Wanna make friend with cat lover!

" you should give your children a pet, then I started to scare that how much it will hurt them when it die I am not sure that I dare to give my kids a pet, they will have to decide themselves whether they want a pet."

The children shouldn't be too young though, and they should have it explained to them that the pet is their responsibility, in all ways, it's good for the kids to realise that they are not the only things in the world that need love, and attention. .
  They have to learn about life and death eventually, maybe it also teaches them the meaning and value of life .

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

Haha, I don't know that am I a cornered cat or not, but it's true to say that "She doesn't deal in revenge. If she feels threatened, she simply leaves."
The only thing I care is my happy and peaceful life. Avoid revenge or enemy or regret or over expectation or disappointing...etc... as much as I can.

Hello my cat-lover friend, where are you?

Yah! I am here ...... watching Tom & Jerry 

Yes I like cats (both the bigger and smaller versions of the family, actually). Of all the animals I worked with in the wild (in my younger days), the members of the cat family used to amaze me a lot. Back home we always had a house-cat (not exactly a pet one!). I like watching animals free in their natural habitats rather than keeping them as pets or inside a cage.

Here are two amazing qualities that cats have in general.

1) Focus and concentration.
I am sure you must have noticed how "focused" your cat is when she stalks her prey ...if she is not too lazy for that ... hmmmm .
It's more intriguing in the case of bigger felines that run their prey down after an initial stalking. I am sure you must have watched clips on TV (Nat Geo. etc.) when a lioness makes her final dash into a herd of Wildebeests, she already has her one single victim (out of may be 1000 potential others) "captured" in her focus. For the rest of the chase, in spite of  those skillful maneuvers, that single one is what the lioness will always go after, hardly dropping its focus for a moment....successful or not. Can you imagine the level of focus and concentration??
To me it seems like even before the chase begins the cat can see the BBQ meat on its platter.

2) Levitation (not literally though!).
Some people say cats can levitate (literally, float in the air).
Not exactly, but all cats have some amazing sense of CG (centre of gravity) which works wonders during a free fall. If a cat falls from a height (a sort of free fall), however sudden it might be, the cat will always (or at least 90% of the time) land itself on four feet.
How they can achieve this amazing feat is a matter of speculation. Can they really levitate? .... that too is a debatable topic. 

You may have these two virtues in yourself as well.
You are focused on your career, job and future....and at the same time, during occasional free-falls in life (happens to everyone) you are back on your feet very fast. 

senwl wrote:

Hello my cat-lover friend, where are you?

Yah! I am here ...... watching Tom & Jerry 

Yes I like cats (both the bigger and smaller versions of the family, actually).

2) Levitation (not literally though!).
Some people say cats can levitate (literally, float in the air).
Not exactly, but all cats have some amazing sense of CG (centre of gravity) which works wonders during a free fall. If a cat falls from a height (a sort of free fall), however sudden it might be, the cat will always (or at least 90% of the time) land itself on four feet.
How they can achieve this amazing feat is a matter of speculation. Can they really levitate? .... that too is a debatable topic.

Really? Yeah I found that big version of feline are gorgeous too

But not Tom, please

You make me remember when I have my very first dog, since I play with cats for a long time, I am familiar with the way they always jump from my hands to the ground, so I have a habit to just drop them whenever I want. Now you can guess what happened. My dog was cried so much when I drop him like that, then I have to hold him and comfort him long time after that . Hic, poor him

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

Hello my cat-lover friend, where are you?

Seems people love cat but cant be "cat lover". My cousin is the only one I have called "animal lover". She lets her cats and dogsvsleep, kiss and play with them. She even hold birthday parties for them. If a pet pass away, she holds ceremonies and cry as rain. I also see she loves her neighbors' pets too.

To me, my cat must know where to go toilet and dont touch the food if they arent allowed. My last cat knew this well but my 2 new cats must be taught.

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

You make me remember when I have my very first dog, since I play with cats for a long time, I am familiar with the way they always jump from my hands to the ground, so I have a habit to just drop them whenever I want. Now you can guess what happened. My dog was cried so much when I drop him like that, then I have to hold him and comfort him long time after that . Hic, poor him

Yah, poor him.    It could actually fracture the dog's ankle/wrist bones. These bones are designed for running not for soft landing like in cats.

