I have one cat and a doggy door so it can go in and out as it pleases. A stray cat figured out it could use the doggy door.
I have two cats.
Meow
Submitted 4 weeks ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/6209af7b-af97-4c48-ab34-95553a1e9872.jpeg
Comments
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
Outdoor cats are responsible for the extinction of numerous bird species.
enviroliteracy.org/how-many-birds-killed-by-cats/
abcbirds.org/program/…/cats-and-birds/
Outdoor cats are also at increased risk of contracting avian flu.
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
Yep
the_q@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Further proof that if you’re cute enough you can get anything you want.
JayObey711@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Well I mean i would probably take in an alligator if it came through my window
IndiBrony@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Alligator can have the whole house, actually. It’s okay, I’ll move 👍
RedAggroBest@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
But then the alligator will be lonely :(
burgersc12@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
Sir, this is a Wendy’s, you cannot keep the gator just becuase it was thrown through the window…
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 4 weeks ago
I thought it was Florida’s natural activity.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
“You handed it to me with my food??”
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
especially if it rolls onto its back and paddles its legs about adorably to beg for tummy rubs
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 4 weeks ago
Toxoplasmosis gang.
StopTouchingYourPhone@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
My favourite origin myth for human over-civilization is we’re the science project of cats. They saw our ancestors tossing their own feces at each other, and thought, I wonder…
Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 4 weeks ago
I don’t know about that human baby thing.
SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Babies are real dude
lugal@sopuli.xyz 4 weeks ago
And the domesticated themselves
LeFrog@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
Yeah that seems really far fetched. Humans are generally bad at communicating with mostly body posture and scent. We have no tail to wiggle, no easily movable ears and no chance to use cat pheromones.
So naturally the cat has the best chance to get a response by using vocalication/sounds. It is just coincidence that their kittens do also mostly respond to sounds in their first weeks.
queermunist@lemmy.ml 4 weeks ago
Right, but adult cats keep making those vocalizations well past that age.
It’s not that far fetched that their neoteny is an adaptation to humans.
rumschlumpel@feddit.org 4 weeks ago
The resemblance to baby vocalizations can be rather unsettling with some cats. I suppose it’s somewhat natural since they’re about the same size as a newborn human, but specifically adopting somewhat human-like (and thus baby-like, because that’s the one they can imitate the best) vocalization doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
Wetstew@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
IIRC, it’s more that they over time figure out what sounds and actions get their owner’s attention. We respond better, unconsiously or otherwise when they meow at out.
My old cat figured out before I did that if she knocks shit off the coffee table I get up and check if her bowl is empty.
Generally wild/feral adult cats are more or less mute outside of anger/mating/territory calls, but domesticated cats keep their kitten vocalizations if we respond to them.
My current cat is very vocal and we responded playfully to his meowing as he grew up.
Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 4 weeks ago
Both of my cats came from my in-laws farm and it’s been funny with the older of the two as she needed to learn from another cat how being friendly gets you pets and scritches, meanwhile the younger one who basically came inside as soon as she was on hard food hasn’t had that difficulty
Anivia@feddit.org 4 weeks ago
If meows sounded anything like human baby cries they would give me an instant headache and the desire to get rid of the noise
OwlPaste@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Just what an AI would say!
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
it’s literally just that cats figure out that making noise draws our attention, and even better if they make a cute noise.
teamevil@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I got a cat that definitely lives with a baby at one point
Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I hated cats. Then a cat decided he lived in my house. He changed my life. Now I have another trash cat living with me and [I love them both so much.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
I also love them so much 😻
teamevil@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Same thing happened to me …Luci is the worst, he climbs on my chest and greets me as soon as I’m up …then he hunts me all day.
MintyFresh@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I love that ear fluff!
