When Furbabies Act Like Children........

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
A few years back easy child and sister in law gifted me with a 2nd hand recliner for xmas. A nice chair.....it's only fault was that when a person sits in it, it lays back and you feel like you're sitting on your head. lol

Eventually, this chair was passed on to Molly when I received mother in law's favorite recliner. husband wasn't pleased. But Molly has from day 1 always been allowed on the furniture as she doesn't damage it. She chews her nails down to nubs (I've never clipped her nails in more than 10 yrs). Well.....with mother in law's loveseats we couldn't allow her on the furniture anymore because they're a white background with roses. Pretty.......but picks up every speck of dust/dirt that enters the room. So I gave Molly the arm chair and set it up for her in the diningroom. (no room for it in the livingroom)

Right now the chair now has Molly's microfiber blanket draped on the seat.

The past week has been comical. I can't believe one small change such as placing her blanket in the chair for her has caused so much fuss. lol

Now Molly never makes a sound without reason. If she needs to go out, she comes up to nudge you. If you attempt to ignore you because you're busy.....eventually the nudge will turn into a pathetic little whine and when she was younger a dodge to the door and back to you to get the point across. If she wants a drink and her dish is empty.....she'll pick it up and bang it on the floor, she does the same thing if dinner is late. If she wants to play she brings you the toy and then does the doggie play stance. A walk? She brings you the leash. Tattling on her furry sibs for getting out of the yard consists of little woofs while rushing to the front and back doors with body language that clearly states Mom they got out again!

I hear Molly in the livingroom whining. I can see into the livingroom with clear view of her chair from my desk in the kitchen. She's standing in front of the chair (which spins around too) which is turn away from me. Since this is a new communication, Mom is not yet smart enough to figure out what she's trying to tell me. I ask if she wants to go out. She looks at me like I'm dumb. She whines again, tail wag of encouragement. I ask her what's wrong. Because in true Lassie dog style 9 times out of 10 she usually will let me know in no uncertain terms, even if it is with body language. She doesn't move from in front of the chair. But now she's looking at me as if I'm obviously blind and stupid. She whines again, again wags her tail for encouragement. I ask her again if she wants to go out. I mean while the chair is turned away from me she can still get into it without an issue.......so I'm not considering the chair. She huffs, comes over to me, nudges me, whines, wags her tail and returns to the chair and stares at it.

So I get up and head for the chair thinking she's lost her mind because there can't be an issue with her getting into the chair just because it's turned facing the front door. When I reach the chair.......I find Bruce all curled up snugly in her microfiber blanket in the chair. Molly wags at me and grins. Whines again.

I pick Bruce up, explain to him that someday when he's brave enough to keep intruders out of the house repeatedly, he might too earn his own chair with a blanket.....and put him on the floor. His nose was severely out of joint, he procedes to protest to both myself and Molly with loud meows and stalks off in a huff. Meanwhile Molly is still just staring at the chair as if waiting to see if it's ok for her to get in it. I pat the cushion and up she jumps happy as can be.

Repeat this at least 6-8 times a day for the past several days, minus my inability to figure out what she wants. lol

Bruce is getting more and more annoyed. In his anger.....he has taken to thinking he can scratch the chair.....which I tell him and firm No and he stops. Every time Molly gets up for any reason......he sneaks back into the chair. :rofl:

Now these two love each other. Bruce has attempted to play with Molly and he will snuggle her if no one is around to see him. I've caught him several times. But the thing with the chair reminds me of sibling rivalry. lol

Bruce has his own basket with blankets. But I'm going to see if I can find a micorfiber baby blanket for it. Maybe then he'll leave Molly's chair alone.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
You mean they aren't children???

Bubbles has a pillow. This is a body pillow that husband originally bought for himself, and I dubbed his "girlfriend" when he cuddled up to it when I wasn't there. Well, the dog took it over. And the second one husband bought.