Dejavu.dot wrote:

Seems people love cat but cant be "cat lover". My cousin is the only one I have called "animal lover". She lets her cats and dogsvsleep, kiss and play with them. She even hold birthday parties for them. If a pet pass away, she holds ceremonies and cry as rain. I also see she loves her neighbors' pets too.

Yes, some people do bond with certain animals (pets or even the wild ones) in a very humane way. Usually such bonding is much stronger than any love-bonding between two human beings. Human-animal bonding is firmly based upon mutual Trust .... something without which no Love can survive for long. It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this "trust" factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

One day a friend of mine made a stew he wanted me to try. Only after I finished it did he tell me it was cat stew. Being an animal lover I was a bit upset and told him so. A few days later I noticed a few large cats outside my home. I didn't think much about it until the following day when there were even more of them! Now I have around 60 cats and kittens constantly roaming around the front of my house. I tried to scare them away but they just come back. I even have a big dog but he is afraid of the cats due to their large numbers. If have come to the conclusion that there is no getting rid of them. Now I'm just trying to figure out if they are here for some type of revenge or have I acquired some kind of kinship due to me eating one of their feline relations.

senwl wrote:

Dejavu.dot wrote:

Seems people love cat but cant be "cat lover". My cousin is the only one I have called "animal lover". She lets her cats and dogsvsleep, kiss and play with them. She even hold birthday parties for them. If a pet pass away, she holds ceremonies and cry as rain. I also see she loves her neighbors' pets too.

Yes, some people do bond with certain animals (pets or even the wild ones) in a very humane way. Usually such bonding is much stronger than any love-bonding between two human beings. Human-animal bonding is firmly based upon mutual Trust .... something without which no Love can survive for long. It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this "trust" factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

, " non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other "
  You don't have pets?   We always talk to our pets, ( almost embarrassing sometimes too, especially when some VN's are listening ),  they can tell by the tone of your voice what mood you are in , and many times will keep their distance.. My dog knows many words, in fact when talking about him to someone, when he is present,  I often have to spell words out, like " RUN ", he will get very excited and think he is going for a run, or " Sorry Mate  '', his ears instantly drop, and his mouth shuts, and lately he will go to the bedroom and sulk, because he knows he has to stay at home, this is why I prefer dogs over cats, they understand, and ( usually ),obey commands, unfortunately he only knows one Viet word, and when he hears it, gets it confused between mice and gecko's
  You will usually hear people, who genuinely love their pets, refer to them by name, or as " he " or " she ", and not " it ".

Adhome01 wrote:

One day a friend of mine made a stew he wanted me to try. Only after I finished it did he tell me it was cat stew. Being an animal lover I was a bit upset and told him so. A few days later I noticed a few large cats outside my home. I didn't think much about it until the following day when there were even more of them! Now I have around 60 cats and kittens constantly roaming around the front of my house. I tried to scare them away but they just come back. I even have a big dog but he is afraid of the cats due to their large numbers. If have come to the conclusion that there is no getting rid of them. Now I'm just trying to figure out if they are here for some type of revenge or have I acquired some kind of kinship due to me eating one of their feline relations.

In NZ in the 80's , their skins made excellent hats as well.

bluenz wrote:

senwl wrote:

Yes, some people do bond with certain animals (pets or even the wild ones) in a very humane way. Usually such bonding is much stronger than any love-bonding between two human beings. Human-animal bonding is firmly based upon mutual Trust .... something without which no Love can survive for long. It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this "trust" factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

, " non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other "
  You don't have pets?   We always talk to our pets, ( almost embarrassing sometimes too, especially when some VN's are listening ),  they can tell by the tone of your voice what mood you are in , and many times will keep their distance.. My dog knows many words, in fact when talking about him to someone, when he is present,  I often have to spell words out, like " RUN ", he will get very excited and think he is going for a run, or " Sorry Mate  '', his ears instantly drop, and his mouth shuts, and lately he will go to the bedroom and sulk, because he knows he has to stay at home, this is why I prefer dogs over cats, they understand, and ( usually ),obey commands, unfortunately he only knows one Viet word, and when he hears it, gets it confused between mice and gecko's
  You will usually hear people, who genuinely love their pets, refer to them by name, or as " he " or " she ", and not " it ".

