Just flipping through the channels and ran across NAT GEO, and a documentary about lions. Accepting evolution, I know my domestic house cat is related going back far enough, which is why they are both called "cats".

But just know they explained that the lions, when triggered by a scent of prey, will slightly open their mouths and squint their eyes and freeze their faces. I'VE SEEN MY CAT do that after sniffing me!

Believe me it is the same weird look I saw on the lioness just now, that I have seen on my pet cat! He does that too! He will sniff me, and have that look on his face with his mouth slightly open as if to say, "Dude, you need to take shower". I am exaggerating, but still.

I am sure whether detecting prey, or familiarizing themselves to family smells, it is just a way of processing information. 

It is still a hilarious face to see on my cat.

On an unrelated note. My cat does not give a f where he sneezes. He'll be curled up next to me, I'll see the squint, the wind up, and like a Major League Baseball player winding up for a pitch, his head slowly turns to one side, then suddenly snaps to me and I get sprayed with cat sneeze like someone pulling the trigger on a Febreze bottle.

You should assume the worst. Your cat definitely wants to eat you.

(January 17, 2019 at 2:35 pm)Yonadav Wrote: You should assume the worst. Your cat definitely wants to eat you.

Ha ha ha, no. My little guy doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is fortunately a baby, even at 11 years old.

I love him for that. I can playfully pin him to the pillow on my bed by his arm pits on his back, pretend to growl at him and he purrs. I can even blow bubbles on his tummy and he doesn't resist. At worst he furrow's his brow as if to say, " Are you done yet?"

And without fail every morning around 4:45 to 5:15 am he purrs, sniffs my ear to wake me up, then if I don't respond with that, he will knead my side to wake me up to feed him. He is my best friend and the most friendly and gentle pet I have ever had in my life.

I SERIOUSLY live for him waking me up every morning. It is the cutest thing in the world.

---

Facial expressions in other mammals do not mean the same thing as when humans do them.

Good examples are other primates, like chimps. Far too often we see the cute baby chimps in movies, and most do not realize they are food rewarded for "smiling". The truth is that if you see any primate in the wild show it's teeth, it is more like a good guy or bad guy in a western, or FBI movie, moving their jacket to expose their heat. If you see a primate bearing it's teeth it is a warning, not a greeting.

(January 17, 2019 at 2:26 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Just flipping through the channels and ran across NAT GEO, and a documentary about lions. Accepting evolution, I know my domestic house cat is related going back far enough, which is why they are both called "cats".

But just know they explained that the lions, when triggered by a scent of prey, will slightly open their mouths and squint their eyes and freeze their faces. I'VE SEEN MY CAT do that after sniffing me!

Believe me it is the same weird look I saw on the lioness just now, that I have seen on my pet cat! He does that too! He will sniff me, and have that look on his face with his mouth slightly open as if to say, "Dude, you need to take shower". I am exaggerating, but still.

I am sure whether  detecting prey, or familiarizing themselves to family smells, it is just a way of processing information. 

It is still a hilarious face to see on my cat.

On an unrelated note. My cat does not give a f where he sneezes. He'll be curled up next to me, I'll see the squint, the wind up, and like a Major League Baseball player winding up for a pitch, his head slowly turns to one side, then suddenly snaps to me and I get sprayed with cat sneeze like someone pulling the trigger on a Febreze bottle.

This is a common face on cats when they *like* whatever they are smelling. The lions like the smell of the prey---it means food. Your cat likes your smell--it means food.

(January 17, 2019 at 3:14 pm)polymath257 Wrote:

(January 17, 2019 at 2:26 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Just flipping through the channels and ran across NAT GEO, and a documentary about lions. Accepting evolution, I know my domestic house cat is related going back far enough, which is why they are both called "cats".

But just know they explained that the lions, when triggered by a scent of prey, will slightly open their mouths and squint their eyes and freeze their faces. I'VE SEEN MY CAT do that after sniffing me!

Believe me it is the same weird look I saw on the lioness just now, that I have seen on my pet cat! He does that too! He will sniff me, and have that look on his face with his mouth slightly open as if to say, "Dude, you need to take shower". I am exaggerating, but still.

I am sure whether  detecting prey, or familiarizing themselves to family smells, it is just a way of processing information. 

It is still a hilarious face to see on my cat.

