# Do You Find Your Dog or Cat Shocking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604 "2010-12-02T00:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/1 "2010-12-02T00:37:38Z")
I was taking care of my neighbor’s dogs for a couple of days. Today was our first cold and snowy day in Chicago (OK just flurries), but the heat was on in the house. Anyway both the doggies were giving me shocks when I petted them. I guess they old fur is building up static electricity. Time for my neighbors to get a humidifier I guess So do your pets “shock” you? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/2 "2010-12-02T01:56:10Z")
hell yes =) I zapped Jezzy on the nose at least 15 times today. I think the combination of the dry air, and polyester microfiber plushy sheets made it really bad ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/3 "2010-12-02T08:29:25Z")
I think it’s the other way around - I’ve been shocking _myself_ in my car and at work too, so I can hardly blame the cats when we get shocked when I pet them. I’ve always felt bad about shocking them (or vise versa) because you **can’t** sit them down and explain why you both got zapped when you pet them, or even that you got zapped too. They always look so upset! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/4 "2010-12-02T08:57:05Z")
I shock my cats on a regular basis, yes. And they look so betrayed when it happens. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/5 "2010-12-02T09:00:53Z")
Male cats do: a longhair and a shorthair with silky fur. The latter is more staticy. The girl cat really doesn’t get static: short and bristly. It’s fun to pet them in the dark and watch the sparks. Reminds me of Wint-O-Green Lifesavers. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/6 "2010-12-02T13:12:30Z")
Yes, we strike sparks with all the pets in winter. The worst ever was probably when I zapped our bird Cosmo with a few kilovolts right as I was getting him to step up. He shrieked and flew off and it took him a while to trust me again. It was bad enough that my finger tingled for a while. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/7 "2010-12-02T15:02:18Z")
My dog doesn’t get staticky. Not sure if it’s because I have a whole-house humidifier here and at my parents there’s a very humid gas fireplace, or if it’s because I keep her fur kind of silky with Skin So Soft and other junk (she’s got dry skin), or golden retrievers don’t get staticky. My dog can be pretty skittish so it’s best for both of us that we live a fairly static-free life. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/8 "2010-12-02T17:34:28Z")
My favourites are the sparks under the covers as my cat moves around under there. It’s great because it’s dark. It’s like my own personal fireworks show (she doesn’t seem as impressed, though). ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/9 "2010-12-02T17:56:26Z")
Dryer sheets. Rub 'em with dryer sheets. I always feel bad when I shock my dog, though he seems more surprised when it happens than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-your-dog-or-cat-shocking/562604/10 "2010-12-02T18:41:25Z")
I just got back from letting my neighbors dogs out. Before they went out I petted and shocked them. They didn’t seem to mind. Hee hee hee… The tail is where the shock is. Unless I start at their head and run my hand all the way to the tip of the tail it doesn’t make a shock. After they ran around outside they didn’t shock anymore. So I guess I need to tell the neighbors it’s humidifier time 🙂