I think he meant "non-verbal" in a human term He has his point somehow.

Ya dog can understand human better than cats. Cats still can understand the tone and human's mood accordingly. When my mother says "xuống"(get down) in a low tone, my cat will go down immediately.

Adhome01: Your story is scary
One of my neighbor used to buy a 2 year-old cat for meal, but received negative attitude from people around, then he has to stop his plan. (At that time, because that cat and my cat look very alike, afraid that he will mix up between my cat and his meal, I made him crazy by remind him every time I see him that the cat with necklace is MY cat ). Now that cat still alive, living in his house, very wild and insolent

Dejavu.dot wrote:

Seems people love cat but cant be "cat lover". My cousin is the only one I have called "animal lover". She lets her cats and dogsvsleep, kiss and play with them. She even hold birthday parties for them. If a pet pass away, she holds ceremonies and cry as rain. I also see she loves her neighbors' pets too.

I think it's just difference in the way we express our love You are like my mother, as long as my cat knows where is the toilet, listen to her orders, then the cat will be in a good taking care

bluenz wrote:

senwl wrote:

Dejavu.dot wrote:

Seems people love cat but cant be "cat lover". My cousin is the only one I have called "animal lover". She lets her cats and dogsvsleep, kiss and play with them. She even hold birthday parties for them. If a pet pass away, she holds ceremonies and cry as rain. I also see she loves her neighbors' pets too.

Yes, some people do bond with certain animals (pets or even the wild ones) in a very humane way. Usually such bonding is much stronger than any love-bonding between two human beings. Human-animal bonding is firmly based upon mutual Trust .... something without which no Love can survive for long. It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this "trust" factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

, " non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other "
  You don't have pets?   We always talk to our pets, ( almost embarrassing sometimes too, especially when some VN's are listening ),  they can tell by the tone of your voice what mood you are in , and many times will keep their distance.. My dog knows many words, in fact when talking about him to someone, when he is present,  I often have to spell words out, like " RUN ", he will get very excited and think he is going for a run, or " Sorry Mate  '', his ears instantly drop, and his mouth shuts, and lately he will go to the bedroom and sulk, because he knows he has to stay at home, this is why I prefer dogs over cats, they understand, and ( usually ),obey commands, unfortunately he only knows one Viet word, and when he hears it, gets it confused between mice and gecko's
  You will usually hear people, who genuinely love their pets, refer to them by name, or as " he " or " she ", and not " it ".

Communication is a two way process. As you keep trying to condition your pet through verbal instructions, it keeps talking back to you through all sorts of body language. The simple reason is It wants you to reciprocate through non-verbal mode (by tickling, scratching, patting, eye-contact ...or simply by taking some actions, may be), which is much easier for it to comprehend and helps develop bonding. Any 'genuine' animal-lover (pet/wild) can quickly pick up these subtle signals.

So, if I come over to your house and say "Sorry Mate" to your dog, will it drop its ears?? It should, because as you said it "knows" the meaning of those words, right!

If a stranger picks up a stick and threatens to hit your dog while shouting "Sorry Mate" in a real high-pitched grumpy voice, will it just drop its ears in a docile way??? If the dog "knows" what those two words mean, it should. Else, it's nothing but an auto-sensory-reflex to sudden external stimuli.

How do you know whether it's your 'verbal communication' or Pavlov's conditioned-reflex theory that takes effect when you make that sound 'run'??? 

All animals are very intelligent, gifted with super-human sensory organs. Nobody knows how your particular "sorry mate" sound (with its associated gesture/s) is analysed and interpreted inside your dog's complex auditory and neuro-cerebral systems.

It's amazing how fast and how much animals can "read" about a person from his/her first touch, posture, movements, eye-contact etc. etc. Each animal has its own distinct "personality" (in animal terms). To build that real trust and bonding with an animal one needs to understand and appreciate their individuality first, rather than bombarding them with general verbal instructions. That is expected from a trainer, NOT from a lover. It applies to house-pets as well.