On an unrelated note. My cat does not give a f where he sneezes. He'll be curled up next to me, I'll see the squint, the wind up, and like a Major League Baseball player winding up for a pitch, his head slowly turns to one side, then suddenly snaps to me and I get sprayed with cat sneeze like someone pulling the trigger on a Febreze bottle.

This is a common face on cats when they *like* whatever they are smelling. The lions like the smell of the prey---it means food. Your cat likes your smell--it means food.

I get that. But he also curls up on my clothing so he likes my smell in general. Don't ask me why. Most of the time I smell like a locker room, not even food. 

I think at least with him, when it comes to food. He is more of an empathy eater. If he sees me near the kitchen, opening a can, or the fridge, turning on the oven, he bolts to the kitchen meowing "what about me, what about me". I never feed him people food. But even when he doesn't meow, he will go to here his double dish is, and sit there like a statue staring at me until I cave in, which I usually do.

He's like that kid in Oliver Twist, "Please sir, can I have more?"

You cant say no to a face like that.

(January 17, 2019 at 3:31 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(January 17, 2019 at 3:14 pm)polymath257 Wrote: This is a common face on cats when they *like* whatever they are smelling. The lions like the smell of the prey---it means food. Your cat likes your smell--it means food.

I get that. But he also curls up on my clothing so he likes my smell in general. Don't ask me why. Most of the time I smell like a locker room, not even food. 

I think at least with him, when it comes to food. He is more of an empathy eater. If he sees me near the kitchen, opening a can, or the fridge, turning on the oven, he bolts to the kitchen meowing "what about me, what about me". I never feed him people food. But even when he doesn't meow, he will go to here his double dish is, and sit there like a statue staring at me until I cave in, which I usually do.

He's like that kid in Oliver Twist, "Please sir, can I have more?"

You cant say no to a face like that.

Don't forget your smell is associated with things like more food, more petting, and is very familiar. Your cat likes being around you, so your smell is a positive.

(January 17, 2019 at 3:45 pm)polymath257 Wrote:

(January 17, 2019 at 3:31 pm)Brian37 Wrote: I get that. But he also curls up on my clothing so he likes my smell in general. Don't ask me why. Most of the time I smell like a locker room, not even food. 

I think at least with him, when it comes to food. He is more of an empathy eater. If he sees me near the kitchen, opening a can, or the fridge, turning on the oven, he bolts to the kitchen meowing "what about me, what about me". I never feed him people food. But even when he doesn't meow, he will go to here his double dish is, and sit there like a statue staring at me until I cave in, which I usually do.

He's like that kid in Oliver Twist, "Please sir, can I have more?"

You cant say no to a face like that.

Don't forget your smell is associated with things like more food, more petting, and is very familiar. Your cat likes being around you, so your smell is a positive.

Thank you. That was an apt analogy. It is a good thing that he is a small domesticated cat. Because there are stories in nature reserves and zoos, where the slightest bit of missing a schedule with a big cat like a tiger, can upset them to the point where they act out, even if it isn't for the cat, "I fucking hate you" but more like "Where the hell have you been?"

I went to Australia for 2 weeks last year. I was worried that my cat might forget me. But when I got back, I picked him up in a cab, and he stared out the window looking for me and meowing because he was so excited to have me back. 

And the bastard made an escape, scared the shit out of me. We had to get out of the way of hurricane Florence, and I went inland 4 hours drive. But about half way through, he kept meowing, so I let him out of the carrier to move around. When we got to the hotel, I didn't put him back in. Went in, fortunately the hotel had a room. I could have very easily seen my self frustrated and simply hopping back into the van if they didn't. But they did.

Turned out the cute little bastard didn't want to be left behind so he hopped out of the van when I opened the door. I didn't see that.

So I come back out thinking, "Yea, we got a room", open the door, NO CAT! I panicked, started screaming his name. Fortunately for me a calm black lady saw what was happening, looked around, and said "There he is", and she spotted him in the bush near the entrance. He didn't want to be left behind.

So when you say he likes being around me, yea. Even to the point of scaring the shit out of me.

You smell of dead wildebeest and zebra?

I'd see a doctor.

(January 17, 2019 at 5:56 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: You smell of dead wildebeest and zebra?

I'd see a doctor.

More like cigarettes and beer.

They do that when they want to have sex with you, too.