People vs Pets
Do cats (& dogs) have some kind of natural social skills with humans that some people don't have? How can a pet cross species but have it be inborn and instinctive to them how to communicate with us? I could see if they learned it, but they seem to know how.
One thing my cat does is kiss me. It's not like a human kiss, but if you have a cat that does it, you know what I mean.
I think there is a name for this kind of gesture and humans do it to each other - I can't remember the name though. It's like saying Hi, I am one of you. Or lets be friends or something like that. A reaching out gesture. In my entire life, I have never been able to pull off the reaching out gesture. I can try to mimic what I see others do, but it doesn't work so well most of the time and certainly would not be in my nature to want to do. it
Sometimes people say to Aspies things like, if you are nice to people and take interest in them, they will like you, but it doesn't always work, does it? Because if your instincts are not as good as the cats about HOW to do it, or if you look a bit "off," or if your timing is not right, it doesn't work.
What do you guys think?
This is one of my favourite topics but I'm not sure exactly what to say because I've never considered your point of view. How to use animal communication techniques to communicate with humans. That's a new one on me. I've given up on humans - adults, anyway.
For one thing, you would never walk up to an animal, establish eye-contact, display your teeth, stick out your hand and say, "Hi, I'm Joe Blow, how are ya!" And yet this is the correct "mingling" greeting, I have been told.
Look at the reverse - if you linger in the vicinity of a human and after a while, leave a treat where they can get it - that wouldn't work at all.
Animals communicate in mind pictures. Maybe that would work with humans? They say to send "love vibes" or some such thing.
Speaking of which, my dog is licking my knee. That means "Get off the computer and play with me."
Domestic cats and dogs were genetically engineered through selective breeding.
Among other traits, they were selected for their ability to be docile and bond with humans.
This is an infantile trait in wild animals, so they were inadvertently bred to retain neotenous features.
The relationship we have with our kitties and dogs is sort of a child parent relationship.
I think all animals are easier to bond with because we don't have to go through a social filter.
relationships between different species bypass species specific social conventions.
For one thing, you would never walk up to an animal, establish eye-contact, display your teeth, stick out your hand and say, "Hi, I'm Joe Blow, how are ya!" And yet this is the correct "mingling" greeting, I have been told.
Look at the reverse - if you linger in the vicinity of a human and after a while, leave a treat where they can get it - that wouldn't work at all.
Animals communicate in mind pictures. Maybe that would work with humans? They say to send "love vibes" or some such thing.
Speaking of which, my dog is licking my knee. That means "Get off the computer and play with me."
I wasn't exactly saying we should use animal communication (but I kind of like the idea now, I'm just not a cat so I wouldn't come off the same

I mentioned in the cat parade thread how he makes friends when I go out with him. I just went out alone and somebody actually asked me where he was and looked all disappointed that he wasn't there.
I guess I'm just saying my life would be easier if I knew how to do that.
He's a good boy!



Doggies licking knees are nice too!


Edit, I might have od'd on the emoticons there!
KingdomOfRats
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Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,833
Location: f'ton,manchester UK
ah yes,the infamous cat kiss.
cat kiss,
noun, plural cat-kiss. Informal.
usage: tiddles licked his crotch before giving his owner a cat kiss to dispose of the evidence.
-call KoR a conspiracy theorist but am certain thats why they kiss us.
wozeree,
woud strongly recommend watching this bbc documentary; the secret life of the cat;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2c5SE_wYp8
its not about cat kissing but it is very interesting.
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Well humans (NTs) instinctively know how to communicate as well. There has been speculation about genetic memory, instinct, whatever you want to call it. Many of us here lack this ability. Some of us somewhat overcome this by either guessing at the others emotions and using a rather complex (read resource consuming) set of rules to try and replicate this behaviour. I know when I was younger, I could tell when something was off with another family member or school mate. I was continually asking "What's Wrong?" all the time which annoyed the hell out of them apparently. I was and still say "Sorry" way to much but again because I can't read the other person.
As far as replicating pet (dog and cat) behaviour, I am not sure that is a good thing. When dogs first meet for example, what is one of the first things they typically do? I am quite sure I'd get arrested or worse for replicating that behaviour...

Cats love me. Every cat I've met has cuddled with me willingly and bit me.
Dogs hate me. Every dog I've met has barked very loudly or trembled in my presence.
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Verdandi
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Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,275
Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)
Among other traits, they were selected for their ability to be docile and bond with humans.
This is an infantile trait in wild animals, so they were inadvertently bred to retain neotenous features.
The relationship we have with our kitties and dogs is sort of a child parent relationship.
I think all animals are easier to bond with because we don't have to go through a social filter.
relationships between different species bypass species specific social conventions.
Also, cats domesticated themselves:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... id=topnews
Among other traits, they were selected for their ability to be docile and bond with humans.
This is an infantile trait in wild animals, so they were inadvertently bred to retain neotenous features.
The relationship we have with our kitties and dogs is sort of a child parent relationship.
I think all animals are easier to bond with because we don't have to go through a social filter.
relationships between different species bypass species specific social conventions.
Also, cats domesticated themselves:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... id=topnews
That's because cats rule!

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