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

When my mother says "xuống"(get down) in a low tone, my cat will go down immediately.

How about saying the same word with a different tone (high, may be)?? You may give it a try and see how she (your cat) reacts ...

senwl wrote:

bluenz wrote:

senwl wrote:

Yes, some people do bond with certain animals (pets or even the wild ones) in a very humane way. Usually such bonding is much stronger than any love-bonding between two human beings. Human-animal bonding is firmly based upon mutual Trust .... something without which no Love can survive for long. It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this "trust" factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

, " non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can "talk" to each other "
  You don't have pets?   We always talk to our pets, ( almost embarrassing sometimes too, especially when some VN's are listening ),  they can tell by the tone of your voice what mood you are in , and many times will keep their distance.. My dog knows many words, in fact when talking about him to someone, when he is present,  I often have to spell words out, like " RUN ", he will get very excited and think he is going for a run, or " Sorry Mate  '', his ears instantly drop, and his mouth shuts, and lately he will go to the bedroom and sulk, because he knows he has to stay at home, this is why I prefer dogs over cats, they understand, and ( usually ),obey commands, unfortunately he only knows one Viet word, and when he hears it, gets it confused between mice and gecko's
  You will usually hear people, who genuinely love their pets, refer to them by name, or as " he " or " she ", and not " it ".

Communication is a two way process. As you keep trying to condition your pet through verbal instructions, it keeps talking back to you through all sorts of body language. The simple reason is It wants you to reciprocate through non-verbal mode (by tickling, scratching, patting, eye-contact ...or simply by taking some actions, may be), which is much easier for it to comprehend and helps develop bonding. Any 'genuine' animal-lover (pet/wild) can quickly pick up these subtle signals.

So, if I come over to your house and say "Sorry Mate" to your dog, will it drop its ears?? It should, because as you said it "knows" the meaning of those words, right!

If a stranger picks up a stick and threatens to hit your dog while shouting "Sorry Mate" in a real high-pitched grumpy voice, will it just drop its ears in a docile way??? If the dog "knows" what those two words mean, it should. Else, it's nothing but an auto-sensory-reflex to sudden external stimuli.

How do you know whether it's your 'verbal communication' or Pavlov's conditioned-reflex theory that takes effect when you make that sound 'run'??? 

All animals are very intelligent, gifted with super-human sensory organs. Nobody knows how your particular "sorry mate" sound (with its associated gesture/s) is analysed and interpreted inside your dog's complex auditory and neuro-cerebral systems.

It's amazing how fast and how much animals can "read" about a person from his/her first touch, posture, movements, eye-contact etc. etc. Each animal has its own distinct "personality" (in animal terms). To build that real trust and bonding with an animal one needs to understand and appreciate their individuality first, rather than bombarding them with general verbal instructions. That is expected from a trainer, NOT from a lover. It applies to house-pets as well.

What are you , an animal psychiatrist or something?
  My dog does the same things when hears the SAME words from my wife, and her daughter, and also the occasional visitor, ( we've experimented ),  with no gestures, ( pretty smart to even understand a VN accent don't you think? ).
I'd like to see anyone pick up a stick and threaten my dog, he would be on them so fast,  they wouldn't get the chance to say a word, I've seen him do it. ( he was hassled by kids doing the same thing, while a pup, VN style of course, from the other side of the fence ), I usually tell people to just ignore him when they come to my house, he likes to try and show visitors who is the boss, and always sits between them and me.
" That is expected from a trainer, NOT from a lover.", so teaching your pet to obey commands , " like keep off the road ", " Stay on the bike when I get off ", " don't lick little kids, you don't know where they've been ", etc,etc,  are not in the pets best interest., If you don't TRAIN your pet while it is young , it will never listen to you, ( same as many kids I've met ). Ever hear the saying, "  you can't teach an old dog new tricks " , unfortunately that also applies to many VN I know, no matter how much it could make their lives easier.
  Can't wait to hear your next psychoanalysis of my dog.

senwl wrote:

It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can???? .. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

if I agree with you, means human is worse than animals. Many couples/ family cant understand each others.
,

bluenz wrote:

We always talk to our pets... My dog knows many words, in fact when talking about him to someone, when he is present,  I often have to spell words out, like " RUN ", he will get very excited and think he is going for a run, or " Sorry Mate  '', his ears instantly drop, and his mouth shuts, and lately he will go to the bedroom and sulk, because he knows he has to stay at home, this is why I prefer dogs over cats, they understand, and ( usually ),obey commands, ..

