How do you speak to your fids and other pets?

[Von1983]

The way I speak to my brood is a constant source of amusement (mainly for my mother lol).

The doggies:

When I need them to move out of the way: Excuse me.
When we're playing fetch: May I have it? Thankyou!
When they are barking: Olly, Boots, no barking please/can you come here please?(The same for when we're on the walk lol)
Dinner time: Would you like chicken or lamb today? Ooooh good choice...numnum....(what choice?! I just pick one up!)/Would you like a dentastick?(come on, who'd say no??)
Can I have a cuddle please? etc etc etc

The puss and rabbit I speak to in the same way except in the whole 3 years we've had Lucy the cat, she has attacked Dave's feet EVERY night as he lifts them in to bed.
Dave: Lucy! Ooowwweee that huuurts!
Me: Lou, kindly don't do that.....

Last but not by any means least Cal.

When she garbles a "sentence" full of tones that I don't understand: Pardon? What did you say? Can you repeat that?
Like EVERY birdy person I've ever met I continuously talk when I'm with her.
When she's up to no good I uh uh uh...noooo don't do that please. (Sadly she now uh uh uh's US )

I could go on forever, but I find it funny that people find it funny I'm polite to my animals. I respect the heck out of them and that's more than can be said for a lot of people I meet every day! When each of them arrived home with us, I just said what came naturally.

I've *crosses fingers* yet to have any unmanageable behaviour problem from any of my pets, but Dave who can't stand to chastise ANY of our lot has a cat attack him nightly, dogs who generally think it's funny to do the opposite of what he asks and a little sun conure who uses his actual face as a landing perch, takes his dinner without permission (and has the brass neck to say "thankyou" while doing it haha!) and has been known to drag her tail THROUGH his dinner(several times in one sitting)!

My mum laughs and some people think it isn't important what you say to your pets,rather how you say it! I beg to differ on that hehe!

So, how do you talk to your "babies"?
(I love all your stories so I cannot WAIT to hear what you have to say on this!!!)

 

[Alienation]

I talk to my dogs in much the same way.
I say:
"Excuse me" (a lot)
"Don't be rude" if they are barking
I ask them what they are doing or where they are going, and just generally talk to them as if they might answer one day.
With my cat I mostly just ask him who's a good boy or who's my boy. With mum's cat who is part siamese (and therefore very vocal) I just meow back at her. She has such a loud, annoying meow, so she meows, then I meow, then she meows again etc.
I'm sure when I get my parrot I will hear him copying that annoying meow, and I'll talk to him as if he understands or might answer, and who knows, maybe one day he will!

 

[mellykyitus]

thats so sweet. i dont think i'm as polite to my menagerie as you! well i just fed the guinea pigs and i greet them with 'good morning darlings did you sleep well' mistletoe is usually squealing for food at this point, i give them a fuss and say 'look what mummy has for you today' then mistletoe (again) looks at her cabbage and crawls over to me and sniffs to see if i have anything better!

the rabbit is pretty much the same, but he throws his food bowl down the stairs (his stairs not mine) so its 'what have you done now jack' and 'would you like some carrot this morning sweetheart'

the hamster usually wakes up when i feed the birds (she knows she gets something nice) so i juat say 'morning poppet'

my cat gets called baby sweet puss (her names tia but i say baby sweet puss so often i have to call her that at night to get her in) its 'do you want some munchies puss'

the dogs (milo, scampy and sofy) get the same unless they bark and its ' you are a bad naughty boy and mummy will not give you any chewy sticks (they snap to attention at the word chewy sticks)! when i throw milo's ball n the beach its 'good boy bring it too mummy' (i get strange looks too)

and lastly the birdies, the avairy birds get a cheery 'hello babies' and 'angel stop pulling buttercups tail, she doesnt want to play with you'

then the hands on birds (beau, mimsy, mossy and willow) all get a morning snuggle and their fresh food with 'good morning beau, hows mummy's little angel?' 'no mossy you have to share with willow' to mimsy its 'hello my gorgeous girl, how did you sleep' and 'would you like some brussel sprouts today, yes i know you would beau but i was actually talking to willow' etc

hee hee, reading that back i sound like one of those crazy bird people, i can just see it when i'm old surrounded by birds and people in the street calling me 'the mad bird woman' ..... thats if they dont already!!!

