Animals Can Understand Humans - Are We Too Eccentric to Notice?
Animals Can Understand Humans - Are We Too Eccentric to Notice?
Don't get me wrong. I haven't yet lost my mind. Not yet or maybe, just a little bit perhaps? Who knows. I am certain that I'm not the only person who talks to dogs and cats, ok? Surely, there are others too, like the security authorities who patrol transport terminals with their K-9 officers anywhere in the world. Now, that's quite a comforting thought!
Dogs, cats and even rats are just a few of the animals that have been around, affectionately very close to humankind, for at least two thousand years. They witness the advancements in technology made by humankind. Starting from the first fire building breakthrough to nuclear missile testing and who knows to the very end when the Earth's polar ice caps finally melt. Though, there are countless technologies humankind invented for these faithful allies but only few are focused on understanding their languages.
I am entertaining the idea that most animals, especially cats, dogs and rats can understand human language and yet they are more than smart enough not to flaunt this ability to get noticed by humans. I am entertaining such an idea because I have a very smart cat. My mother brought a kitten home the day after I lost my dog. He was a week old at that time. Rescued from a neighbor who has this violent habit of cutting cats heads.
I was still grieving for the tragic lost of a very smart, obedient and lovable dog, Hoodlum Guard. Understandably, it was not a love at first sight. In fact, it was 'clawed at first sight'. When my mother handed me the kitten, he suddenly sprang his paw and scratched my palm. The kitten drew three very small, thin stinging razor sharp lines on the palm of my hand.
The kitten was very small at that time. He was barely big enough to fit in my palm. He was not even weaned from his mother. I took him up in my room and place him on my study table. The kitten curled into a fur ball falling into sleep.
The evening came, I totally forgot about the kitten. I put my mug of coffee on the table and switch the TV on. Drinking a mug of coffee with a shot of rum per cup helps me focus on the task a head, an overnight e-book reading after the evening TV session.
A spill of coffee instinctively made me reach out for a ball of rag, immaculately white probably freshly laundered and dried, sitting on my table. I used it to mop the spill. It was very absorbent with the consistency of cotton. Right after I'm done I put it aside. I haven't taken a sip with the coffee. Nature called so I left my room for a few minutes.
When I came back, I noticed that my mug of coffee was already half empty and to my surprise the white ball of rag, then coffee colored, was beside it. I pick it up to put it aside again.
I jump as the ball of rag unfurled, stood up with four shaking legs, and face me with two very wide awake luminous eyes. It walked towards my mug and stuck its head in it. So the mystery of the half-empty coffee was revealed right under my nose. My kitten drank all the coffee in my mug. The mug contains three cups of coffee with three shots of rum! My kitten looks up at me and started to make a sound. Actually, the kitty was making a high pitch slurring sound so loud as if arguing to an unknown debate. I was speechless. I don't know what to do. I heard the voice of my mother asking me what I'm doing with the kitten. I told her the kitten was drunk. I touch the back of the kitten, the part where the spine protrudes and ran my forefinger from its head down to the base of it tails.
The kitten lowered its voice though it continued the litany. I look straight to its eyes and whispered, "Hey, we're friends now?" The kitten stopped its litany, raised it's paw, touched my nose, and curled again to sleep. Since then, I talk to my kitten in human language even until now.
Today, the kitten is a full grown cat and yes, he always responds with a distinct sound every time I talk to him. I named him KitCat because he will always be my kitten cat. KitCat always make sounds when he needs something, may it be water, food or he just wants to get out of the house. Every time he does such he looks at me straight in the eyes. I'm just guessing what he wants every time he does his litany. So far we understand each other.
I started to talk to my dogs too, Hoodlum Guard Dos and Hoodlum Guard Tres. Pets like to hear their names called. Giving them some form of encouragement by simply talking to them. Letting them know that their ability to understand human language is being acknowledged, it encourages them to show their hidden abilities, one is to intelligently respond and interact with humans.
KitCat once woke me up during a strong typhoon leading me to the switch of the electric water pump. The rainfall was so loud that the sound of the water pump couldn't be heard. Someone forgot to switch it off and it's been on for hours. KitCat regularly does such simple but useful acts. My dogs always tugs at me when I forget to lock the fence. Animals are evolving intellectually right under our noses.
As humans we are just too eccentric to notice. Other species, especially those who aligned themselves to humans, are here to stay. They are there observing, learning from our activities. Evolving. I think it is time for us to notice.
