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catbyte

(34,447 posts)
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:03 PM Apr 13

Does anybody else have a "unique" way of calling their pets?

Otis is my big 18-pound (all muscle) boy. He ignores me when I call him except when I do this one thing. If I sing "The Name Game" to him, he comes running every single time. I feel silly singing, "Otis Otis Bobotis, banana fana fofotis, me my mo Motis, Otis!" It doesn't work with Rosie or Sammy, only Otis.

Gotta love our furry little overlords.

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Does anybody else have a "unique" way of calling their pets? (Original Post) catbyte Apr 13 OP
is a can opener unique? nt msongs Apr 13 #1
Shake the treat jar. Irish_Dem Apr 13 #2
Mine is The Silver song. "Pretty little Silver girl pretty girl..." sung to the tune of the chorus part of brewens Apr 13 #3
I whistle to call my little feral colony for meals. zuul Apr 13 #4
My cats love when I sing to them... crud Apr 13 #5
Mine do too. I once did it at the vet's to comfort a nervous kitty spooky3 Apr 13 #6
I had Rebl2 Apr 13 #14
My cat doesn't like it when I sing, for some reason. ShazzieB Apr 13 #15
My current foster responds to "(name) pets!" Other kitties respond spooky3 Apr 13 #7
When my dogs are outside, I clap loudly twice and they come running. QED Apr 13 #8
I have several ways, but they always come if I clap. tblue37 Apr 13 #9
I once had one who would always come running when you flushed the toilet yellowdogintexas Apr 13 #10
I too sing, badly and off key AuntyGravity Apr 13 #11
no but rampartc Apr 13 #12
Most of my cats have responded to chowmama Apr 13 #13
Indoor-outdoor cats Dear_Prudence Apr 13 #16
I use the same whistle tune my Dad used to use to call applegrove Apr 14 #17
With my previous kitties, it was shaking the dry food bag. With my Mal, niyad Apr 14 #18
Our Kids respond to "Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom"! Ziggysmom Apr 14 #19
Most of mine come when I call their names, but they really respond when japple Apr 14 #20
My cat reacts to her name, but does not always wnylib Apr 16 #21
'Cat-Cat' works for me. Aussie105 Apr 17 #22

brewens

(13,620 posts)
3. Mine is The Silver song. "Pretty little Silver girl pretty girl..." sung to the tune of the chorus part of
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:12 PM
Apr 13

Paul McCartney-Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.

zuul

(14,628 posts)
4. I whistle to call my little feral colony for meals.
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:13 PM
Apr 13

My yard is small and now that they are getting older, they don’t wander much so it’s probably no longer necessary.

spooky3

(34,476 posts)
6. Mine do too. I once did it at the vet's to comfort a nervous kitty
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:15 PM
Apr 13

Then realized I sounded ridiculous and stopped. The vet said “it’s working—keep singing.” So I did.

Rebl2

(13,551 posts)
14. I had
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 08:43 PM
Apr 13

a cat many years ago who would look at me strangely and run away if I sang. Can’t say I blame her😂

ShazzieB

(16,511 posts)
15. My cat doesn't like it when I sing, for some reason.
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 09:38 PM
Apr 13

I know for a fact that I don't have a terrible voice. I'm no Idina Menzel, but I can carry a tune, and people don't run off screaming when they hear me. Willow, however, just does not...dig it. If I sing to her, she stares at me like I've lost my mind.

I probably need to do it more often, to get her used to it. But it's hard to feel motivated with that kind of reception.

QED

(2,749 posts)
8. When my dogs are outside, I clap loudly twice and they come running.
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:18 PM
Apr 13

I started this by rewarding them with a treat when they came in, now no treat but they still come right in.

yellowdogintexas

(22,270 posts)
10. I once had one who would always come running when you flushed the toilet
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:52 PM
Apr 13

Even if he was trying to hide he could not resist the flush. He liked to hang over the bowl and watch the water swirl

AuntyGravity

(204 posts)
11. I too sing, badly and off key
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 07:53 PM
Apr 13

The song I wrote for TTtoo:

(no you didn't ask, but here it is anyway )
(it's a heavy blues tune)

My sweet little TTtoo mama loves you!
My sweet little TTtoo mama dooooo-ooh-ooh
My sweet Tahiti Bali Hai,
You are the little apple of my eye-eye-eye-eye, yeahhhhh
My sweet little TTtoo your mama loooooooves youuuuuuuu.
Whoahoah yeah, your mama looooves you.

chowmama

(413 posts)
13. Most of my cats have responded to
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 08:26 PM
Apr 13

A particular high falsetto singsong 'Here, Kitty, Come, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty'. Fast Eddie couldn't care less.

However, he will consent to be summoned by a pantomime gesture of bilateral fingers scritching behind the ears. It's a silent offer of lap and cuddles. "Ok, sure, yeah, if you insist." I guess he speaks sign language.

Each of my dogs has always had one or more signature song, but it wasn't used to call, only to croon. The chow's songs were "Chows just wanna have fun, and 'My Chow (my chow, my chow)' - "I got so much chow, the bichon envies me." It was the last thing she heard on this earth. She always knew she was safe when she heard it.

Dear_Prudence

(382 posts)
16. Indoor-outdoor cats
Sat Apr 13, 2024, 10:33 PM
Apr 13

When I had indoor-outdoor cats, I used to bang the cat food can with a spoon. If a kitty didn't appear on time, I could walk around the block banging on the can to lure them home, which is preferable to voice callin, especially at night. Now my three cats are indoors only so I just sing-song Wolfie's name to call him. The other two run when called because they think luring a Catt, ever, is suspicious behavior.

applegrove

(118,777 posts)
17. I use the same whistle tune my Dad used to use to call
Sun Apr 14, 2024, 01:39 PM
Apr 14

our childhood cat inside. Mine doesn't go outside but will respond to his whistle and meow. Or snuggle up to me in the bed. He knows it is for him.

niyad

(113,552 posts)
18. With my previous kitties, it was shaking the dry food bag. With my Mal,
Sun Apr 14, 2024, 03:08 PM
Apr 14

it was thevword, "coooooookie!!!" on a rising inflection. He could have been hakfway across White Sands, and ge would return instantly.

japple

(9,839 posts)
20. Most of mine come when I call their names, but they really respond when
Sun Apr 14, 2024, 06:43 PM
Apr 14

I say "Supper" (high-pitched voice) or "Treatios" (also high pitched.)

wnylib

(21,606 posts)
21. My cat reacts to her name, but does not always
Tue Apr 16, 2024, 08:05 AM
Apr 16

Last edited Tue Apr 16, 2024, 11:25 AM - Edit history (1)

come when I use it. If she's in sight of my hand, she will come when I extend it in her direction. Sometimes she comes when I whistle.

If I really need her to come quickly, I just call out "treats" or "hungry."

A phrase that she always responds to is "Good night, Ember," as I lie down. Does not matter if it's bed time at night or a nap during the day. Wherever she is, whatever she's doing, she hops up to join me and pushes her head against my hand for scritches. She will not lie down next to me or snuggle against my body. She only buries her head against me and purrs up a storm while I scratch her head and behind her ears.

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