We're attempting to train him to stay OFF the bed. He's never really been allowed on the sofa - but he does, anyway. Always looks guilty when he gets caught, too. Well, when we tell him to get off the bed - we get horrible looks. "MOM! The CATS are allowed to sleep on the BED!"

Well, Weasel is 17. And she's been allowed to sleep on the bed her whole life - she predates even XH. Possum was originally a wedding gift (when I married XH) and he's 13 now... He likes the foot of the bed. Squirrel likes to snuggle UNDER the covers, preferably UNDER husband's knees.

When crawling into bed? I must navigate the mess that is husband, Squirrel, Weasel and Possum.

And they wake ME up for breakfast...
 

cubsgirl

Well-Known Member
What a cute story Hound Dog. We've got kitties on the bed too Step - husband doesn't like it.

I have two cats. My husband claims I talk to them more than I talk to him and it's probably true. The one thing that they have learned is how to "knock" at a door. If our bedroom is closed and one wants in they "knock". It sounds just like a human knocking except it is lower on the door. If they want out they "knock". I think it is hilarious.

When I clean the litter box, my one cat comes running and watches the entire process. The second the litter box lid is put back on she jumps in and uses the litter box. Every.single.time.we.clean.it. A true difficult child cat.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
LOL about the knocking - my cats will pull at the bottom of the door to make it rattle. So when we remodeled the basement into our bedroom? We put in a CAT DOOR.

Weasel used to be able to turn a round doorknob. This was FUN. I had to lock EVERYTHING if I didn't want her in.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Molly sounds like she's sweet. Bruce is going to get his come-uppance I fear, because eventually big sister is NOT going to be so patient and I would look for something like that micro-fiber blanket to be jerked out of that chair- magician style like a table cloth off a table full of plates and cups - 'encouraging' Bruce to 'move along'.

Piper the cat - has been given a bed, a blanket - a perch - a windowsill. She's got a box under a table - and to say she's spoiled by DF is an understatement. The 'dogs' have one huge round memory foam pillow with lambs wool on the floor, and an old couch. Everyone seems to have rotated at different times of the day - UNTIL - Piper recently decided that she needs the entire round dog bed. It's huge - 2 people could curl up on it - Think Mamasan size. Usually the 2 boys will share, or One boy and the girl - but when Piper hits it? She's right in the middle, tucks her head and it's over - she wont move. The kids will come like your Molly does, and whine - wag, bark - walk away, follow me - and I have no idea how to keep the cat off the dog bed - but I finally threw away all her blankets and beds- didn't matter. I swear that cat has an agenda, and if I could read it? We'd all be getting crossed off her list. One by one.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Our cats have always been more people than my kids in many ways. The first cat we every had got our dog trained in how to open the drawer that the dog bones and cat food was kept in. She preferred eating out of the box because the bowl was on the floor just like the dog's bowl - and she was NOT a dog. So she taught the dog to grab the handle and pull it open. Then she would let the dog get two milk bones out. Just two - if the dog took three the cat went after her and took one away. She would push it under the couch in the other room so the dog couldn't get it - and then tell me when I got home. We didn't know what was going on for quite some time because the second bone was for closing the drawer wehn the cat was done eating. Only learned about it because one day the dog shut the drawer too early and the cat was inside it when I got home from school.

Captain Morgan has a life goal. He wants to be Garfield. He will watch Garfield cartoons on tv - thank you has some videos and the cat is hooked on them like Garfield is his guru. After one episode where Garfield has Pooky in several scenes, Capn Morgan went and found a brown beanie baby bear and now it is his. He also LOVES only two people foods. Bread - regular or toasted, butter is okay but not necessary. The other food? Lasagna. If we have or make lasagna and he doesn't get some the entire house hears about it for two or three days. He sulks. He tosses things off of every flat surface (usually he just likes to weave around/through them - this is deliberate shoving them off done after he gets your attention. He also HATES it when my door is closed. I usually keep it closed because otherwise the kids and cat think it is their storeroom/playground. He sits at the door and gritches. Not a meow, or a whine, this funny noise that is sort of like a meow but not and is just griping. At 3 or 4 am, every single night, he launches his 15+ pound body at the door. HARD. Actually takes a run at it, turning sideways at the last second to hit with the side of his body. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen. IF I have the door open, or it doesn't make a loud thud because it wasn't fully closed, he will harrass me until I close it and then he gives it another shot.

