I love all the stories everyone has posted, and I thank you for sharing.

I love animals. Domesticated, wild, ugly, or cute. I don't like rats or mice, but I am pretty tolerant of almost anything else. 

I live in the woods and I am surrounded by a large variety of animals, and I found a large number of them are aware of boundaries and many will ask for help from humans, and they seem to be able to tell, by magic or my psychic powers, which us are safe to ask, and which one of us to run from. I found out the Anhinga I watched walk across my neighbor's yard, and across my yard, to make a home at my pond, for three months while her wing healed, had actually walked through at least five of my neighbor's yards before she chose mine.

I thought it was a he and called him Snake, until she came back about a month later, made a nest and hatched two baby Anhingas, which hung around for a while.

I believe that our animals do have some kind of binding connection with us which makes them a bit intuitive of our emotions and actions.

My cats and dogs grew up with each other from their early years, so they really don't know anything else. I think the reason my cats picked up the dog characteristics, instead of the other way around, is because of the reward factor. When I say "Line up", they all come running lickety split, because they know they are going to receive a premium treat. The cats found by following the dogs' lead, they get something special. They are smart critters, so they follow the dogs and do what the dogs do. So far, that has gained them a huge pay off.

Sylvester, one of my Huskicats has imprinted on my Mother. He follows her like a love sick puppy. Sometimes when you watch them together it looks almost like he is a puppet on a string. He seems to know what she is thinking, and he seems to know what direction to go in before she does. I hear her saying to him sometimes, "How did you know that is where I was going?"

I think Ninurta has it right. The connection between animals and humans go a bit deeper than we realize, and they are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

I envy those of you who have a farm/ ranch setup. I know its quite a bit of hard work but I would guess it comes with a sense of satisfaction. I love animals probably more than people because they are pure spirits.

As I told my daughter last night, hard work provides its own rewards.

(03-31-2022, 04:27 PM)FlyingClayDisk Wrote: Oh yes they are too!  (i.e. smarter than people think).  It's one of the reasons I absolutely loathe daylight savings time!  We can only adjust our own schedules so much, but the animal's schedule doesn't change.  So, we can feed them earlier, but we can't necessarily feed them later.

And yes, they do know what time it is.  LOL!  If I'm late going to feed, they'll all walk all the way across the pasture to where they can see into the big window of the house and start bawlin' anyone in the vicinity out, especially me!  I mean, it's not like you can't hear them anyway, right?  Bunch of racket going on outside.  But no, they have to get where they know you can see them too!

We've got two cattle dogs (an ACD and an Aussie Shepard), and up until recently my beloved Lab, Shelby.  The cows do NOT like the cattle dogs (for obvious reasons), but they LOVED Shelby.  For some reason, they thought she was one of them.  All three dogs could be outside and Shelby could go walk right into the corrals with them and walk through them, under them, it didn't matter.  They always made sure to not step on Shelby, or lay down on her, and it was not uncommon to look out and see Shelby out in the pasture napping with the cows...and even babysitting the calves (which is very unusual).  The cows trusted her that much.  The other two...NO WAY!  Those two show up and they are all on 100% ALERT!  Of course, those two are pretty smart around the animals, and they know it.  The ACD is a 'heeler' and the shepard is a 'herder', so one works from the rear, and the other from the front.

Anyway, when it was feeding time the cows would all start bawling if Shelby showed up.  Shelby would come all the way back to the house (about a half mile) and then act like we needed to go do something (kinda' like the "Timmy fell down into the well", kinda thing).  She'd keep pestering us and trying to lead us up to the corrals so we'd go feed the cows.  And it was ULTRA-frustrating to watch all this magic happen an hour earlier, or later, because some idiot in government thought it was such a bright idea to change the clocks around twice a year!!  The animals don't know, they don't understand that...and it makes me want to go kick some politician dead-square in the ass!  Usually goes on for a week or better every single time they switch the clocks.

I thought it was interesting that Charlie Brown would just take his nose and push my Huskies away when they would run out and try to play with him. Charlie Brown tried his best to be a good guest.

