# What is something unique about your pet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 22, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593 "2023-01-22T03:38:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/1 "2023-01-22T03:38:46Z")
Not only something that you’ve never had another pet do but never even heard about someone else’s pat do? I’ll start. My corgi, no matter how awake he is when he hops into bed with me, will fall right asleep when I play cello music on my phone. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/2 "2023-01-22T03:44:11Z")
Bayliss is in the closet. Literally. He loves being in there. Drags his doggy bed in there. Never had dog who didn’t wanna sleep right by me. (No dogs on the bed, tho’). Bayliss is a special dog. He may be in the closet but he hears everything. I tell him he can come out, Mama loves him unconditionally 😉 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/3 "2023-01-22T04:11:13Z")
Bupkis, who is a cat, comes to me when I whistle for him. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/4 "2023-01-22T04:36:09Z")
My cat Cygnus steals _everything_. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous. I started keeping a diary. It’s long enough that I’ll put it in an expanding list: > **Summary** > > allen wrench for 3d printer > swirly thing in milk foamer > cap for usb stick > bag of magnets > suction cup > velcro cable ties > fried shrimp > 3d printed gear > 3d printed goblin > kopiko candy (in wrapper) > apple pencil > microsd/sd converter > ketchup packet (empty) > ketchup packet (full) > bag of legos > individual legos > anti-static bag (/w misc electronics components) > micro joystick (bare) > lettuce/cabbage core/pepper stems (jalapeno and bell) > paperclips > letter opener > hook for headphones > empty cheez-it box (dragged under bed) > audio cable > sample tube for COVID test > box for USB cardreader > metal clip from microwave filter > 3d printed parts, after knocking the container onto the floor and it breaking open, scattering the pieces everywhere > garlic clove > snap on top for oscilloscope probe > reel of picture frame hanging wire > Chell’s hair (Lego) > juggling ball > Yoda (Lego) > small geared electric motor > shoe (adult, size 9, left) He’s tried to steal a lot more. These are just the ones he’s gotten away with. I also removed all the dupes (like several times for AAA batteries). ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/5 "2023-01-22T04:44:57Z")
My dog Winston used to ring a bell when he needed to go outside. He will be 18 yrs. old on January 27th, so he doesn’t do much bell ringing now (well none actually). I never had a pet, nor met someone else’s pet who could do this, but the lady customer at PetsMart who told me about this trick had a dog she taught to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/6 "2023-01-22T04:51:12Z")
> [@saucywench](#): > > My dog Winston used to ring a bell when he needed to go outside. He will be 18 yrs. old on January 27th, so he doesn’t do much bell ringing now (well none actually). I never had a pet, nor met someone else’s pet who could do this, but the lady customer at PetsMart who told me about this trick had a dog she taught to do it My parents dog is trained to do this! She nudges a bell hanging on the side door whenever she wants to go out to her spot. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/7 "2023-01-22T04:52:55Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > My cat Cygnus steals _everything_. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous. I started keeping a diary. Lol! Where does he stash them? ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/8 "2023-01-22T05:07:43Z")
Cool! Of course he was always rewarded with a treat. After he learned to do this, sometimes he would ring the bell, go out and look around and/or sniff around, then come back in for a treat. He thought he was pulling one over on me. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/9 "2023-01-22T05:30:09Z")
When I was a child, we had a dog who could say “water”. Nobody taught her this; she just did it. She couldn’t get the consonants, of course, but she pretty much had the vowels, and she definitely had the syllables and the intonation. And she only said it when she wanted water; not when she wanted food, or to go out, or anything else. Some years ago, I had a cat who loved to eat coffee beans. I asked the vet how many coffee beans were safe for a cat, and she said she didn’t know, she’d never heard of that and would have to do research. She couldn’t find anything in her research, either. I’d give him one when I refilled the coffeegrinder; that seemed safe enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/10 "2023-01-22T05:32:06Z")
Our cat had an extra toe on each paw. You could always hear his footsteps (pawsteps?) on uncarpeted surfaces. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/11 "2023-01-22T05:58:53Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Where does he stash them? Well, the shrimp he ate. He does have a fake plant that he stashes things behind. But mostly, he just wants me to chase him around the house trying to get the thing back, since it’s almost always something that I need right then. Sometimes he’ll run just out of reach, pause until I make my move, and then bolt off in some direction… ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/12 "2023-01-22T06:19:13Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > Our cat had an extra toe on each paw. [https://www.hemingwayhome.com/our-cats](https://www.hemingwayhome.com/our-cats) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/13 "2023-01-22T06:35:28Z")
