my cats trust me

[anotheranon]

Would you wind between the legs of a creature that is not only 10 times your size, but also in a rather unsteady position?

Miss Spice lurves walking around under me when I'm doing wall slides. Either she has no sense of cause/effect or is confident that I won't slip to the floor, squishing her and causing her to make a loud noise/deploy pointy bits.

Nah, I think it's probably the same philosophy that guides her to sit in my lap ONLY when I'm at the computer or sewing machine :P

Comments

tangent

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

When I think about what dangers human beings must have gone through to domesticate large farm animals I marvel that it was ever done at all. A few strategic kicks and I have to admit I'd have suggested we give it up!

If you're literal about wondering what the cows were thinking, you might want to check Temple Grandin (http://www.templegrandin.com/)'s work. She's a high-functioning autistic and argues that some species' brains work rather like those of autistic humans. In particular, I think she's worked with cows.

Re: tangent

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Yes, Grandin has designed several corral/shelter set-ups for cattle (the college library had all her books, so I'm familiar with her work and her writings).

Most of our large domestic animals were a lot smaller when humans first started to keep 'em around ... some breeds from marginal crop/grazing areas still are: Ayrshire, Jersey, and Galloway cattle are all shorter than me and it's possible even for me to hold my own in a leaning contest. All the big breeds were deliberately bred for size from the small ones ... in cattle, unfortunately, this size increase seems to lead to a major drop in intelligence. I'd swear some of the stuff our Ayrshires did was deliberate practical joking, while a Holstein that had seen you twice a day, every day, for four years would freak out and try to climb the walls on your approach due to being incapable of remembering your existence.