And this is why both sinks are set at a constant trickle and everything I own is covered in hair. November 24, 2009 Lauren Something to file under Research On Things We Already Know: Science proves cats are evil.
My elderly cat just got into the box, dug around in several places, thus throwing gravel all over the office, then carefully got into position and took a very stinky poo just outside the box. (sigh) E for effort, at least…
Ha! As if we didn’t know! And human babies — and adults — do the same thing don’t they? And dogs? Exaggerate or tailor a behavior to garner a desired response? This is not a cats-only thing. It’s common to all animals smart enough to communicate in any way, I imagine. My old dog used to suck his sides in and limp whenever he was hungry. My cat’s delighted chirruping whenever there is lunchmeat nearby is a whole lot less blatant than that.
Alex: my kitty does that! he’ll stand in his tray just spraying litter over the floor for ages, then sits on the floor and purrs as you clear it up. Mine also has this really messed up habit of licking my earlobes (which are now scabby, because his tongue is rough) and my eyes. Creepy little boy.
One of the girls steals my bed and won’t share. The other likes to lick my nose and bring us her kills. They both have great purrs though.
Cats can’t use language. So they experiment with what they can use (wordless vocalizations implying emotion), find out what produces the best results, and keep doing it. That’s not evil. Scientists have proven that cats…are scientists!
So, I’m thoroughly annoyed by the people who seem to think that the researchers in question are seriously proposing that cats are evil. Um, even on the remote chance that they actually used the word “evil” (which isn’t used in the BBC News link OR the article abstract) it’s 99% likely that that’s a joke. this is a greater problem in the comments on the original article, but I’m seeing that sentiment underlying some of the comments here The abstract clearly states that the focus of the research wasn’t how cats manipulate people, rather, about “companion animal” communication with humans. Anecdotally we see that cats ‘train’ their humans, and teach each other things–my cat had this really weird of getting us to let him back inside, AND taught it to our new kitten–but the purpose of scientific study is to attempt to definitively show that beyond personal experiences. In this case, the researchers propose how this is useful information in a more general context: “We discuss how the structure of solicitation purrs may be exploiting an inherent mammalian sensitivity to acoustic cues relevant in the context of nurturing offspring.” I.e. studying this kind of interaction may help us understand the maternal bond (among other things, probably). To *me* this seems significant from the stand point of understanding how tone changes are linked to emotions, AND that this may be applicable to inter-species interactions.
My cat is the sweetest pet in the world. I love him very much. He is not evil. Cats get enough bad press in this culture.
My cat is DEFINITELY evil. And manipulative. And a total bastard (literally and figuratively). And also shockingly stupid for such a devious little creature. I still love him.
I am both amused an appalled to see that there is actual pearl clutching concern trolling at the SciFiSquad comments section. Oh well, I guess that the Concern Trolls there means that there is sometime they are not trolling *here*
I have two of the little horrors, and they’re both definitely evil with a capital E. But that is why we have pets, because their personalities entertain us. Watching my elderly Great Orange Satan (who was seized from his Alzheimer’s-stricken and violent previous owner 3.5 years ago) fight over a peacock feather with his adoptive little sister is hilarious. And she, though nervy around strange humans (she was trapped at a feral colony 5 months ago, aged approximately 9 weeks), is constantly trying to convince Great Orange Satan that he wants to cuddle her. She loves the whole world (except when I accidentally step on her cute little paw) and wants nothing more than to collect belly rubs and kill her feather toys DEAD and snuggle up with her grumpy big brother. It’s a revelation to watch them in action, particularly since he spent 3 years ignoring any and all toys, but has suddenly entered his second childhood after seeing her leaping around after toys. Where was I? Pets are awesome, and have distinct personalities, and can entertain you just by existing. And while I love dogs dearly, cats are more self-sufficient. Which explains why I have cats at home and then just make friends with every dog in the neighbourhood. Cats are indeed evil, but that’s why we love them, and that’s what makes ’em cute. Also, any creepy-crawlies that manage to find their way in end up as protein snacks very fast. Pest control AND purring: it’s a total package!