Survival Instincts?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Why do cats always park themselves right where people walk?

[Randallw]

At my neighbourhood Library there is a big glass window (actually 4 panes, but anyway). Practically every time I am reading nearby a bird comes along and flies into the glass. It flies off and comes back a second later. Bang.....Bang.....Bang. The Birds are just too stupid to give up.

[Atrocities]

Any one remember the Far Side catoon of how birds see the world? We all have bulles eyes painted on us. Especially freshely washed cars.

[PvK]

Animals, especially wild ones, don't have a human's understanding of human abilities and behaviors. They think differently.

I encountered a possum once in the middle of the sidewalk ahead of me, late at night, and decided to charge it, for fun. It turned to face me, and sat there. I was tempted to kick it fifty meters down the road, but instead just walked around it.

Humans aren't generally so smart, either. Recently here in the greater Seattle area, there was a dog (pit bull I think) which had chased a child, and a group of I think six armed police officers showed up to try to deal with it. The dog menaced them, and so, being the formidable and well-trained and brave and clever officers they are, fired several bullets at it and missed the dog, but shot one of their own party. The dog ran off and escaped that encounter.

Now, I know pit bulls are vicious, but I think their anti-dog training must be massively limited, if they think they need to resort to shooting metal bullets at a single dog that they outnumber 6:1. Not to mention accidentally hitting each other.

"Mouth rush" is not that sophisticated an unarmed combat technique, guys. There are countermoves humans can use on dogs.

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
Why do cats always park themselves right where people walk?

Usually the same reason they sit on newspapers or other projects people are working on - for attention.

PvK

[Gandalf Parker]

Actually Ive done animal control and pit bulls arent vicious. (did you realize that 3 purebred breeds are in the PB Category?). The problem with Pit Bulls is that they are dangerous. Not quite the same thing.

The crushing pressure in a pit bulls jaws make a "bite" alot more than just a bite. It can literally be an amputation. Most of the ones Ive ever been called on were actually quite friendly. The danger was that they arent very smart. They get out of the yard and get confused and scared. Of course there are people who will use a powerful bite dog for other purposes which are the scarey ones that hit the news. Luckily I only ever met one of those. The worst thing about them for me is that they ruin my favorite tactic for large biting dogs (shove your fist down its throat)

[ June 10, 2004, 21:46: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[PvK]

Interesting. Ya for me that all falls under the police being poorly trained to deal with dogs. Ideally, of course, one dog handler with some padding is the team for the job, rather than six cops with guns who seem unable to handle one dog. Broad daylight and low foliage, by the way.

PvK

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Originally posted by PvK:

quote:

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Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
Why do cats always park themselves right where people walk?

Usually the same reason they sit on newspapers or other projects people are working on - for attention.

PvK

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And then she complains when people step over her...

Obviously hasn't learned the difference between good attention and bad attention.