While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
My cat grabbed the brush and chewed it too. It took years to figure out that he wanted his cheeks brushed. I laid the brush in front of him one day and he started brushing his cheeks with it. So I started including his cheeks in our brushing sessions. He loved it.
To add a possibility: My kitty starts gnawing the bristles if he thinks they're clogged with too much fur. (The old fur might be stinky/"dirty" too, because he also "grooms" the fur pads if I put them aside instead of in the trash. And no, he doesn't seem to actually want them as he doesn't do anything to prevent me putting them in the trash like he would for something he does want.)
For the Non-Cat-People, if Todd had not actually wanted Bellyrubs, then when Dad tried to give him the Bellyrubs, Todd would have swatted or nipped to indicate that he was not willing to have his vulnerable abdomen handled. That touch that could not trigger the button, but was indeed intentional, that is something to behold. Todd trusts that dad give him attention and focus as Todd wishes to be "heard" and was likely a test from Todd to Dad; you noticing my [a little too] subtle request? You did! *Purrs contentedly* Thanks for sharing this leap in Todd's thinking and testing limits of the communication buttons, Dad!
Yep, my orange cat boy would get on my lap and want to be petted, but when he had enough would grab my hand lightly with his teeth to make me stop. I always acknowledged him, saying Ok you want me to stop.
Kudos to Dad for catching Todd's request even though the button was not activated. That shows a level of communication that transcends what other human/cats have without a sound board.
I like the way he tried to sneak that Mousey in there after the Brush button. His face showed it all that he didn’t like the “No” answer. Like darn it didn’t work 😺
I remember seeing it in some of the other videos, too - it feels almost as if he's hoping that asking for Mousey just after Dad has sad yes to something else, will trip Dad into saying yes to Mousey as well.
I love seeing him sneak in an extra Mousey request every once in a while. You know he's thinking that it can't hurt to try, Dad might just say yes one of these days. 😅
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
Ah, the things one does for a good belly rub! Thank you. P.S. I love the look he gave you. "What do you mean all done, mister? There's still plenty of belly to be rubbed!" 😀
Always love the look on his face after you hit “all done” like he’s considering if he will allow that or not. “Hey Dad did I dismiss you and say you could leave?” The “hello” was interesting because he was following you, either to go down too and to say hello below. Or chasing “Hello, come back here!”
He is so durn cute. I have to say I was relieved to hear you tell him "no", not because of the request itself but because I was wondering how in the world you would ever have had occasion to say "no" to that perfect angel. xD
@@Missalexkennedy I feel like I am in a tiny minority of people who have challenging kitties. xD Mine know the word "no" well already. They ignore it, of course!
While possible that is hard to measure without a cross section of reliable data. It is more likely that humans are paying more attention to animals and that has changed our perception of them from dumb animals to intelligent beings
Humans have downplayed the intelligence of animals for ages despite all the signs. We're finally not only paying attention but actually giving credit to the intelligence of animals. Before people would dismiss signs of intelligence and that used to drive me insane growing up 😂
That last "hello" was interesting. I wonder if it was a sort of hello/goodbye like the way "aloha" is really used traditionally? It would give us another interesting perception of Todd's language use--very subtle.
Honestly Todd ceases to amaze me ❣️❣️ The intelligence that you can see in his eyes and his buttons, is so beautiful and awesome!! And if it wasn’t for his hooman he wouldn’t be as happy content and he is never bored ❣️❣️ I added two more buttons for my Harem of kitties LOL,, so he is now up to five///. Eat,Bubbles,Bitch,love you and the final word cookies 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 he has mastered cookies and bubbles and definitely likes calling his sister the B word 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 thank you Todd’s hooman and Todd. Glamour and Paulie
I absolutely love watching Todd, and was inspired by the episodes about him alerting you about Glamour's back to get some buttons. We finally received our first 6 buttons today. We have 4 cats, and they are closely bonded so I think having one set is best. They always prefer to use the pile onto the same bed (whether there is room or not), play with the same toys, share bowls, etc... and they are constantly mimicking each other, so one set seems to make sense. There is one that has been showing us he is more trainable than the others and also to find his own way of communicating his desires to us, so we are going to focus on showing him (althogh we will show the others as well). If he gets it and the others see him being praised for it, they will immediately become jealous and try to "play" as well. (I swear these cats will count how many times each gets a pet, and demand exactly the same number - so yes, a lot of sibling competition for attention and praise). So, here is what I am wondering. What do people thing about incorporating a camera? I am not really big into social media, so I don't plan to post anything unless at least one cat picks up on it in a meaningful manner, but should I set up the camera right away so that, if things do go well I can show people how it all started from day one, or would that just be boring to watch? I only started watching Todd about a year ago, so I don't really know if Dad was streaming videos early on so people could see the growth, or, if he just started posting (or interacting with Todd through the camera) when it became clear that Todd had a real interest and aptitude for using the buttons. Btw- as a cat "mom" of 4 sweet felines, I have to say that even without the buttons, I think Dad is one of the best cat-parents I have ever seen, and I love the connection he has with Todd. I imagine that connection was there before the buttons, but I think the ability to "talk" to each other has made that connection even deeper.
