Spunky has learned how to knock.

If they're shut out they just stand outside and yowl until someone lets them in. If they're shut in, same thing in reverse. It's easier just to get up at 4.30 with them.

My little dog has learned to just stay all warm and toasty with me until I want to get up. The cat, however, walks around the room, knocking things off of my dressing table, the chest of drawers, trying to knock the pictures off the walls..... until I get up. I've reallly tried to change that behaviour by staying put, but just can't stand the destruction!

Sparky (black lab) has had her own door her whole life (12½ years) and is a demand feeder (food is in the bowl at all times). I don't understand what y'all are talking about.

Does Sparky have his/her own cork screw too?

We have a 12 year old to take care of the dog. We never have to worry about that. Just yelling at him to feed the dog, water the dog, let him in/out/for a walk/brush him... Yes, I could go on.

FOr there's no yelling, no jumping on the bed, no scratching at the door. I have a parakeet and the only thing I've taught it is "covered cage" = "SHUT UP"

That should be "For me"

There does seem to be a lot of cat people here. Let's see if there is a trend in COs.

"Cats Rule & Dogs Drool" Sally Field as Sassy
Cat Person
Dog Person
Both
Neither

Richard, understanding is one thing..... Acceptance is something completely different.

We have latch-style door handles. Our cat has figured out how to open them.

Yeah, you're right. Cats know they're in charge & that we exist to handle their basic I/O needs.

I have two cats that couldn't be any different. I don't have the luxary of leaving food out all day, because the youngest will eat ANYTHING, so then the oldest starves. They have to be in two seperate rooms to eat and since the oldest is such a priss, it takes him close to an 1 1/2 hours to eat 2/4 cups of food! The youngest has also learned the trick of knocking on the door to wake me up. 7:00 in the morning... I wish. Bailey (the youngest) starts at 5:30 in the morning!!! On a normal day I don't wake up until 7:00! Plus if the door is open, he jumps up near my head and pulls on my hair with his teeth until I wake! ANNOYING!!! I wish I could put a cover over him, like Michelle does with her bird, but then he would think it was play time....just like he does every morning when I make the bed! Sheesh, I could go on forever!!! I love those little buggers though...don't need kids quite yet!

So true - now if I had only taught them to use the toilet when they were kittens (now 9 1/2 yrs old), maybe I wouldn't have to deal with their boxes (yes, we have two - one upstairs, and one down). They are indoor girls and always have been, so we can't let them out to do their business . . . .

Hey Kara! I have a sister that now considers herself a Milwaukee native (been there 16 1/2 yrs as a Kohl's corporate employee) - she has a cockatoo that doesn't even shut up at night after she covers his cage! He screams if she leaves the room to go into her bedroom or the bathroom. Her neighbors love it!!!! Ha, ha!

Andy I can relate - my son is 14. Our poor dog can go days without food or walks. Funny thing, the dog goes to him first even if the rest of us are the ones doing the feeding and walking.

Wow-your sister must like it here to consider herself a Milwaukee Native. "Real Milwaukee Natives" always wonder why people would ever move here. It is a great city, at least in the summer! There is a festival every weekend and no festival can beat Summerfest!

In reply to:

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Yeah, you're right. Cats know they're in charge & that we exist to handle their basic I/O needs.

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Let me put it like this: Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Hey JulesB-The other funny thing about cats...I actually had a rabbit water feeder installed for them (the bottle that is attached to cages), because my youngest, Bailey, thinks its great to splash water ALL OVER my kitchen. He gets in MAJOR trouble...but at least its attention, or so he thinks!

My schnauzer is harder to get up in the morning than I. 5 minutes before I leave for work, I have to dig him out of the covers he hides under and plop him outside where he sometimes shivers even when it's 80 degrees outside!

Glass fish are a good option. You don't have to feed them, they never wake anybody up, and the only time you ever have to pay attention to them is when water in their bowl has evaporated so much that they're resting on the bottom!

tdrago,
or like this--
Dogs look at their owner and think "You feed me and give me shelter, YOU most be a God." Cats look at their owner and think, "You feed me and give me shelter, I must be a God!"

Or--
A dog lives with his owner at the owner's discretion,
A cat lives with his owner by mutual consent!

So true, and my cat know it.

I'm so relieved to know there are other cats out there who play in water (I leave the bathroom faucet on at all times with toys (caps from hairspray bottles) in it for my little buggers and...there really is another cat out there that rearranges the pictures! Aubrey has knocked down nearly every picture in his stretching range in my house (and I have ALOT of pictures hanging).

Both he and his brother have food out at all times but I made the silly mistake of giving them "treat" food (wet food) in the mornings so they both start a more aggressive cuddling routine about 6 am to get me up. If that doesn't work they try the "knock stuff down" trick..and when really desperate, they resort to kicking the snot out of each other in a murderous tussle...on top of me. That..normally does the trick.

Poops! (But..I worship the ground they snooze on).

Dawnie-do they get Water all over the place? My cats FREAK OUT when they hear the sound of running water! Go figure!

ABSOLUTELY! I've tried it, it doesn't work. I've yelled, thrown pillows, locked her out, got up to run water in the tub, opened the porch door, etc. I refuse to give her canned food at that hour because then she starts her routine at 2:00, 3:00 - every hour until I get up. It has gotten a lot worse since I moved last March. I thought my cat was getting senile to do this to me every morning (she's 18 years old). Now I guess she's normal, but I am getting crazy.

One of my cats loves water. After I take a shower or bathe the kids, she hops in the tub and stretches out across the damp floor.