I’ve tried
Kit Kat will listen politely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she agrees with you.
Russellville, Alabama, December 2011
“I’ve tried talking to animals, but it’s no use – their minds are usually already made up.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
Since I’ve featured dogs, birds and other animals here, I thought it was about time to include a cat. This is my sister’s cat, named Kit Kat after the cat we had as children. Kit Kat is a very lovable animal, but like other animals I’ve known, her mind does seem to be made up about most things. Ashleigh is a cat person, so maybe that’s where he got the idea. But cats aren’t alone in exhibiting what often looks like disdain for at least a few of the people they encounter.
Even dogs, who appear to care much more about pleasing humans, often seem to be going along for the sake of being loved. Almost all of us who have lived with any sort of animal have had the experience of having it look at us with bewilderment, disgust, pity, or some combination of all three.
That’s not a bad thing, though. If animals thought the same way we do, their immense capacity to entertain us would be lessened considerably. Besides, if you want to be sure to win their agreement, all you need to do is find out what they like to eat, and keep some of it on hand. They can almost always be talked into a snack. In fact, you can leave the “talk” part out altogether.
Have you ever successfully talked an animal into anything without food being involved?
This post was first published seven years ago today. As with many other beloved subjects of these posts, Kit Kat has since passed from this life. She lived well into her 20’s, a good long life for a feline, and left behind many happy memories.
The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: animals, argument, canine, cats, communication, conversation, dogs, feline, food, funny pet tricks, humor, pets, treats
Defeat Despair 
I could always get my dog to the vet’s by jingling the car keys. Poor thing thought he was just going for a ride.
-Alan
Hi Alan, it’s great to hear from you! Yes, those dogs know more than vocabulary words. We used to joke that Pasha came running at the sound of crackling chip bags or other food wrappers. And his ears were trained, every afternoon at a certain hour, for the sound of Jeff’s car approaching. I wonder how you got your dog from the car into the vet’s once you got there? 😀
Julia, That was always the rub!
-Alan
In Pasha’s case I think his aversion to the vet was overcome by his curiosity and eagerness to see all the other dogs in the waiting room!
My dog Chris began to shake as soon as we made the turn onto the road where the vet was.
-Alan
Poor fellow! I feel so sorry for dogs (and kids!) who are afraid to go to the doctor or dentist. BTW just after your recent comment, I saw where someone posted a YouTube video titled “Dog just figured out we are going to the vet” and it was hilarious, but kind of sad, to hear that big German shepherd whining when he figured out what was coming next! I don’t know why that video popped up when it did– makes me wonder if there’s spyware on my computer!
Today, you never know. Big brother is always watching. But, thankfully, God is watching Big Brother too. Justice will have its day.
-Alan
YES, Amen!