One of my cats is extremely demanding of affection. She'll start off meowing at you. If you don't pay attention it progresses to one paw on your arm and a meow, then standing on her hind legs and moving her front paws in the air, begging. She does it to EVERYONE. She did it to the cable guy when he came to hook up the cable. She's the older kitty, 13 now, and all fluffy and gray so she's pretty irresistable.

God, I am a crazy cat lady...

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My dad has convos with the dog, and its pretty hilarious. They also nap together, walk around the house together, etc. The dog is my dad's constant companion.

Another thing my parents do is put me on the phone with the dog. He does this adorable head cock thing (like that pug video, but with a massive head of a bullmastiff) when he hears my voice.

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She knows my voice, and will always come to me. She curls up next to me at next. She'll calm down at the vet when she hears my voice or feels my touch.

She's been my friend for 15 years now. So yes -- we can communicate just fine.

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I have two cats, one is pretty standard, the other has the most interesting range of vocal expressions and totally chats with you.

My guinea pig, however, is the easiest to understand. I'm serious, any other pig owners up in here? They have so much personality and love to communicate.

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Other mornings, I think she just says screw it and gives up.

I think my cats can tell when I am saying their name/looking for them. They don't always respond, but they have before, and I think they can tell by the way I'm talking or something.

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me: "DON'T PEE ON MOMMY'S LAP/IPOD WHILE SHE'S DRIVING"

cat: "MAAAAAAAAH"

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She understands about 10-15 words. We ran a little experiment with her toys, telling her to get specific ones. It was actually kind of amazing, every time we tell her to get a particular toy, she always grabs the right one out of her basket about about a bazillion toys. Ball, fish, cow, duck, and a few others. Also, we cannot say the word squirrel around her in any context without her immediately running to the window facing the bird feeder with her hackles up. She also understands the word smoky (as in smoky link, her favorite thing in the world).

We also always know when her mortal enemy the UPS truck is coming, because she goes apeshit with a very particular, and enraged, bark just before it pulls over the hill. Since she is a huge coward, however, she ends up hiding under the computer desk as soon as it pulls into the driveway. She can also be in a deep sleep on another floor of the house and come in at a dead run when she hears the sound of airtight container lids being opened in the kitchen.

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That sounds yucky written, but it's because he's so darn cuddly and loving and knows just how to cheer me up when I'm crying (this past weekend) and I would love that in a man right now.

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