I usually wonder when a dog sleeps. Seems they cant sleep like human- forget everything and release our mind

bluenz wrote:

What are you , an animal psychiatrist or something?

Loving is sth attaching with" accepting how an animal is". My little brother has a tendency to show up that he loves cats like  let them drink milk, hold /kiss them .. but to me, he just immitates "lovely things" people do to their pets without caring if the food is good for their stomache, ..My black gogeous cat hated him much. If you are really a pet lover, you can be with any cats or dogs..They are much more sensitive and intelligent to know how a person is although they just meet you once or twice.

Dejavu.dot wrote:

senwl wrote:

It's the non-verbal communication between two individuals that always builds up this factor. In case of a human-animal relationship, non-verbal communication is perhaps the only way they can???? .. No wonder, such bonding can develop faster and lasts a lifetime.

if I agree with you, means human is worse than animals. Many couples/ family cant understand each others.

Non-verbal communication plays an important role in forming any kind of bonding (especially, mental bonding) both in animals as well as in humans.
Being too efficient in verbal communication, we humans often overlook/ignore the old saying "action speaks louder than words".
"Show me you care" is what our ardent expectation is from our sweethearts, isn't it?

bluenz wrote:

What are you , an animal psychiatrist or something?
  My dog does the same things when hears the SAME words from my wife, and her daughter, and also the occasional visitor, ( we've experimented ),  with no gestures, ( pretty smart to even understand a VN accent don't you think? ).
I'd like to see anyone pick up a stick and threaten my dog, he would be on them so fast,  they wouldn't get the chance to say a word, I've seen him do it. ( he was hassled by kids doing the same thing, while a pup, VN style of course, from the other side of the fence ), I usually tell people to just ignore him when they come to my house, he likes to try and show visitors who is the boss, and always sits between them and me.
" That is expected from a trainer, NOT from a lover.", so teaching your pet to obey commands , " like keep off the road ", " Stay on the bike when I get off ", " don't lick little kids, you don't know where they've been ", etc,etc,  are not in the pets best interest., If you don't TRAIN your pet while it is young , it will never listen to you, ( same as many kids I've met ). Ever hear the saying, "  you can't teach an old dog new tricks " , unfortunately that also applies to many VN I know, no matter how much it could make their lives easier.
  Can't wait to hear your next psychoanalysis of my dog.

Haha, never mind, I appreciate your sincere ‘love n care' for your pet dog. You two are made for each other!!

Don't worry, neither do I have time nor any interest to psychoanalyse an "HMV" (His Master's Voice) fellow. No wonder you like dogs more than cats!! Most pedigree dogs have that "HMV" factor embedded in their genes.

One of our friends here has already summed it up in black and white .... “Loving is sth attaching (sic) with ‘accepting how an animal is'”.

My house with a small backyard has always been a free playground for cats, dogs, birds and squirrels. They come and go in their sweet free will. That's the way it's been going on since my parents' time. I know many of these animals individually, by name, and sometimes feel worried a bit if I find any of them missing for long. They know me well and never hesitate to take a few morsels from my hand, or to huddle close to my feet on a rainy day.   I appreciate that they ALLOW me to fondly pat or scratch them whenever I want (occasionally) or to attend to them and take them to the local vet when they are sick or injured. One resident cat is now raising her 4th litter inside a private enclosed structure I built for it in the corner of my backyard last year. Unfortunately, all the cubs from her previous litter were lost (stolen or killed, may be). Mother Nature always takes her own course.

Me and my animals are just good friends with mutual TRUST and RESPECT for each other....happy to share our space together.

I agree, by your definition (of "true pets") they are NOT my pets and I am NOT a “qualified well-wisher” of my animals like you are.

