After he recovered, I realized something interesting. While Butch usually goes to my boyfriend for affection, it was smart of him to tell me that he was sick. In our household, which includes two cats and a dog, my boyfriend does the feeding and walking, but I'm the one who takes them to the vet. And I may be the one who listens most when they have something to say.
How your pet communicates
Pets do talk, whether to tell us they are sick or feeling playful or wary of a stranger, and that is no bone of contention among veterinary animal behaviour experts. Because we want to make sure our pets are happy and healthy, it's important for us to make sense of their messages.
But it isn't always easy. "Pets are individuals," says Dr. Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviourist in Thornhill, Ont. "Some are more expressive than others." In dogs this difference is largely due to genetics – a toy poodle, for example, may dance on its hind legs for its supper, while a hound may bay for his. Genetics account for behaviour to a lesser degree in cats, except for exotic breeds such as Bengals, for example, which tend to vocalize more than ordinary domestic cats. In both dogs and cats, nurturing and training also play a role, but, says Landsberg, they only bring out the behavioural traits they are born with.
What pets share is their motivation. "Mostly they are trying to get something," says Dr. Sagi Denenberg, a veterinary behaviour resident who works with Landsberg. Uppermost may be your attention, which can include food, petting or even help, says Denenberg. But pets also try to warn us or even tell us to leave them alone. As we get to know them, we begin to understand their different ways of communicating.
Page 1 of 3 – Discover what else your pets are trying to tell you on page 2.