> [@saucywench](#): > > My dog Winston used to ring a bell when he needed to go outside. We have hanging on both the front and rear doors to outside jingle bells on a strap. Several generations of dog and the one cat have learned to whack them when they want to go out. We’ve never consciously trained them to do this; they picked up on their own either by watching their predecessor(s) or doing it for fun and being reinforced ala Skinner. [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31odyViMKKL._AC_SY580_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31odyViMKKL._AC_SY580_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/14 "2023-01-22T07:22:03Z")
Our Kai cat (Bengal) is a mommy cat. Perhaps because of it, or just some weird cat-sanity, he loves the tub. But not like a normal cat would love the tub. I mean if my wife is soaking in a tub full of water, reading a book, he jumps up on her raised torso or legs while she’s in the TUB. And then dips the tip of his tail in the water, pulls it back, licks the water off, and repeats. If my wife takes a hour long soak, he’ll be there for half the time. I know Bengals are more okay with water than most, but that’s just plain weird. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/15 "2023-01-22T07:37:00Z")
I had a cat named Frango some years ago who loved yogurt covered raisins. She’d lick off the outside then eat the raisin. She was a beautiful, long-haired black cat. Not that unusual, but my current kitty Twig LOVES to have her tummy scratched and rubbed. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/16 "2023-01-22T07:51:13Z")
More bell ringers. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/17 "2023-01-22T08:29:35Z")
I had a cat who learnt to open doors. Not so hard when it swings away from him, just jump up and pull the handle down, and it will swing open. But he worked out how to position himself to open doors that swung towards him, hooking the handle and pushing back on the wall. Kind of weird to be awoken in the middle of the night by a bump-thud sound, then the cat comes nonchalantly looking for attention. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/18 "2023-01-22T10:15:28Z")
I think my dog is gay. Well, a lesbian, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/19 "2023-01-22T12:49:21Z")
He would always high-five us when greeting. Just before hopping onto the couch, or greeting either of us on arriving home, he’d stand up as high as he could (Chihuahua) and raise his left hand for us to bump. Sadly, I’m using past tense – he died suddenly two days ago. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593/20 "2023-01-22T12:58:00Z")
I had a cat who wanted to be baptized, at least that is my take, I’ll let you decide for yourself. I adopted a cat that was rescued by the SPCA from an abusive home. She was actually on ‘kitty death row’ as she developed a peeing outside the box habit which puts her in the category of unadoptable according to the shelter. I made a deal that I would take her but if she pees outside the box with me I will have to have her put down as I could not live with that, so I was willing to give her a chance. Well I brought her home and she hid under the chair, (remember she came from an abusive home). She was under that chair practically 24-7 except for the litter box and going for food and water and this lasted a week or two, I forget the exact time. I was on the toilet, doing things people do when they sit on the toilet, but I was also praying, asking God what I can do for this cat. It came to me to baptize her. I said that is ridiculous, animals don’t get baptized. Then 2 images came to mind, the first was the Israelites passing through the Red Sea, bringing the animals out of Egypt with them. The second was Noah’s Ark, with the animals with them. And from my prior readings I have took both events as foreshadowing baptism - as both are passing through the waters. So I said OK God, I’m willing (and what do I have to lose by trying), but where to do this. At this exact moment, this cat who was living under the chair for the past week or two, never venturing out except for necessities, ran into the bathroom, jumped into the tub and meowed at me, jumped out and ran back under the chair. I thought I could not get a clearer sign than that. So I started filling the tub, when about half way full she came back in and once again jumped into the tub. I suspect she was not expecting it to involve water and jumped out partly wet, but I quickly closed the door and when the water got high enough I baptized her in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I made sure this was a full immersion and I swept her under the water and back up again. After that she immediately became the most perfect cat I could have thought possible leaving that chair behind her from that moment on, she may have for the rest of her life (about 15 year) spent 3 or 4 brief times under that chair since then, and we have had many adventures in communication which border on the supernatural and most probably too much for this board to accept but it was wonderful in many ways. Back to that peeing outside the box, During her life, except for the end I think it happened one time and that was only because she could not get to her box and chose a very convenient place for cleanup purposes. At the end of her life she was suffering from an oral cancer, and in pain and on pain meds. I knew I couldn’t let this go on for long and her time was fastly approaching. I also let the last cat go too long and should have put her down sooner. But in this case it was this cat who decided for me. She peed right outside the box, and I knew it was her telling me it’s time for her to go. I took her to the vet the next morning and said goodby and thank you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-unique-about-your-pet/978593.md?page=2)