

Cats Do Control Humans, Study Finds - CaptainMorgan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090713/sc_livescience/catsdocontrolhumansstudyfinds

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CaptainMorgan
This is gonna sound strange an probably not a discussion for HN, but I found
the study interesting...

I'm a cat person, but I also like dogs - I just don't have the time or space
to give them a good home. So, meanwhile I'll suffice with cats. I always make
it a point to train my dogs with the utmost respect and obedience, had them
most of growing up just like cats, so I usually put in a lot of time training
dogs, but we haven't had one in about 4-5 years.

Maybe this study does 'suggest' or show something (I haven't seen the data),
but I know my cat doesn't control me. At least anyways, when it comes to food.
There are some that I can see where they are trying to manipulate, but heck,
what would you do if you were starving? I usually leave food down (dry) all
day and night for my present felines, unless it's wet food it doesn't smell,
and I only give them wet food when I feel they deserve it (maybe once or twice
a week), based on the type of day I've had. And reiterating, I'm a bastard
when it comes to discipline, so it makes sense when they give my wife more
attention...

They'll cry when they want to get out of a room that I've locked them in for
their safety on some occasions, but that's about it - and when that happens,
there's no doubt I'm firm and stubborn, so based on the study, my cats don't
yet have the cry down for us, lol.. are they stupid? Maybe. The article says
that they've only figured out the call for food - nothing else. Funny?
definitely. But evil? Some are, the current ones I own are not, but I have had
owned troubled cats before, I've also owned troubled dogs before. My local
radio show host insinuated from this and other studies that cats are evil;
there's another article floating around about whether they're "Little Satans"
and if they get the "concept of nukes" to watch out.

[http://atheologian.blogspot.com/2009/07/study-suggests-
cats-...](http://atheologian.blogspot.com/2009/07/study-suggests-cats-are-
antichrist.html)

LOL

Ultimately, I love animals, and like any good hacker, a cat while typically
nocturnal can certainly be a worthwhile companion while hacking away in the
wee hours. My advisor when I'm busy at work:
<http://img194.imageshack.us/i/myadvisor.jpg/>

So maybe the topic of hackers owning animals has come up before -- care to
share any thoughts on your pets with respect to this article?

Cheers

~~~
jseifer
Since food is always available to your cats, you probably wouldn't have gotten
the same cry the study suggests. That cry is just for food and supposedly hits
the same frequency as a human babys. So, cats aren't exactly controlling their
owners, rather just using that specific purr/cry to make it more likely
they'll get food. Now, if we can get some study done on the puppy dog eyes and
how we (I) can become immune to that.

~~~
CaptainMorgan
Indeed. There's an okay discussion going on at New Scientist, where they talk
about how we can liken a human baby to doing the exact same thing - getting
what they can (food). So I think we can use a better word than "exploiting"
which has negative connotations - it's more based on _survival_. I must say
though that when I put down the wet food, I certainly get a different cry,
likely because they like it and I give it to them only when I think it's
appropriate (rare) - not when they want it. They do run out of dry food daily
or every other day, but they don't call for it, or cry for it... they'll come
running when the bag or box is opening, but it's like "aww.. dry food again!?
I guess we'll live".

Baby pups at malls or breeding grounds are simply too difficult to ignore. ;)

With both of these species, going back to the Egyptians for cats, and not sure
when for dogs, over time they've evolved to be alongside us - and sheesh, we
have kennels, animal daycare, grooming, the Wag Hotel in San Fran, and a new
airline that is in talks to be only used for our pets?? Isn't it our fault as
humans for the "exploitation"? I don't think it should come as a surprise, but
the media putting a negative spin on it isn't necessary I think...

------
chwolfe
Sorry I couldn't resist:

[https://store.theonion.com/kitten-thinks-of-nothing-but-
murd...](https://store.theonion.com/kitten-thinks-of-nothing-but-murder-all-
day-magnet-p-200.html)

~~~
lurkinggrue
Obligatory XKCD:

<http://xkcd.com/231/>

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biohacker42
Reddit had this with a less linkbaity headline:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/90s4u/so_you_know_h...](http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/90s4u/so_you_know_how_sometimes_a_cat_will_sound_like_a/)

And linked to the new scientist not yahoo.

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RiderOfGiraffes
Certainly Spot had Data well-trained.

(I know I'll probably be down-mud for that, but it'll be worth it.)

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forgotmypasswd
After reading this, I heard the most baby-like cat meow coming from outside,
but it turned out to actually be a baby.

