Animal Question

[Snakebuster]

Hello, I have a question bugging me, so i put it here.

After you have kept your pet for a long time, would they see you as a different person every time you saw it? Example: I have my cat Fanta, she is very full of affection, and i have kept her for about 8-9 months. She is an average cat, sometimes playful, most of the time sleepy, sometimes meowing for a cuddle or a pat on the head. Lets say she is asleep in her bed for a couple of hours, wakes up, and goes into the same room I am in. Does she recognise me? Me, who is the one who feeds her and gives her water? Does she know who I am? Can she distinguish me from the rest of the family? [5 ppl] Take that as an example.

Now, i'm guessing the answer would be yes, yes and yes. But other animals? Snakes? Lizards? Frogs? Budgies and birds of that sort? Ferrets? Spiders? Fish? Hermit Crabs.
[well, not the last 3] Do they know who you are?

-Thomas-

 

[melgalea]

hey Thomas,
i think alot of animals can pick us out from the rest of the family quite well. not sure on reptiles though, maybe our smell ....but it doesnt mean they will react any different whether it be u or someone else in ur family.
other animals are different though....parrots for one know exactly who we are and can tell us apart.... my birds only allow me to pat them ....my husband ring neck will fly through the house and will only ever land on my husbands shoulder, he will go from room to room just to find him. lol. and my cockatoo will chuck the biggest hissy fit if someone walks over to him, he will puff up his body, put his crest up and hiss and jump from foot to foot, as soon as i walk over he puts his crest down and tilts his head for a scratch.....
i believe dogs and cats are the same.....although cats can be buggers. lol. when we use to keep them they would diliberatly hop on peopls laps who didnt like cats. lol.
hope that kinda answeres ur question. cheers
mel

 

[Asharee133]

Well my bird knows who i am, and my rats know who i am,

 

[Walker]

hey Thomas,
i think alot of animals can pick us out from the rest of the family quite well. not sure on reptiles though, maybe our smell ....but it doesnt mean they will react any different whether it be u or someone else in ur family.
other animals are different though....parrots for one know exactly who we are and can tell us apart.... my birds only allow me to pat them ....my husband ring neck will fly through the house and will only ever land on my husbands shoulder, he will go from room to room just to find him. lol. and my cockatoo will chuck the biggest hissy fit if someone walks over to him, he will puff up his body, put his crest up and hiss and jump from foot to foot, as soon as i walk over he puts his crest down and tilts his head for a scratch.....
i believe dogs and cats are the same.....although cats can be buggers. lol. when we use to keep them they would diliberatly hop on peopls laps who didnt like cats. lol.
hope that kinda answeres ur question. cheers
mel

What she said.

 

[naledge]

My dogs treat me differently to the rest of my family. And treat other people much different to us. They treat everybody differently but they always treat that person the same. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that animals can recognize people.

 

[Beardieboy]

Many animals learn by association. I'm the only one in my house who feeds my fish, when I walk past the tank they all swim to the top in anticipation of food whereas when anyone else walks past they show little response. They probably respond to the colour of my hair, the vibrations of my footfalls and the motions I make with my hands as I move. A lot of these little things that we don't notice are picked up on by animals. The fish aren't thinking "Oh there's Kate she feeds us" they are thinking "When this situation occurs (the person with the blonde hair walks past like this) then we often get fed as a result".

The same thing happens with my guinea pigs - they don't think "Oh there's Kate she is going to give us some yummy capsicum so I should jump on the side of the cage to make her happy", they think "in this situation in the past I have been fed, so it's likely I am about to be fed. In the past when I have jumped up on the side of the cage I got more food, so I'm going to do that."

It's all about positive reinforcement training - whether you mean to train them or not!!

Our big beardie Terry goes crazy when I hold him but is really calm for my brother, he probably has learned to associate our smells with different scenarios. He knows I sometimes turn him upside down and mess with him (health check stuff) - bad things happen when I hold him so he doesn't want me to have him. He also knows nothing bad happens when my brother holds him, so he doesn't struggle. Does he recognise us? Yes. Does that mean he likes or dislikes us? Not at all.

It's an interesting question to think about...

 

[TahneeMaree]

Most of our pets (cats, dog, birds, reptiles) treat/react to each of us differently (barely for the reptiles though)... so I guess they do recognise each person.

 

[Alexandra]

My beardie is calm when i am around but if anyone in my family goes near him he puffs up and hisses at them...

 

[fritzi2009]

My bird knows who I am. Whenever I walk out of the room he says 'Mummy!' but he doesn't say it for anyone else. Also he tries to bite anyone who goes near his cage unless it's me, in which case he just fluffs up and starts baby talking to himself. He is only 10 months old and I hand reared him from 4 weeks so I've been the main carer/food provider for him. Plus I snuggle him like everyday and spend the most time with him..
Also he lies on his back in my hand and holds onto my finger with his claws and just sits there like a baby in a cot. He won't do it for anyone else hehe.

Also when I'm lying on the couch/my bed or whatever and he is walking around on me, he waddles up to my face and says ;'Give us a kiss' or 'Kiss kiss' and shoves his beak in my face

 

[ravan]

my cat that i had in primary school hated men, just absolutely hated them... would hiss and arch up at my dad and my brother, but would come into my bed to sleep and for snuggles

and was fine around me, my sister and mum

 

[-Matt-]

I had a bird that adored me but hated my girlfriend, it was fine around most people but for some reason hated my girlfriend even though it saw her more than anyone else. My dogs love everybody but get so so excited whenever Im around.

Im not too sure about reptiles....I know that when I walk into the herp room that the snakes dont get excited to see me, they dont go wagging their tails or jumping up on me or anything. However, I have an adult female water python that sticks her head out of her hide whenever someone walks into the room to check whats going on...but if its just me walking into the room she will fully come out of her hide and over to the glass, if I open the glass door she will instantly crawl out onto my shoulders and stay there while I do what I have to do in the room.....I like to think that she enjoys my company haha

 

[ozianimals]

Reptiles use smell as their major scence. As we all have a unique smell reptiles can tell people apart from our body odurs would be my guess as my snakes know when it's me or my family going near them.

 

[fritzi2009]

Yeah my bird doesn't like strangers very much.. especially men. He's fine wit Dad because he says Dad like everyday and interacts with him, but as soon as there's another man in the house he puts on this big 'I'm the alpha male look how large my puffy feather make me appear' routine.
It's pretty cute because it's all a big show. He's okay around women but still a bit nasty when theres strangers present.

My Dad's GCC 'Cheeky' plays tag with my birds tail and Jesta (my bird) puts on this big show hissing and puffing himsef up to look big and agressive, but as soon as Cheeky gets too close for his liking, Jesta runs away

 

[azn4114]

cats birds snakes and fish... well i know my cat can distinguish me from others,my brothers bird only likes me and him and absolutely hates his gf,my snakes tend to know my smell and stay around me when out,and fish(why a joke?)oscars are very smart fish and can tell who feeds them,not sure about others on your list

 

[LullabyLizard]

Of course animals can tell between us!

 

[antaresia_boy]

with reptiles i assume it would be a scent association, and being used to different peoples scents, and associating different things with various peoples scents. not emotional or anything like that though. Mammals it is definately a relationship though. my aunt had a ringtail possum that she had hand reared as a carer after it was mauled by a crow. if she ever left it he would pine for her until she was back, and never accepted anyone else.

 

[morgs202]

I have had fish that reacted differently when I walki into the room than they do to other people. And my beardie only reacts to the sight of certain people. As for birds, well I used to have a little green cheek conure who would get so unbelievably excited if he saw me or my mate troy, but angry at anyone else...