Indeed I never thought about “teaching” them the Dos and Don'ts of house-etiquette and proper “manners”.  Strangely though, they always pause before crossing the threshold to step inside the house and keep looking around as if to seek permission. All I have to do is to look at them and wink a bit or move my head sideways gently. They quickly understand whether I want them in or out. They have this wonderful sense of propriety. I never “taught” it to them.

I never think about my animals as a bunch of slaves that need rigorous “training” and conditioning to “learn”, “listen to” and “obey” my verbal “commands”.  My animals are definitely NOT trained and conditioned to the point that they need to whine or whimper to seek permission from someone before answering nature's call.  Strangely though, neither the dogs nor my cats ever made a mess inside my house or in the yard.

Did somebody say animals have a sixth sense?? Non-verbal understanding, I reckon!

"  Strangely though, neither the dogs nor my cats ever made a mess inside my house or in the yard."
Same thing with my dog, although when I got him, he had never been inside a house before, I never had toilet problems with him, and now he will usually wait until we go for the morning or afternoon run, ( I think he likes to save it up so he can mark a larger territory, which he usually does in front of the other dogs ), he never goes to the toilet near any of my houses..( When he was about 3 months old, I'd made a " doggy door " for him, so he could come and go as he wanted ), but because he was so active during the day, he seldom went out at night.
" sometimes feel worried a bit if I find any of them missing for long "
I know how you feel, when I lived in rural Darwin, I used to feed the possums and beautiful Butcherbirds that were abundant there, ( but not too much , so they wouldn't become reliant on me, and lose their natural ability to forage for themselves ), they would come inside, and even sit on my knee to eat, ( I still have a legacy of one possum to this day, I've had to replace the keyboard on my laptop 3 times, one time it urinated on it ), when I left I was worried that they mightn't get enough food, but hopefully they went to my neighbours, he would sometimes feed them as well.

" they always pause before crossing the threshold to step inside the house "
That's thing I have to watch with my dog here, most VN's don't like dogs in their houses, so i have to be on my guard when visiting VN friends, 
But when I go to shops, he sits outside on the m/b,  untied , to the amazement of many people, it isn't unusual for me to come out and see a few people standing near him ,   but a few times, he hasn't let the poor bugger who's bike was next to mine, near THEIR bike, but they usually laugh about it.
VN's stand in awe as he climbs up on the bike as well.
He makes a could tension breaker with strangers as well, VN's usually smile and start talking, when I say he's my " Baby ".
Often when he wants something, he will sit beside me and place a paw on my knee, or "talk " to me, when I say " Run ", if I 'm not ready, , he comes back inside and barks at me.

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

sghsaigon wrote:

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

I know.  I may not need to make a topic like this if I prefer dogs Friends will be everywhere around

senwl wrote:

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

When my mother says "xuống"(get down) in a low tone, my cat will go down immediately.

How about saying the same word with a different tone (high, may be)?? You may give it a try and see how she (your cat) reacts ...

High tone in a angry mood: she followed immediately
High tone with smile face: She got doubt, ready to jump but keep looking at my face

sghsaigon wrote:

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

That is what I have realized about dog-lovers. They are more open-minded.

bluenz wrote:

Same thing with my dog, although when I got him, he had never been inside a house before, I never had toilet problems with him,

Dogs and cats in general have this sense of personal hygiene. The free-roaming cats will always cover their deposits with loose soil etc. Smaller animals like possums and squirrels have less control on their bowels/bladders. My house-sparrows don't usually mess up inside the house. Only sometimes a chick may fall down from the nest. I need to put it gently back to where it belongs. The dirtiest birds I ever had were a pair of Barn Owls. I had to drive them out from the garret to keep the place clean.

bluenz wrote:

.. it isn't unusual for me to come out and see a few people standing near him ,

Some of them might be eying your dog for the “wrong reason”. Sorry to say, but too strong a temptation for them!! This is Vietnam. They are people with lots of ingenuity. Stay alert.

bluenz wrote:

Often when he wants something, he will sit beside me and place a paw on my knee, or "talk " to me,”

This behaviour is common even in some friendlier stray dogs. I often see a few of them loitering around coffee shops and road-side eateries, “asking” for food with this "hand gesture" from complete strangers. Usually they choose their ‘targets' after careful observation and by trial-n-error. Not all stray dogs do it though.

bluenz wrote:

I used to feed the possums and beautiful Butcherbirds that were abundant there, ( but not too much , so they wouldn't become reliant on me, and lose their natural ability to forage for themselves ), they would come inside, and even sit on my knee to eat, ( I still have a legacy of one possum to this day, I've had to replace the keyboard on my laptop 3 times, one time it urinated on it ), when I left I was worried that they mightn't get enough food, but hopefully they went to my neighbours, he would sometimes feed them as well.