When he decides it is time for husband to wake up and do something for him, he attacks husband's sleep apnea mask. He actually can manage to take it off of husband sometimes. If husband's snoring is bothering him (some nights it does, some it doesn't) he will first pat husband on the face after each snore. if husband doesn't stop (and he doesn't), he gets more and more forceful until he is whacking husband in the side of the head after each snore. Then he goes down to husband's side and nuzzles him until he rolls over. He just gets real close to husband and presses against his side and husband rolls away. This continues until husband stops snoring or falls on the floor and wakes up, LOL. It is really funny to watch if you are awake.

The whole chair thing with Molly is great. I have a feeling that a similar blanket for Bruce might help. But he might insist on having it on a perch up high since Molly doesn't have to lay on the floor!
 

4timmy

New Member
I love my Furbaby. He does the same things as Molly it sounds like. When he thinks he's done something wrong though, (he has a BAD habit of sneaking into difficult child's bedroom and stealing any food that's lying around or knocking over trash cans) he will roll over on his back and lift his paws up into the air as if to say "I confess, I did it"...

He also has his own chair in our living room. If the door is just slightly open, he can open it himself and he has a doggie door that he goes out of.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
When he decides it is time for husband to wake up and do something for him, he attacks husband's sleep apnea mask. He actually can manage to take it off of husband sometimes. If husband's snoring is bothering him (some nights it does, some it doesn't) he will first pat husband on the face after each snore. if husband doesn't stop (and he doesn't), he gets more and more forceful until he is whacking husband in the side of the head after each snore. Then he goes down to husband's side and nuzzles him until he rolls over. He just gets real close to husband and presses against his side and husband rolls away. This continues until husband stops snoring or falls on the floor and wakes up, LOL. It is really funny to watch if you are awake.


I think Captain Morgan is related to Weasel. She will climb up on top of husband - no matter what he is doing - and there she is. Usually less than 3" from his face. He likes to say, "she loves you - she DOMINATES me." But... When she decides it's time for food? Mommy. Daddy doesn't wake up easily, so she will kiss Mommy - sniffing & nosing my lips, sticking her whiskers up my nose - until I get up and feed her and the other two. It's nice in a way - I don't need an alarm clock - but when Daylight Savings time changes things, watch out! (And at one point, when she woke me up at 5:30 AM - then 5 - then 4:30 - then 3!!! - I was ready to commit felinicide. Seriously.) I've actually learned to sleep with my hand over my face, so she can't get to my mouth and nose. (I could stick my head under the covers, but then I feel like I can't breathe...)
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I love it!

We recently bought a roll top desk from a friend. I've always wanted one, anything with lots of storage that looks good is a premium item around here. We got it into the living room, set it up, lovingly put pictures on the top, set the basket for bills down neatly, and smiled proudly at our nice, neat area.

Enter Senior cats. Our demon Siamese felt the basket of bills interfered with her lounging, so...off it went, fluttering in the breeze. Cobra, the highest ranking cat, did not approve of the pictures, so...I have a roll top desk, and artfully arranged along the top are a big fluffy gray Cobra, a 30 pound demon Siamese who takes offense at most things, and my sweet 25 pound tuxedo cat who is very shy. Rarely will a panther boy dare to hop up there, since Cappie scares them with her Siamese temper and attitude.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
That's a really cute story, HD!