I knew he could kick them to the moon and back, but he never did. He was so patient with them, and would just nudge them out of his way when he had enough.

I guess he was just an old wise cow.

(03-31-2022, 04:27 PM)FlyingClayDisk Wrote: Anyway, when it was feeding time the cows would all start bawling if Shelby showed up.  Shelby would come all the way back to the house (about a half mile) and then act like we needed to go do something (kinda' like the "Timmy fell down into the well", kinda thing).  She'd keep pestering us and trying to lead us up to the corrals so we'd go feed the cows.  And it was ULTRA-frustrating to watch all this magic happen an hour earlier, or later, because some idiot in government thought it was such a bright idea to change the clocks around twice a year!!  The animals don't know, they don't understand that...and it makes me want to go kick some politician dead-square in the ass!  Usually goes on for a week or better every single time they switch the clocks.

Shelby sounds amazing, very intelligent indeed. I'm with you on daylight savings time. It's ridiculous, especially for animals.

My cat (Cami) does the whole 'Timmy fell in the well' thing with Ninurta and I. There are times I'll be in excess pain and get into some trouble, and if Cami thinks it's bad she'll go get @"Ninurta" and try and get him to come help.


She did that last night when I tried to roll over and my pain level went through the roof such that I screamed. She RAN into the living room to get Nin, crying at him to come help me. Lol... She's funny.. but she does truly know when I'm in really bad shape versus just regular pain, and only gets Nin when it's bad bad.

(03-31-2022, 05:32 PM)Grace Wrote: Shelby sounds amazing, very intelligent indeed. I'm with you on daylight savings time. It's ridiculous, especially for animals.

My cat (Cami) does the whole 'Timmy fell in the well' thing with Ninurta and I. There are times I'll be in excess pain and get into some trouble, and if Cami thinks it's bad she'll go get @"Ninurta" and try and get him to come help.


She did that last night when I tried to roll over and my pain level went through the roof such that I screamed. She RAN into the living room to get Nin, crying at him to come help me. Lol... She's funny.. but she does truly know when I'm in really bad shape versus just regular pain, and only gets Nin when it's bad bad.

Our pets. Gotta love them.
 
Unconditionally.  Even when they are complete brats.

(03-31-2022, 05:54 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote: Our pets. Gotta love them.
 
Unconditionally.  Even when they are complete brats.

Absolutely!

(03-31-2022, 04:57 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote: I envy those of you who have a farm/ ranch setup. I know its quite a bit of hard work but I would guess it comes with a sense of satisfaction. I love animals probably more than people because they are pure spirits.

As I told my daughter last night, hard work provides its own rewards.

Having land is different than just something you own. It's a part of you. You pour all of your blood and sweat into it that it's something you are, and it you. You love it and everything on it in a way you don't love anything else. Hard to explain I guess.

(03-30-2022, 08:19 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote: My Tamar, a three year old, soon to be four years old, is mouthy, like her father Maxx. She is a diva and can be very demanding, towards my Mother. She will occasionally try to pull that crap with me, but she responds well to the "Look".

When she went into my mother's room and demanded she follow her, I ignored her, because she does this when she wants Mother and me in the same room. She is weird like that sometimes. She is not happy until she has the both of us in the same room, then she is as happy as a pig in feces.

Today Mother wasn't giving in to her, so she came to me whining. I asked her what she wanted and she led me to Mother's room. Of course, I thought she just wanted us in the same room, and she wanted me to be the one that changed rooms this time.

I told her to go pound sand, and was walking by to the living room, when she stopped, looked at me like I was crazy, and went into the kitchen. Now that is a no no. When I went into the kitchen to chastise her, she ran onto the porch and stood by her feeding bowl. I reminder her that it was not 3pm, their regular feeding time, so she still had 30 minutes to wait. She was not having it. She gave me plenty of mouth. Much more than usual. Then I noticed the others were waiting to be fed.