In my teenage and post-college days I used to volunteer (sometimes worked) in the field and in wildlife rescue-rehab centers for WWF, WCS and Born Free. They had (still have) projects running across the subcontinent. I always found it very exciting to “befriend” complete strangers (wild animals and birds). It was a real challenge (risky too!!) to win their initial Trust through silent communication, patience, touch etc. etc. We were trained not to make them too tame as most of these rescued animals would eventually be released into the wild. I still carry some “souvenirs” (love-scars) from them on both my hands. They all had different ‘personalities' and demanded different levels of care and communication. The bonding I formed with some of these animals was strong enough to last even after long spells of separation. In the end, being with animals was always a rewarding experience for me.
They taught me a lot about life and survival.

'  personal hygiene. ' ' cover their deposits '
I wish some of the peasants up here would do the same, crapping in the trees by the beach, where people, and dogs walk, how hard could it be, to just flick a little sand over their "' deed "? ( unfortunately I had a stray dog that used to like to roll in it ).
'' Stay alert. ''
Always at the back of my mind, most of the big shops here have security guards hovering around, they usually ask me , " where dog? ", if he isn't with me. My biggest worry is from a xenophobic who might target my dog, just to get at me.

' They taught me a lot about life ',
That's a good reason why everyone should have a pet at least once in their lives.

bluenz wrote:

' They taught me a lot about life ',
That's a good reason why everyone should have a pet at least once in their lives.

** cat

Dejavu.dot wrote:

sghsaigon wrote:

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

That is what I have realized about dog-lovers. They are more open-minded.

Yah, we may find the answer here:
(Hope the pic will work )


Source: http://blog.mindjet.com/2012/05/between … og-people/

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

Dejavu.dot wrote:

sghsaigon wrote:

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

That is what I have realized about dog-lovers. They are more open-minded.

Yah, we may find the answer here:
(Hope the pic will work )

http://blog-mindjet.wpengine.netdna-cdn … P-v2.2.jpg
Source: http://blog.mindjet.com/2012/05/between … og-people/

Going by that picture, I should have a cat, not a dog, or maybe even a cat and a dog. See what I mean, I don't agree with it????

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

Dejavu.dot wrote:

sghsaigon wrote:

I think you would make more friends if you preferred dogs ...

That is what I have realized about dog-lovers. They are more open-minded.

Yah, we may find the answer here:
(Hope the pic will work )

http://blog-mindjet.wpengine.netdna-cdn … P-v2.2.jpg
Source: http://blog.mindjet.com/2012/05/between … og-people/

Yeah!!
Happy to be with the cat. 
Won't mind grabbing a few "bites" off the dog side though, ...... especially when it is busy wagging its tail, 'socialising'. 

Having a couple of (free) ticket to European Music Festival on November 28, Jazz night with Sweden singer Kristin Amparo. Would like to invite a friend who love cats to go with me

If you don't want to go with me, free tickets can be collected at the Goethe Institute at 18 Road No 1, Cu Xa Do Thanh, District 3; and at IDECAF 31 Thai Van Lung, District 1. I'm not sure whether the tickets are still available or not, since I have these from my boss.

Drop me a message if you are interested in this invitation. Thanks

double post. sorry

Thanks for your invitation. I guess I am travelling somewhere at that time. And I don't like music.

Thanks for  your invitation. ^^
Wish I were in HCM to jump into the queue with my 'cat card' to get a free pass.   miaow miaow!!!   Poor me!

Sounds great! Good music and nice ambiance for sure.
Perhaps a few sips of lovely wine to top it all up as well

Hope you find a great cat-companion to cheer this occasion up!!