_____@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
actually what they say is “I live here meow”
Emmie@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
I can’t tell if I hate cats or love cats but they are never neutral. In fact there is one in my house right now
Lemminary@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
will never be some obedient pet
I find it odd that people think that. Mine are all incredibly well-behaved. I mean, I invested time in training them but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I think the secret is being consistent and correcting the behavior as it’s happening. They’re smart enough to know when they’re doing something wrong. Oh, they know! Lol
jpreston2005@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I love cats, but I also love my plants, and despise the odor of a used litter box. Therefore, I cannot have cats. It sucks.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
So we got that expensive robot litter box and you can’t smell it unless you’re emptying it. It has made cat care so much easier.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
Might be obvious, but have you ruled out infection? Sometimes cats pee in places they shouldn’t if they have a UTI.
frezik@midwest.social 4 weeks ago
Did they model their meows, or did they have a trait that happened to work in a new environment and then pass it on?
lugal@sopuli.xyz 4 weeks ago
From my understanding, wild cats only meow when little and domesticated cats keep this juvenile trait into adulthood
MeaanBeaan@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Yes, but the question is if they model their meows to sound like human infants. We know they changed their behavior to meow when wanting attention from us. But I’d be willing to bet they didn’t model their meows to sound like that. They just happen to sound like that because they’re small animals with high pitch voices.
TheFogan@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
To my knowledge that’s a lot of how domestication winds up being.
What I found interesting was a study when they tried to domesticate silver foxes for the fur industry (because basically they didn’t take to being raised in fur farms well). So basically they were selectively bread for not being aggressive to humans.
Which worked, but the drawbacks were effectively… all of their childlike traits remained. IE their ears stayed floppy, and they stopped growing the silver coat that was the whole reason the fur industry wanted them.
Basically I think it could be said that effectively… most domestication traits are more or less, keeping childlike mentality for life in animals.
nossaquesapao@lemmy.eco.br 4 weeks ago
Doesn’t work on me, I just shoo them away. Gotta evolve harder if they wanna try manipulating me.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
😻mrow?
chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
For some reason I have the sudden urge to built a carpeted tower…
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 4 weeks ago
Would people really let some stray live with them? Can’t imagine having a pet. They convert money and time into poop and stink and offer nothing in return. Never understood the appeal, yet I love all animals.
Bonifratz@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
offer nothing in return
Warmth, company, fun…? Also, the experience of being responsible for and caring for another being can be very valuable.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 4 weeks ago
Not to me, sorry. What benefit could i have from “caring for another being”? Me, personally? The other being, yes, maybe. But me? I could never care ADEQUATELY for any animal. they don’t belong in my company/house. Just because we domesticated the fuck outta them doesn’t make it better. And i also couldn’t neuter them or feed them this disgusting shit we call pet-food. And also I don’t want to take out the shit of others :-)
bloubz@lemmygrad.ml 4 weeks ago
Comment above is crazy but also, animals are not toys. It’s pretty crazy to want to own animals and make them live with you. Fortunately (idk) some animals co-evolved with us and became dependant of human farming/breeding/ownership
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Your last sentence is crazy
Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 4 weeks ago
“I love all animals, as long as those useless fucks stay outta my way!”
explodicle@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
It’s like not wanting the ocean in your house even if you love the ocean.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 4 weeks ago
Just because some things don’t align with yours doesn’t make it “crazy”. But if you prefer it that way? Then yes, I’m crazy I don’t want to care for animals that don’t belong in my house and force them into my reign. How crazy I prefer my time and money to be mine and mine (and my wife’s) alone. How crazy I don’t want to spend time scratching cat-poo out of a litter-box. Or go watch a dog on a leach (that would prefer to roam his territory freely, not under my heel) have a shit outside and scrape it off the floor.
Damn, I should take pills for that :)
jumperalex@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
That’s the same argument I use for not having kids.
Also, I have a dog.
explodicle@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
A kid can take care of you when you’re old. This is particularly pronounced in the developing world, where it’s much harder to save for retirement.
lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 4 weeks ago
I could understand having a pet, but not taking in a random stray without question.
Some strange cat walks into my house? It gets plopped right back into the street, that ain’t my cat!
