A thought that has come to me a couple of times recently, do other people have key words that they use to tell their cats things/what to do ? For example, I use:

Scoot - please leave the room by the nearest exit ( not always interpreted correctly by the 4-legged members of the household )

Night-Nights ( time ) - you are going to bed ( not always looked upon favourably by the 4-legged members of the household )


The night-nights one has to be used carefully - generally after you have a cat in your arms and are moving towards their room, otherwise, you get at best passive non-compliance ( I would get up but I don't seem to have any bones in me and my claws seem to have got a good grip on this cushion ) or a game of "You'll have to catch me first".

Oh, I have many! On our walks, it's "go around" as in go around a car parked next to the curb so we don't have to walk on the grass. "Let's go." That means, let's get back to walking and Raiden needs to stop stopping and looking around. "Back Home" means we are heading back to our house from our walk. "Lay down" means just that -- settle down and take a nap. "Night night" is also one I use before bedtime. Does he understand any of them? Probably so, but does he follow the commands? Absolutely not! LOL

I mostly do baby talk to Oscar which I would be embarrassed to attempt to even spell on this forum!!! At night we use "bed bed" to put him in his bedroom. He then goes like a dead weight and we usually carry him upside down like a baby to his room. He does not mind going to bed though as he always gets a treat!

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

"No!" Constantly used.

"Don't knock that off the side." Generally ignored.

"Get down." Always ignored.

And after the negative key word's...

"Who's a beautiful handsome boy!"

"Chin rub" - always obeyed.

"Where's your ball" to Hendrix and miraculously the bouncy ball that had disappeared the day before is 'found'.

"Belly rub" - doesn't even need saying - they see you coming when they are laying down chilling and immediately roll over for a belly rub. In fact, I think I am way more compliant to their commands than they are to mine!

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

If I say "doyouwannaeeeet" really fast they run to the pantry door. :)

Raiden knows "are you hungry?" means FOOD!!! Cats definitely learn to understand commands. At times I don't think Raiden even knows his name, but the other night he was walking away and I said "Raiden" and he stopped and turned his head! At least I want to think that he's smart! LOL

Do you want to go out?
They run to the door and start whining when I say that.

Nummy-num!
They gallup towards me whining with a few meows bursting out when they hear that.

Wanna brush?
That's Graces cue to get a brushing, her favorite thing (next to food).

No! Stop that! Get down!
All ignored, even hand clapping.

Get Down - Faust once, Max two or three... then again, then Get DOWN! works.

Max, come here - works pretty much every time. Faust knows that means something he won't like. You have to sing-song "Fauuuust-oooooh...."

C'mere, Fat Boy/Fat Ass - means food or snuggles. Works nearly every time.

Sit/Lay Down - works often.

Outside? - works when they already want to go out on the balcony

NO - gets a look immediately, followed by a look at what they're doing/where they're going, then a look back at me and a moment of judgement on whether it's worth it.

Move over - when they're eating from the same dish or one is hogging the foods. Usually works without any physical prompting.

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Oh how I've loved reading these! Are we crazy cat people or what??? LOL

I forgot about how we half-whisper, "what are you doing?" Which is Bengal code for "PLAY TIME!!!" Faust just tore across the house at me sideways and leaped in the air, then took off again when I asked him.

My husband constantly reminds me that they're not human, but I catch him talking to them, too.

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I talk to our "girls" since we only have one human son. My husband and i always talk about the cats as our girls. Nomnom is food time. Then alot of No,get out,get off my leg and stop ruining all my leggings. I tell them FayFay you make my day and Lili you are so cute but silly. I make this smacking noise with my mouth and when they hear it they immediately come running.

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~Genevieve~

I forgot:


Dot de dose!



When Ada is determined to make me cat clean. When I am sitting at the desk she comes and puts her front paws on my chest and sits on her hind legs she shoots her head forwards and licks my nose.