I have four dogs and four dog crates arranged in my living room. Since two of them don't get along at all, I have to do the old "crate and rotate" routine and they take turns being out. Sometimes I feel more like I'm running a day care for four toddlers! It's amazing how smart they are and how they pick up on the routine! They get out in the same order all the time - when Ragan goes in her crate, Trace and Freebie know they will be getting out next. When Trace and Freebie go in, Katy knows it's her turn next. They can be just as bratty as kids! And like kids, I tell them a little beforehand that it's almost time to get in to their crate. Ragan has been sick and she knows I am encouraging her to eat. So when I tell Ragan that it's time to get in her crate, she will stroll over to the food bowl and start slowly eating dog food, taking her own sweet time, one little piece at a time, to prolong the time before she has to go in ... all the while watching me over her shoulder to make sure I see that she's eating! Katy understands every word I say to her! I can tell Katy that we will throw the ball two more times and then she has to get in her crate ... I throw the ball for her to chase it two more times, then all on her own, she will go right in her crate and wait for me to close her door! So I know at least she can count to two! Katy, Trace and Freebie sleep in their crates at night and Ragan sleeps with me. At night, I tell Katy that it's almost her bedtime ... and she has such a routine! She has to have her little midnight snack so she runs right to the food bowl and eats a few bites of food, then to the water bowl for a quick drink, then right in to her crate! The funniest one was a few years ago when Diane Sawyer was still on "Good Morning America"! Ragan was the last to get in her crate before I left for work, and I left every day at about 5 minutes after 7:00 (when GMA came on). After a while Ragan recognized Diane Sawyer's voice and she knew that when she heard Diane Sawyer on the TV, it was time to get in her crate! So just like clockwork every morning, as soon as Diane Sawyer came on, Ragan would go right to her crate and get in! They're a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for!
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Our pets are difficult children, too. Well, maybe not the fish, but they're not normal, either. Instead of hiding when someone goes to the tank, they come over to see what's going on and dance at you if it's feeding time.

The cat? The cat channels Cujo. Kiddo was not always nice to him when he was little, and he's gotten revenge ever since. If she made him mad during the day, he would pee on her bed right before it was time for her to sleep. Even in the middle of summer I wear eskimo bootie slippers to prevent damage to my feet and ankles from his teeth. He's the first cat I ever had declawed (I had a declawed cat previously, but she was that way when I got her, wasn't my choice) because frankly, even declawed he can do a lot of damage. He's also the only cat I've ever seen that eats the couch. And honey mustard. And the pimento stuff from olives. He's been fixed for years and while he's mellowed a little, he's still pretty high-strung. And he likes to paw at closing doors. *shrug*
He's also the single best barometer of Kiddo being sick. While she does act up more before she shows symptoms of being sick, that's not a reliable thing because she acts up at other times, too, so that's more of a retrospective thing. So I have to watch the cat, because usually he stays near me, not right in my face, he's not too affectionate most of the time, but when she's sick, he's right there. Again, not in your face, but except for eating and litterbox he'll do everything possible to stay in the same room she's in. He does it to me, too. When I was sick a few weeks ago and trying to take a bath he made the most awful racket I've heard from him (aside from when he's in his carrier for vet trips) until he was allowed in the bathroom.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
"The cat channels Cujo. Kiddo was not always nice to him when he was little, and he's gotten revenge ever since."

My first Boston, Ms. Rudy, would do that too! We got her as a puppy when my son was about 10 and my daughter was 15. My son was never mean or cruel to her but he would tease her a lot and she would get her revenge on him. She was my first one and we never used a crate with her so she had the run of the house when we were gone. She was not a destructive dog but if she was mad at my son for something, she would wait until we had all left the house, then she'd get something of his and tear it up! It was always HIS things and she seemed to know exactly which things he valued the most. She chewed the buttons off of the top of every baseball cap he ever had. But her favorite targets were the expensive, very detailed little model cars that he spent so much money and time on! We still don't know how she got at them because he kept the model cars on the top shelf of his 4-shelf bookcase and we never caught her in the act. There was nothing on either side of this bookcase for her to jump up on and the end of his bed was several feet away. Even if she could have managed to jump from the bed to the narrow top shelf of the bookcase (which was almost impossible) she could never have managed to get up there and just get one little car off of that top shelf without knocking other things over or moving things around. It didn't take long though for him to learn not to tease Ms. Rudy! When he quit teasing her, she quit destroying his stuff!
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I love critter stories. HD, poor Molly....makes me feel sorry for her! Big mean kitty cat! lol

