him in. Then when I opened the inside door to the house, he would streak in there and
brag to the other cats about his adventures.

I really miss that guy. He died of CRF on August 4, 2012, when he was 17. He lived with us for 15 years.


85 posted on 04/29/2014 6:25:25 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: Vision Thing

hm... well like I said the key with a cat is getting them early enough. So I guess it’s possible you could do it for someone else (assuming the domination training would transfer)

Cats are.. more inclined to go feral, and must be taught what is needed when they are very young.


86 posted on 04/29/2014 6:47:00 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: boatbums

Funny how I temporarily get their attention when I apply a generous application of boot leather to ass when they break the rules in my abode. I told my wife she’d better keep an ongoing head count to make sure one hasn’t crossed that line into Infinity.


87 posted on 04/29/2014 6:54:28 PM PDT by Viking2002
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To: TexasFreeper2009; Yaelle; LucyT; Slings and Arrows; Cat Lady; angcat; Scarlet7; EinNYC; ...
Any cat trained properly will do what you want them to.

I would agree with that more than what the posted article wants to tell us, but I'm not sure that holding them from the belly up from the time they are small kittens is the whole secret of cat training.

It's been known for a long time that cats are quite trainable in terms of following human commands. You can see that in old films as far back as the 1930s where cats are obviously doing exactly as they are told as the camera zooms in on them. I'd assume that a very skillful (and well paid) human trainer was required to get the cat to do what was supposed to be done, but the point is that certain cats are capable of being "movie stars" with professional human assistance.

88 posted on 04/29/2014 7:46:21 PM PDT by justiceseeker93
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To: justiceseeker93

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31l0c9aQhKo

cats are super intelligent.
they CAN do almost anything... any kind of trick or task

they are just too smart to let lower species (like humans) tell them what to do, is all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31l0c9aQhKo


89 posted on 04/29/2014 8:04:05 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: Texan5

When I move in the next year or less, he will likely be abducted...


I was scared there for a minute!!


90 posted on 04/29/2014 8:49:37 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: bunkerhill7

Animals think they are people once they are around humans..


They are people. They’re just wearing animal suits.


91 posted on 04/29/2014 8:53:28 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: boatbums

My cats know their names and the names of the other cats. At night I put them in their cat barn. If one isn’t around, I’ll call the name of the missing cat and the other cats will look around to see if she’s coming (it’s usually the she who is late). Then when they see her coming, they feel happy.

That happens during the day, too, if I call one and the others will look up to see if the called cat is on its way.


92 posted on 04/29/2014 8:55:22 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: boatbums

The researchers didn’t use the right call. My cats are extraordinarily affectionate (well, for cats!) but while they know their names (i.e., calling their names will get you The Look, and then if they feel like it they saunter over), what they COME to is “Here kitty kitty kitty!” They know THAT call means dinner!


93 posted on 04/30/2014 12:45:41 AM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert (FUBO, and the useful idiots you rode in on!)
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To: tcrlaf

I believe that.

I’ve got a cat that I found in a pile of construction waste that we were cleaning up after we built our house. He fit in my hand when I plucked him out of the pile.

That was six years ago. Now he’s an 18lb. savage and comes to me without fail when I call his name. Inside or outside, doesn’t matter.

He sits with me and watches TV and sleeps on my feet every night.

I’m his buddy, but he barely acknowledges the fact that Mrs. Augie exists unless the food dish is empty.


94 posted on 04/30/2014 8:04:05 AM PDT by Augie
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To: TheOldLady

Whiskers is an outside cat because some family members have allergies. He was a stray (which I adopted and fixed) and has always been outside. We live in a gated community so the majority of people drive slow. I still worry for him, but I think he’ll be okay. No predators that I am aware of.


95 posted on 04/30/2014 8:28:21 AM PDT by diamond6 (Behold this Heart which has so loved men!" Jesus to St. Margaret Mary)
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To: little jeremiah

Tranquila-it will work out just fine. The cat is being indoctrinated even now-he was served a breakfast of Friskies on the deck, and the dog conned him into playing. When the time comes, the cat will be glad to get into my 4x4 with the others to go to our new destination...


96 posted on 04/30/2014 8:38:09 AM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: diamond6

My husband has allergies as well, but as he gets older, they seem to be well under control with
the latest medications. He has refused doctors’ advice to “get rid of the cats” for forty years.

I would have said, “Get rid of our ‘kids?’ Are you nuts?” ;-)


97 posted on 04/30/2014 9:03:36 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

My first husband was supposedly allergic to cats and dogs as a kid, but his parents told the doc that was a crock-he was brought up on a ranch, like me-animal allergies just have to be dealt with there-duh. The sneezing stopped within months, all by itself. Our cats and dogs slept with us all the time, so maybe he was just acclimated...


98 posted on 04/30/2014 9:31:00 AM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Texan5

We found that it is easier to take the cats to the vet (very rare occurance thankfully) if we let them jump in the car and hang out in there pretty often. Or hub even drives them around the circle driveway (big one). To ease their nervousness about car rides.

I hope you live a distance from the old place!

People like the ones you describe should never have animals!!

grrr


99 posted on 04/30/2014 9:32:41 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: Augie

I’ve got a cat that I found in a pile of construction waste that we were cleaning up after we built our house. He fit in my hand when I plucked him out of the pile.


Our latest cat thinks my hub is his savior. We got him from a friend when he was 8 yrs old, because she was too ill to care for him any more, and he had suffered a lot of neglect, and was in very bad health. So hub carried him to our van, drove him home, and we nursed him back to health, he’s doing well now but took a lot of adjustments. But he views hub as his bestest best friend. When hub comes back from a job, the cat runs to the van, hops in, and won’t separate from him. Real devotion.


100 posted on 04/30/2014 9:35:58 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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