BakerBagel@midwest.social 4 weeks ago
I took in a stray kitten that someone dumped at my work back in the fall. I wasn’t sure if i would keep her or not, but i felt obligated to clean her up and feed her while i figured out what to do with her. As soon as she started interacting with my other kitten, they became best friends and i couldn’t in good conscience seperate them.
Another friend of mine slowly took in a stray cat over the fourse of a summer. Leave out food for it of it hangs out around your house until it starts to nuzzle up against you. Then you can pet it, maybe pick it up, and then take it to a doctor to get it checked out.
It sounds to me though, that you just don’t like animals.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 4 weeks ago
I actually dunno what I would do, but I probably wouldn’t kick it out. I’d feed it and stuff, but ultimately won’t keep it.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
so like, you seriously look at stuff like this and don’t see the appeal? A small adorable fuzzball that obviously loves you, that doesn’t make you feel happy?
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Cat meowing is the main reason why I redeveloped my echolalia. Yes, I meow back at cats.
MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 4 weeks ago
I’ve been witness to the great cat distribution system.
Our current cat has moved house with us twice. The first house at lived at, we were on the ground floor of the place and this furball just waltzed in and took over. Much to the dismay of the cat we already had.
The preexisting cat was similar. She would hang out at a bus stop that my SO would frequent to get to work, didn’t take long before she followed my SO home. She was a shit, but she was cute enough to get away with it. Rest in peace Zora.
Anyways, I would submit that the only reason we haven’t had more cats distributed to us is that we lived on the fifth floor of an apartment for a long while. We recently moved into a house so that might change.
drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
They can also hop on your dad’s chest while he is sleeping so he can wake up thinking he is having a heart attack
biofaust@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Whenever someone suggests me the idea to let in/buy/adopt a cat, I sent them this link:
Lemjukes@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Twice*
UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 4 weeks ago
Now playing Vision Video - I Love Cats
PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 4 weeks ago
DO NOT feed strangers cats. Water is fine. If you feed it, at best you’re fucking up its diet, at worst you’re basically abducting the cat.
Empricorn@feddit.nl 4 weeks ago
Pet cats should live inside, with plenty of toys and people that care for them, not out killing bird populations and rushing getting run over, etc. Outdoor cats have much shorter life spans…
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 4 weeks ago
I can see the logic but it does feel like the cat’s already out of the bag on this one. There are so many free-ranging and feral cats that I wonder if it makes any difference at this point.
pumpkinseedoil@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
Where I live there is practically no risk of them getting ran over. But yes they do catch 2-3 birds per yer.
Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org 4 weeks ago
My cat figured out the dog door by watching the dogs. She’s inside 80% of the time but prefers to do her business outside if the weather’s clear and goes out for an hour or so about twice a day besides that.
Of all things, my part basset hound mix is a bird killing machine despite the stubby legs, broken hip and arthritis. I don’t know how she manages to do it, but lots of half eaten bird corpses started showing up in our yard right after we got her, but only in the back yard which she could reach via the dog door. Starting before the cat started using the dog door.
zephorah@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
The cat is abducting itself. They’re not dogs. They’re rarely loyal.
ProvableGecko@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I condemn this anti-feline propaganda
Steve@startrek.website 4 weeks ago
Back when my cat was alive I got occasional reports that he would enter various other houses nearby and meow by the fridge until he was given a cold cut.
echodot@feddit.uk 4 weeks ago
Does a cat in me who has a Facebook group and pictures of him sat on everyone’s beds. In the summer he came into my house and ate my cat’s food. Cheeky bugger.
Ataraxia@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
We have many strays we are trying to rescue amd until then they get fed and if some rando is letting their cat out to eat whatever the heck then find (and steal my food) on my property that’s the cat’s owner being the asshole. I’m trying to help needy cats and I can’t even oht traps down to get them medical attention because I could end up catching some irresponsible person’s cat.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
We have an asshole stray in our neighborhood, but she’s smart enough she’s figured out traps. One of these days we’ll get her.