Don't get me wrong. I haven't yet lost my mind. Not yet or maybe, just a little bit perhaps? Who knows. I am certain that I'm not the only person who talks to dogs and cats, ok? Surely, there are others too, like the security authorities who patrol transport terminals with their K-9 officers anywhere in the world. Now, that's quite a comforting thought!
Dogs, cats and even rats are just a few of the animals that have been around, affectionately very close to humankind, for at least two thousand years. They witness the advancements in technology made by humankind. Starting from the first fire building breakthrough to nuclear missile testing and who knows to the very end when the Earth's polar ice caps finally melt. Though, there are countless technologies humankind invented for these faithful allies but only few are focused on understanding their languages.
I am entertaining the idea that most animals, especially cats, dogs and rats can understand human language and yet they are more than smart enough not to flaunt this ability to get noticed by humans. I am entertaining such an idea because I have a very smart cat. My mother brought a kitten home the day after I lost my dog. He was a week old at that time. Rescued from a neighbor who has this violent habit of cutting cats heads.
I was still grieving for the tragic lost of a very smart, obedient and lovable dog, Hoodlum Guard. Understandably, it was not a love at first sight. In fact, it was 'clawed at first sight'. When my mother handed me the kitten, he suddenly sprang his paw and scratched my palm. The kitten drew three very small, thin stinging razor sharp lines on the palm of my hand.
The kitten was very small at that time. He was barely big enough to fit in my palm. He was not even weaned from his mother. I took him up in my room and place him on my study table. The kitten curled into a fur ball falling into sleep.
The evening came, I totally forgot about the kitten. I put my mug of coffee on the table and switch the TV on. Drinking a mug of coffee with a shot of rum per cup helps me focus on the task a head, an overnight e-book reading after the evening TV session.
A spill of coffee instinctively made me reach out for a ball of rag, immaculately white probably freshly laundered and dried, sitting on my table. I used it to mop the spill. It was very absorbent with the consistency of cotton. Right after I'm done I put it aside. I haven't taken a sip with the coffee. Nature called so I left my room for a few minutes.
When I came back, I noticed that my mug of coffee was already half empty and to my surprise the white ball of rag, then coffee colored, was beside it. I pick it up to put it aside again.
I jump as the ball of rag unfurled, stood up with four shaking legs, and face me with two very wide awake luminous eyes. It walked towards my mug and stuck its head in it. So the mystery of the half-empty coffee was revealed right under my nose. My kitten drank all the coffee in my mug. The mug contains three cups of coffee with three shots of rum! My kitten looks up at me and started to make a sound. Actually, the kitty was making a high pitch slurring sound so loud as if arguing to an unknown debate. I was speechless. I don't know what to do. I heard the voice of my mother asking me what I'm doing with the kitten. I told her the kitten was drunk. I touch the back of the kitten, the part where the spine protrudes and ran my forefinger from its head down to the base of it tails.
The kitten lowered its voice though it continued the litany. I look straight to its eyes and whispered, "Hey, we're friends now?" The kitten stopped its litany, raised it's paw, touched my nose, and curled again to sleep. Since then, I talk to my kitten in human language even until now.
Today, the kitten is a full grown cat and yes, he always responds with a distinct sound every time I talk to him. I named him KitCat because he will always be my kitten cat. KitCat always make sounds when he needs something, may it be water, food or he just wants to get out of the house. Every time he does such he looks at me straight in the eyes. I'm just guessing what he wants every time he does his litany. So far we understand each other.
I started to talk to my dogs too, Hoodlum Guard Dos and Hoodlum Guard Tres. Pets like to hear their names called. Giving them some form of encouragement by simply talking to them. Letting them know that their ability to understand human language is being acknowledged, it encourages them to show their hidden abilities, one is to intelligently respond and interact with humans.
KitCat once woke me up during a strong typhoon leading me to the switch of the electric water pump. The rainfall was so loud that the sound of the water pump couldn't be heard. Someone forgot to switch it off and it's been on for hours. KitCat regularly does such simple but useful acts. My dogs always tugs at me when I forget to lock the fence. Animals are evolving intellectually right under our noses.
As humans we are just too eccentric to notice. Other species, especially those who aligned themselves to humans, are here to stay. They are there observing, learning from our activities. Evolving. I think it is time for us to notice.
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