After my accident, we moved the large recliner to one wall by itself, with a table on each side (I slept in the chair for the first month home - and remember, we only have recliners, no couches). The other 3 recliners are in a row, side by side, along another wall. Every night, there is a dog in each of the 3 recliners in the row.

But the funny part is that even the darned dogs have a "favorite recliner" (which, if you recall, is why I got rid of the couches - everyone fought over one particular chair and no one sat on the couches). And if whoever is in said recliner gets up, the musical chair game is on. Or they will race each other to get to that chair.

Right now, they are each chewing on a bone (I splurged for them at the store). The JRT keeps trying to get all 3 bones for himself. And he's a sneaky boy...
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
LMAO

I've been enjoying the other stories.

Bruce does not sleep with us because he believes it necessary to literally sleep on my neck. I'm not sure if he's afraid I'll stop breathing or what. Then when I'd get to sleep finally........darn cat would start playing with my lips, nose ect. So.....much to his dismay......he has to sleep downstairs. This does not, however, prevent him from attempting to keep me downstairs with him. He "attacks" my pj bottom legs when I try to go up to bed. lol

There seems to have been a truce of sorts called. Molly was snoozing in her chair when Bruce carefully went up and joined her. lol

Bruce is a smart cat............who mostly believes himself to be a dog.......perhaps a dog/person combo. But I'm sure he doesn't believe himself to be a cat. I'm not sure how long this truce will last.......but no more chair stealing today.......he'd just sneak up there with her instead. lol
 

skeeter

New Member
All of my dogs have been rescues, so all have come with "issues". The two we had together the longest were Buster and Wyley - both boxers. If we had gotten them "un-named" it would have been Tigger and Eyore for their attitudes. Buster loved to play with stuffed toys, Wyley never quite got the concept. So Wyley would wait until Buster would put a toy down, then sneak it off and hide it. They would love to "fight" each other (playfully), Buster would go after Wyley's neck, but Wyley outweighed Buster by 20+ lbs so he couldn't get him to be submissive. Wyley would just grab Buster's leg and pull him over (Wyley was raised in a back yard in a cage before we got him and never socialized).
We had to have Buster put down first, and we were extremely worried that Wyley would mope and be upset. I think he was for one day, then it totally left his brain that there had been another dog in the house (Wyley definitely wasn't the brightest bulb in the box).

We now have Buddy, a boxer/lab mix. Buddy took at least 6 months to warm up to us. He was over 7 when we got him, and he had been shoved to so many homes that he had no trust of humans. He is now like glue - he has to be touching one of us at all times except at night. At night he had claimed one of the livingroom chairs as "his" and sleeps there. Problem is, he's too big for the chair, so often falls out of it during the night. I'll wake up to a "thump" then he'll very sheepily come in and lay on the floor of our room.
 

cubsgirl

Well-Known Member
I LOVE the pet stories - so cute and amazing what our little pet wonders learn to do.

My one cat also LOVES to shred paper. Give her a sheet of paper and she will make you confetti in 90 seconds. We cannot leave important papers out anywhere that she can get to it. It'll be gone.

You can imagine my embarrassment when I had an important meeting and had an agenda and some minutes from a previous meeting to pass out. I took out the agenda and the paper was torn on the upper right hand corner with kitty teeth marks on it.

In our house, "my cat ate my homework" is a valid excuse :rofl:
 
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