The Magic Word

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Pat - 05 Jul 2006 20:15 GMT

Apparently the word "can" has become synonymous with "Here, kitty" in this
household.

Baby Eyes is usually not fond of gooshy food, but every once in a great
while, she will partake. Today was one of those rare days.

I keep cat food cans stacked on the floor in a corner of the kitchen, right
next to the feeding area. A while ago, I was in the kitchen preparing my own
lunch, when I noticed Baby Eyes standing near the (full) kibble dish, and,
looking straight at me, she put one paw on top of a nearby can and said
""Mrrrrrrph".

"So today you want me to open a can, is that it?" I asked her.

And almost before she could utter another "mrrrrrrph" in reply, six more
cats raced into the kitchen, all of them yelling (in Felinese) "YES!! WE
WANT CAN!!! OPEN CAN NOW MOM!!!!"

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Monique Y. Mudama - 05 Jul 2006 20:34 GMT

> Apparently the word "can" has become synonymous with "Here, kitty"
> in this household.

Heh. Every time I use a can opener, Oscar comes running to see if
it's tuna. Pretty funny, because it's more typically broth, or beans,
or other things she doesn't really want.

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monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

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Magic Mood Jeep© - 05 Jul 2006 23:04 GMT

>> Apparently the word "can" has become synonymous with "Here, kitty"
>> in this household.
>
> Heh. Every time I use a can opener, Oscar comes running to see if
> it's tuna. Pretty funny, because it's more typically broth, or beans,
> or other things she doesn't really want.

We've always bought the little cans of cat food, the ones with the pop-tops.
Now, if I open a can of soup (yes, soup companies have finally caught on to
the pop-tops), or even *fruit*, I am surrounded by several drooling cats
that are soon disappointed. Unless it's a Pringles can that I've opened -
Betty *luuuuuuuuuuvs* Pringles! Just pop open a can of Pringles (sour cream
& onion are her (and my) fave, but she gets very little of that flavor) and
you will have a begging purry black kitty all over you in less than 1 second
(unless she's sleeping soundly when you pop the can open, then it takes
maybe 5 seconds for the sound to penetrate her ears, her brain to wake her
enough for her to respond), and she will actually try to take a bit of a
Pringle while you are putting it in our mouth!

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Monique Y. Mudama - 05 Jul 2006 23:19 GMT

> We've always bought the little cans of cat food, the ones with the
> pop-tops. Now, if I open a can of soup (yes, soup companies have
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> wake her enough for her to respond), and she will actually try to
> take a bit of a Pringle while you are putting it in our mouth!

Aww.

I feed Oscar wet food, but she doesn't care for it enough to come
running. In fact I'm lucky to see her near the dish within 15 minutes
of putting it down.

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monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

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John F. Eldredge - 08 Jul 2006 04:37 GMT

>Apparently the word "can" has become synonymous with "Here, kitty" in this
>household.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>cats raced into the kitchen, all of them yelling (in Felinese) "YES!! WE
>WANT CAN!!! OPEN CAN NOW MOM!!!!"

One scene that I found particularly funny in the movie _Cats and Dogs_
(a James Bond spoof with cats and dogs plotting against each other) is
the scene where the dogs are in a United Nations-style meeting hall
and start arguing with each other. In order to get them to quieten
down, the moderator finally pushes a button that runs a giant can
opener. All of the dogs immediately become quiet and focus their
attention on the can opener.

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John F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

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Pat - 08 Jul 2006 06:03 GMT

> All of the dogs immediately become quiet and focus their
> attention on the can opener.

Everyone so far seems to have missed my point - which was, that my kitties
didn't have to hear a can being opened, they came running at the sound of
the word, "can", being spoken!

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Mishi - 08 Jul 2006 14:07 GMT

>> All of the dogs immediately become quiet and focus their
>> attention on the can opener.
>
>Everyone so far seems to have missed my point - which was, that my kitties
>didn't have to hear a can being opened, they came running at the sound of
>the word, "can", being spoken!

Hi Pat,

My cats also know what 'can' means. My Jeremy (RB) used to come to us
and say "Mam?" We would ask him if he wanted a can and he would race
to where we kept them, and look up at them and us and say "MAM!" He
got his mam.

I miss the little guy.
Patti

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Monique Y. Mudama - 08 Jul 2006 17:27 GMT

>> All of the dogs immediately become quiet and focus their attention
>> on the can opener.
>
> Everyone so far seems to have missed my point - which was, that my
> kitties didn't have to hear a can being opened, they came running at
> the sound of the word, "can", being spoken!

Sorry, you can't control people's thought associations or the
direction of conversation ...

It doesn't surprise me too much that they know some words, though.
Surely cats are at least as intelligent as dogs?

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monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

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sriddles@aol.com - 09 Jul 2006 07:08 GMT

> >> All of the dogs immediately become quiet and focus their attention
> >> on the can opener.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> --
> monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

It doesn't surprise me at all. We have to spell "out" because some of
the cats know the word. And unless we're ready to take them out, we
don't say it because they'll run to the door. Yoda was taught to
recognize a hand sign for "treats." All you'd have to do is make the
sign with your hand and he would run to the pantry. He's forgotten it
over the years, after the kids moved out and quit messing with him. But
it was a quite a parlor trick when he was a youngster.

Sherry

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