It hit me like a ton of bricks! Today is Wednesday. I always feed them a half hour earlier on Wednesdays, because I serve at the church, and I want to make sure they had plenty of time to get out, burn up some energy, and do their business before they are left alone in the house.

Looking at them standing there, waiting, I got the creepy feeling that I was looking at the offspring of Einstein. The dog in the Dean Koontz novel, "The Watchers".

They have done some pretty smart things in the past but I never really thought much about it. They are all purebred registered Siberian Huskies, and they are pretty smart dogs as the breed goes, but they have got my guard up now. Being able to tell time is very common, I am just not so sure about being able to tell the days of the week, and being able to tell time.

From now on out, I am going to be the watcher.


Watchers is a 1987 suspense novel by American author Dean Koontz. Along with Strangers, Lightning, and Midnight, Watchers is credited with establishing Koontz's status as a best-selling author.[1]

Quote:Einstein
A genetically altered golden retriever, created in a top-secret government laboratory, that has acquired a level of intelligence rivaling that of some human beings. Forms a close relationship with Travis and Nora.

Watchers (novel)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchers_(novel)

Hey... Do we have a picture thread for everyone's pets? Talking about them I'd love to see everyone's pictures!

(03-31-2022, 05:57 PM)Grace Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 05:54 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote: Our pets. Gotta love them.
 
Unconditionally.  Even when they are complete brats.

Absolutely!

Did I say, "Gotta love them"?

Maxx is super pissed with me because I let his kids out to romp and play, but kept him on the porch. He teaches them bad habits, like leaving the property.

So he stomped off and ran to his crate. When I went to talk to him, he turned his back to me.

So he is sitting in his crate with his back to me. He won't listen, but he will turn his head to look to see if I am still there every few seconds or so.

All I have to do is pick up the leash and he will come happily, lean up against me like nothing ever happened. But for right now, I am going to let him stew a little bit.


Damn brat.

(03-31-2022, 06:56 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 05:57 PM)Grace Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 05:54 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote: Our pets. Gotta love them.
 
Unconditionally.  Even when they are complete brats.

Absolutely!

Did I say, "Gotta love them"?

Maxx is super pissed with me because I let his kids out to romp and play, but kept him on the porch. He teaches them bad habits, like leaving the property.

So he stomped off and ran to his crate. When I went to talk to him, he turned his back to me.

So he is sitting in his crate with his back to me. He won't listen, but he will turn his head to look to see if I am still there every few seconds or so.

All I have to do is pick up the leash and he will come happily, lean up against me like nothing ever happened. But for right now, I am going to let him stew a little bit.


Damn brat.

Hahaha... Ignoring you wouldn't have the same impact if you couldn't see him ignore you! 

Too cute. Yep... Gotta love them, even when they are acting like little brats!

(03-31-2022, 04:57 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote: I envy those of you who have a farm/ ranch setup. I know its quite a bit of hard work but I would guess it comes with a sense of satisfaction.

There's no break in it ... and most don't expect that.  Hard to find someone steady to work land with you.  And, nature can (and always does eventually) deal a hard hand.  Takes a long long time to make money at it.

(03-31-2022, 07:26 PM)Snarl Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 04:57 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote: I envy those of you who have a farm/ ranch setup. I know its quite a bit of hard work but I would guess it comes with a sense of satisfaction.

There's no break in it ... and most don't expect that.  Hard to find someone steady to work land with you.  And, nature can (and always does eventually) deal a hard hand.  Takes a long long time to make money at it.

I can only imagine. I like to think if I would have put more thought into life when I was much younger I could have bought a piece of land and worked it. I'm old now to even try. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, so what do I really know. I just have always been a hard worker and skilled with my hands and can hunt and fish, grow things. All the necessary skills seemingly. I suppose I will never know.

(03-31-2022, 08:46 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote: I can only imagine. I like to think if I would have put more thought into life when I was much younger I could have bought a piece of land and worked it. I'm old now to even try. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, so what do I really know. I just have always been a hard worker and skilled with my hands and can hunt and fish, grow things. All the necessary skills seemingly. I suppose I will never know.

