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We will see. I have decided, for Sassy to earn her treats, she will have to do a trick. I say "up", and put a treat down then point it out. I don't think she will ever quite understand pointing, and it did take her a while to understand "up" meant treats somewhere, close to my extended tapping finger, but she is learning. It will take a long time. I figured I would try this after months of saying "Hungry" and "Food" to get her when about to feed her canned food. Now I can say either word and get her worked up into a lather. I always feed her, but sometimes not before working her hunger up to a peak. *evil grins* Oh hush, I only do that once in a while. And it IS entertaining.
The vest is about to come off. It is amazing how enlarged I get wearing it. My wrist, for example. I need to loosen my watch band 3 notches while wearing the vest and for a good number of hours afterward. My body, though still solid from wearing it before, becomes double or triple as solid seemingly and somehow. Muscles in my upper body down to my waist are affected it seems. I am curious to see what happens when I take it off. Will I just be a bit tired, will I set off an 'updraft', or will I just feel better and have life become easier? I am sure only doing it regularly for a while will give a definite answer though. I have heard that Roman legions not only fought with their armor, of course, but also marched with it on and even built fortifications and bridges and such while wearing their armor. Depending on with whom you speak, their armor alone may have weighed sixty to eighty pounds. And these guys were short compared to modern times. I would almost have been considered a giant then.
Hmm, out of habit I took the trash and recycling out and set it by the road for pickup. Well, probably not a good thing. I am not sure if they have a parade today or not. In any case, I think I'll pull it all back after I take the vest off. Have a great day.
I've never yet had a cat "get" pointing. They don't seem able to extrapolate the finger direction or abstract the meaning from it if they did. Pointing directly to an object (within an inch or two) they understand--that's similar to a cat gesture, pointing with their nose at something.
ReplyDeleteI am sure, for some, this is further proof that a cat is not smart. What they miss is that unlike dogs, cats are not nearly as... domesticated, and functionally. Because men and dogs hunt and otherwise have cooperated and still do, there is a different sort of link. For cats, I don't think it is a matter of lack of intelligence. I am guessing this incapacity is based on the lack of that functioning link, and of course having no physiological capacity to point with anything like a finger. Dogs probably merely see the whole arm as pointing, which they understand from hunting as a team. A thing cats don't do in any case.
ReplyDeleteOr, I'm just making it up. But, that is how theories are born. I will leave the actual science to someone who convinces the government that a grant for this research is somehow worthy. Or better yet, an actual scientist who is curious, has the understanding, and is willing to invest in the notion... purely for the sake of better understanding. I won't hold my breath in either case.
Some dogs may "get" pointing, because some dogs have been trained to point themselves, and as you said their natural instint to hunt in packs. But your average house mutt is just as clueless regarding the pointing gesture.
ReplyDeleteSome dogs may be smarter than some cats in ways that seem important to humans. Dogs are pack animals by nature and inclined to be helpful if trained accordingly, as they see humans as senior members of the pack. Cats are primarily solitary animals and the relationship that develops between cats and humans is that of adult cats (humans) and kittens (the cats themselves).
The nature of the relationship is completely different and has nothing to do with the relative intelligence of each species.
Now for pointing purposes with cats, nothing beats a laser pointer. They are 110% "ON" with that form of pointing. It also provides great entertainment for their humans.
You know though, I think it is silly to equate intelligence with connection between animal and owner. (If owner is merely a technical or legal term for the responsible party, and maybe a few odd things, or the animal would eventually escape and leave or attack.)
ReplyDeleteI think the question is, do dogs or cats have enough capacity to more than merely play a role, be that lower order pack animal or kitten to cat. Do animals love. I actually think they do, but not natively. From being around (at least truly caring) people, they gain something extra, something slightly (if thinly) more than animal. In this regard, I think both types of creatures, if not all of them, have that capacity. Then again, I am not sure all humans have that capacity.
Me, I love them both, cats and dogs. I just don't have the capacity to handle caring for a dog. And I do fully believe Sam loves me. Sassy is too young, yet. I'm still mama/papa, food, and sometimes petting... a little... if she feels like it... maybe. :) She will learn.
Something along those lines, yes. I've got this funny notion in my noggin that through close interaction with us, particularly those of us redeemed by the Son, cherished pets gain some measure of an immortal soul.
ReplyDeleteI've got nothing to back that up except observations "through a glass darkly".
Interesting you brought that up. The soul and about knowing Christ. I had meant to put some of that in there but... got lost in my writing. Much like as God lead Christ (His will, not mine), Christ lead us, men lead the family and the wife, as the wife leads the children, so Christians lead even pets, somehow. Not just biblical, from a few passages though either. I see it probably similar to the way you see things.
ReplyDeleteThen again I think biblical is more scientifically true than what passes for science, it just doesn't bother with proofs (and can be inscrutable, with a little effort :p ).