I'm not really a 'pet person'. I kept mice and later white rats when I was a child and admired them for their characters and intelligence. They lived in very large cages and had pretty good lives with lots to do considering that they were in captivity. The rats were incredibly smart and worked out how to open the hasp and staple door lock by removing the peg.
I inherited a cat at one stage. I can't remember his name but he was generally known as BP (short for Big Puss because of his considerable size). He died of kidney failure just a few days before my first trip to New Zealand. He probably knew something was up. He was at least 16. Until then he's never been to the vet apart from innoculations etc in early life. When he came into my house for the first time and tried to come into my bedroom I said 'No' firmly and put him outside the bedroom door. For the rest of the many years he lived here he would lie down at the bedroom door but he never crossed the threshold.
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| Big Puss aka BP |
However the piece de resistance of an animal outsmarting me was a border collie named Bobby whom I looked after for a friend while he was away. I'd been given instructions on his walk routines and routes (he lived nearby) and at the allotted times he would sit at the front door and wait to go for his walk. He would walk to the intersections to see which way we were going on any particular day and the second he got an indication he was off. It was all very organised and routine for the first two walks on Day 1.
However, at 5pm on the dot he was again by the door and indicating that it was walk time. So I assumed I'd not understood my instructions and this walk was repeated when he went to the door at 5pm each day. I never did understand how he knew the time down to the minute for each walk. I don't have any such routines so it was all a bit alien to me.
On the day when his owner was due home we were on the 5pm walk when his master returned in his car. He said it was very good of me to add in an extra walk but he hoped Bobby wasn't going to expect this in future because he wouldn't be home from work to give him it.
I could almost see Bobby grinning from ear to ear at having completely outwitted me.
I've never trusted an animal since!
Dogs know it is easy to pull a fast one on the new person. Children are like that as well. Oh, and office colleages.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me still that if I think about an hour to wake in the morning, then I awake at that or near that hour. I read about it, tried it, and it works.
Maywyn, I was a novice to dog-minding. I'm more savvy now. I wake when I wake these days. When I worked I woke automatically but that was a long time ago.
DeleteI don't know anything about dogs but that is a lovely story. I once had a cat that would move to the stairs door at 9.30pm each evening which was my normal time for going to bed at the time. She would then look at me until I turned off the tv.
ReplyDeleteRachel, one of my cats was the same - she wanted her bed time with me on the dot, and even when she was with my parents while Steve and I were in England, she expected my Mum to go to bed at the same time (and that wasn't even her usual house, but my parents' place).
DeleteRachel and Meike, I don't recall BP being fussed about time, indeed I seem to recall he was pretty easy-going about most things.
DeleteDon't be embarrassed...border collies are supposed to be the very smartest dogs. If you have to outsmarted by a dog, that would be the least embarrassing breed to be outsmarted by.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debby, I have a great admiration for the breed.
DeleteBig Puss looks as though he has swallowed the Christmas turkey whole!
ReplyDeleteYP, I wouldn't have put that past him.
DeletePets are all born with a very expensive and very accurate wrist watch.
ReplyDeleteSo I have learned, Tigger's Mum.
DeleteHe probably thought it would do you good to have the extra walk.
ReplyDeleteTasker, he was probably correct.
DeleteI enjoyed that dog story, Graham. I had 5 children so I wasn't too big on pets as I had enough to take care of. We had a few odd animals - a fire newt, a box turtle, a guinea pig when my kids were in school but they were just more work for me! :)
ReplyDeleteEllen, you have reminded me that we did have a cat or two when the children were young. I'd quite forgotten that.
DeleteBobby is one smart doggie, he trained you very quickly to take that extra walk.
ReplyDeleteTerra, I am obviously either a sucker or easily trainable or both.
DeleteThat is a fabulous story!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a cat who respected a boundary and I'm sure BP must have crept into the bedroom when you were not around :)
Kylie, if he did then there was no indication that might have happened but cat's are very unobtrusive - unless they leave you 'presents' of the occasional mouse.
DeleteSo Bobby trained you rather than you training Bobby.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Red.
DeleteOur Billy (also a Border Collie) has that same built-in, very accurate, clock. I too am amazed. Our home in France has arches instead of doors upstairs, so no way of keeping animals out. During storms the dogs would come up, and almost always I would find Freddie, our cat, asleep under my chin.
ReplyDeleteCro, I used to be ruled by time so was very aware of it. Now the only remnant of that is my paranoia at being late for any appointment or arrangement I've made.
DeleteI really miss the dogs. I thought I'd enjoy the freedom but I don't. I still have plenty of animals around, I make do with horses and MotoX riders these days.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, for so long your two and you were inseparable so I'd have been surprised if you hadn't missed them
DeleteI can't imagine Adrian with a dog. I hope the adjustment to life without them hasn't been too hard.
DeleteWe always had cats, and they have the same accurate sense of time. They hated the change from summer to winter time and the other way round, and at least one of them even knew what day of the week it was - Tuesday being his favourite, when we would get leftovers for our cats from the butcher's up the road.
ReplyDeleteOddly, Meike, I don't recall BP having any time-related routines but then I may just never have noticed them.
DeleteWe don't tap into animals' intelligence as much as we could and most of the time they just let us get away with it :-)
ReplyDeleteJanice, I suppose as long as they get their own way they don't mind.
DeleteIt does beg the question of who trained whom, doesn’t it? My vote is trending towards the dog!
ReplyDeleteDavid, my vote would go to the dog every time now that I know what I know.
DeleteLove the dog story and agree, though it pains me, that Border Collies are very smart! This is hard for a confirmed GSD lover. I've had many German Shepherds in my long life and without exception they were all smarter than I!
ReplyDeleteJill, from what I know of Border Collies and GSDs they have quite different traits. A friend had a GSD and if I went near him with an extended arm to shake hands it used to get very protective until it realised that I was not going to strike his master.
DeleteYes, there is that strong protective trait.
DeleteAnimals are so clever. My daughter has 5 rats, they arent my cup of tea but they are clean and amusing thankfully.
ReplyDeleteAmy, they are scrupulously clean and very amusing. It's good to know I'm not alone.
DeleteDogs are so smart. A funny story.
ReplyDeleteSmarter than I am, Diane.
DeleteI was never a 'pet person' either. My grandparents had dogs (one at a time) in my childhood but the first one was huge (while I was still very little) and the second one rather undisciplined (always wanting to jump up on people) so I preferred to keep respectful distance when possible... Later in life I also got various allergy problems, so still apply that!
ReplyDeleteMonica, we never had dogs or cats either when I was young. In fact I can't recall anyone in our road having a dog. I think the whole pet cats and dogs ownership has come much later. When we had rationing after the war it was hard enough to feed a family without meat for pets.
ReplyDeleteI miss the dogs on the farm, especially the girls' pets and my old Lewey. Lewey had me well trained to see to his needs. The only time he ever poked his nose over the doorway into the house was when he was reminding me it was past walking time. I must admit I've never heard of another cat who was so easily trained, though.
ReplyDeletePauline, I remember Lewey. Sigh. BP was an exceptional cat and was absolutely no trouble to live with.
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