I only have five and a half acres. I never farmed it. I have had gardens, and I enjoyed playing around with the landscaping. I used to love cutting the grass, which takes about four hours. That four hours gradually got broken up to two hours on separate days. I can't landscape anymore. My gardens are much smaller, and they are pretty much left up to God to manage. I do contribute by watering, most of the time.

My knees and back complain way too much, and my joints, especially in my hands, can be brutal when they choose. I still love the place but it truly is getting to be a challenge to manage. I will hold out to the last minute before selling, but I don't see anyway around it, because I can't get any family member that wants to be so far away from the urban areas, and they don't want to take on the responsibilities of land management.

I am hoping that I will hold on long enough for someone in the second generation to step up to the plate. I am looking at two, that may come to the rescue, but they are only eleven and twelve. I love their energy, their love of the place, their fearless attack on chipping in to help, and their rare understanding of the animals, and their purpose.

I cracked up when my eleven year old great niece was helping with the chickens. She was having a ball. Her twelve year old sister pointed at one of the roosters, that had very vibrant and colorful feathers. She said to her, "look at how pretty he is". Her sister said, "yes he is beautiful, and I bet he will taste good too."

I hope they keep their present mindset and I hang around long enough to make sure they get the place.

(03-31-2022, 08:46 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 07:26 PM)Snarl Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 04:57 PM)AmericanBuffalo Wrote: I envy those of you who have a farm/ ranch setup. I know its quite a bit of hard work but I would guess it comes with a sense of satisfaction.

There's no break in it ... and most don't expect that.  Hard to find someone steady to work land with you.  And, nature can (and always does eventually) deal a hard hand.  Takes a long long time to make money at it.

I can only imagine. I like to think if I would have put more thought into life when I was much younger I could have bought a piece of land and worked it. I'm old now to even try. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, so what do I really know. I just have always been a hard worker and skilled with my hands and can hunt and fish, grow things. All the necessary skills seemingly. I suppose I will never know.

Trust me when I say this, "You're good."

This is is just an example of the kind of thing our four legged friends are doing more often.

They are not hiding their intelligence anymore. Is it in the water, the food, or 5G?

 

More proof to me that my crits are definitely in the realm of the creepy.

I walked out onto the porch earlier today to fine nearly five dead lizards.

It is not odd to see the occasional dead lizard lying about, including in the water bowl. All four Huskies and the two Huskicats, have this idea that they are toys, made solely for their amusement. They don't eat them, they just play with them until their is no life left in them.

It is like the Squid Games around here if I catch them, because I protect the poor lizard and make them release them, so some do get away, but those found on the porch today, were not lucky at all.

I don't know why they keep coming onto the porch, they have to know that it is a death pit. Maybe they are drawn to the Geico commercial on the TV.

Worked late. Slept late. My critters were not having it.

I wonder if they view us as artificial intelligents.

Beings created strictly for their needs and comforts, that sometimes malfunction or go rogue.

You know your pets love you when your dropping a big ass shit in the toilet and then they come over and sniff between your dick and balls and then immediately go to the door and post as though they are your battle buddy. 

I swear to god if my puppy bruiser had opposable thumbs I’d buy him a rifle

(04-29-2022, 03:06 PM)Brotherman Wrote: You know your pets love you when your dropping a big ass shit in the toilet and then they come over and sniff between your dick and balls and then immediately go to the door and post as though they are your battle buddy. 

I swear to god if my puppy bruiser had opposable thumbs I’d buy him a rifle

  My Goliath is an equal opportunity sentry. He does that to me and to mother .

He either loves us equally, or he just loves our bathroom smells.

(04-29-2022, 03:34 PM)NightskyeB4Dawn Wrote:

(04-29-2022, 03:06 PM)Brotherman Wrote: You know your pets love you when your dropping a big ass shit

  My Goliath is an equal opportunity sentry. He does that to me and to mother .

Luke doesn't do that.















We close the bathroom door behind us.