 

[Von1983]

I talk to my dogs in much the same way.
I say:
"Excuse me" (a lot)
"Don't be rude" if they are barking
I ask them what they are doing or where they are going, and just generally talk to them as if they might answer one day.
With my cat I mostly just ask him who's a good boy or who's my boy. With mum's cat who is part siamese (and therefore very vocal) I just meow back at her. She has such a loud, annoying meow, so she meows, then I meow, then she meows again etc.
I'm sure when I get my parrot I will hear him copying that annoying meow, and I'll talk to him as if he understands or might answer, and who knows, maybe one day he will!

HAHAHAHA! I LOVE that one <3

LOL Melly, you must spend your entire DAY talking

 

[lisamarie973]

LOL!! We're probably ALL seem a little silly when talking to our pets. I start out by saying "Good Morning" to each of them. Logan, my German Shepherd, Ozzie, My cat, Squeakers, my adopted stray cat, Sunny, my daughter's cat, THEN it's Good Morning to ALL the birds, I start out with my Maui, saying "Good Morning Gorgeous boy, are you ready to eat?" this is where is squeaks and whistles and comes up to my face and gives me relentless kisses on the lips. Then to KiKi, "Hi there sweet baby girl, good morning" Then to all the rest which is The 3 cockatiels, baby, gully and sweetie, the 2 lovebirds, Fred & Wilma, the 3 Budgies, Luna, Sky and Sugar then the 2 Zebra finches, Mork and Mindy and of course last but not least all of the 16 Lady Finches, which is too many to name them all.

I am constantly speaking to ALL my pets, but mostly Maui, KiKi and Logan. And yes, I also incorporate good manners while speaking to them, teaching them Please and Thank you, explaining what a nice bird, dog, cat, does or says or how to act kindly to others in their "flock" "pack" etc... LOL
I also ask questions to them, as if I were one of the others, IE...

As if I were Maui, I say to KiKi... "KiKi, I'm always sweet and kind enough to give you wonderful scratches and preenings, I would like a nice head scratch and preening, Please, Would you be so kind to oblige me?" then it's "right Maui?" and then if she does "Aww, Thank you, sister"

And YES, I've had friends over that look at me as if I were from outter space sometimes, and even say to me, "they have NO clue what you're saying (I disagree) and I highly doubt the bird is going to say please or thank you" Hmm, just wait and see, I bet they DO!!

 

[antoinette]

I speak to Mishka the same as I speak to a human.
Here's an example of a conversation when I come back from deliveries almost daily.

Mishka - hello mom
Me - Hi Mishka how you my baby
Mishka - Hey come here kom hiersaw (Afrikaans language)
Me - I love you Mishi
Mishka - give me a kiss please
Me - kiss kiss (giving her a kiss)
Mishka - where is Stevie boy
Me - Stevie boy has gone to university
Mishka - in his car eeeooooooo
Mishka - Sean has gone to work
Me - yes Sean has gone to work

Mishka will say mom mommy your telephone is ringing hello hello okay bye bye ..........I go check the answering machine, and nine out of ten times there are messages for me.

Whilst cleaning the floor near her cage, Mishka says mommy cleaning
I say mommy is cleaning with what Mishka, she replies mommy is mopping hey

My neighbour is under the impression that there is always someone in the apartment with me (a human) because of the conversations we have.

 

[mellykyitus]

that is so sweet, its amazing how intelligent they are. i'm sure they understand what were saying to them, even if it is just the tone of voice we use. willow definately says things in context (shes not on mishka's level....yet)! x

 

[HRH Di]

We talk to our birds and dogs pretty much the same way we talk to our kids. The odd thing we do is talk for them. We know what they're saying, we're just making sure everyone else is on the same page.

 

[apatrimo94]

Well, in the morning before school, I say to S'mores and Bartleby, "Hey baby girl, how you doing? so, what would you like for breakfast?" and i usually make them eggs and veggies with occasional cheerios.

When I get home from school, they both always greet me with a wide variety of chirps and whistles. I say to them, "hey, did my babies miss daddy? who wants to play?"

Then if they're ever naught, i usually say "G'it." It's my way of saying get back in your cage.

 

[Von1983]

hehe, these are so cute!

I can just imagine Mishka yabbering away back to you Ant!