Great question. I set up a single camera right away and started his videos. I will say I. Ant tell you how many times reviewing the footage has shed new understanding as to what Todd was doing or trying to say. I hear the buttons, but I don't always see him or what happened just before that will make his pushes make sense. Whether you post your videos or not, I recommend it.
So sweet. I always knew pets understood what we said, but they never had a way of communicating back as good as this. I’m so happy someone thought of inventing these buttons
He's such a funny little guy. I find it impressive he can pick out his buttons even when upside down. He's clearly got everything memorized very well. I wish I knew of some place doing cat research who could do a cat brain scan of him. I think it would be so interesting to see if teaching buttons changes how cats think and gets new areas of their brains to light up.
There is nothing sweeter than a cats belly. Too bad you cant sit there and brush him for an hour or so.......I would love to use it as my relaxation meditation time!!!!!! I actually fall asleep rubbing my cats belly.....so relaxing!!!!! You guys have a good day.
Wow, that's so cool! He seems to know that you are so attentive to his communication that it would work just to touch the button even if he wasn't able to press it to make the sound! Really, that's amazing!
5:57 Todd wanted brush, not comb! This is how we know the belly rubs paw was intentional, because he wouldn't have let you unless that's what he wanted!
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
I think another aspect of the buttons that is overlooked is that the pets involved know that we are paying attention to them, their needs, and their wants. In contrast, other pets know that we give them attention, but often not the attention that they're wanting. All simply because there's a communication barrier.
While I agree, and have even just taken the steps of getting the buttons, I think that if a human and cat are enough in-tune with each other, many of them start developing their own type of "language" to communicate certain information. Cats will start using their ability to identify sounds more so they can recognize certain words, and humans will start being attuned to even subtle body language, intonations and changes in actions, that we don't usually note in other people. It is somewhat similar to how many parents, especially mothers, are able to correctly understand what an infant needs/wants/feels even before the child can speak (my son was non-verbal until he was almost 4, but I was able to easily understand at least 90% of what he wanted to communicate. (And yes, we tried sign language, but other than a few small signs he completely rejected it). He used a combination of gestures, facial expressions, grunt type sounds, and eye direction to tell me what he wanted/needed/was curious about. In some ways, even though he speaks completely fine now, that need to be attuned to his non-verbal communication has allowed me to better understand him and has made our bond closer since I can understand and respond to things he is afraid to communicate or doesn't know how to really express. I do believe similar bonds can exist between animals and people, especially beloved pets, when both parties have the desire. I have 4 cats now, and 3 who have passed. 2 of them (both of whom have passed) each were so close to me, and to each other, that at times it felt like we were having actual conversations. As one of them got older, he developed some issues that had no outward symptoms and the only behavior changes were relatively normal changes with age. He let me know something was wrong and helped me understand that it was somewhere in his upper stomach or chest. I brought him to several different vets, including a gastroenterologist, all of whom thought I was crazy because they could find nothing wrong with him, and when they asked me his symptoms all I could tell them was that he kept "telling" me that the area was bothering him, and seemed to "complain" mostly after he ate. And that when he slept he now seemed to prefer his back, and have less restful sleep and sleep for shorter than usual when he was on his stomach or sides. He also seemed to get tired a bit more quickly when he was playing- he still played just fine and jumped and wrestled and everything, he just was breaking his play up into shorter sessions over the course of the day (this part they dismissed as part of aging, since he was almost 14 years old). I was on maybe the 4th or 5th vet when I outright asked for an imaging test. They had done 2 ultrasounds so far and none of them showed anything concerning. One area was a bit large, but not abnormally so, and wasn't uncommon for older cars. The vet must of thought I was mad and tried to explain that the dangers of unnecessarily putting a 14 year old cat under sedation for a scan outweighed the likelihood of finding anything wrong. He also told me that it would cost quite a bit. I told him I wanted it done, was happy to pay, felt the cat was in good shape for his age and could handle sedation, and promised to stop bothering everyone if the scan came out clean. I think that last bit did the trick. I dropped off my kitty for the scan a couple days later. When I returned that afternoon, the vet quite sheepishly told me they had found something. The area that they had previously said seemed a little on the big side was not actually big. The organ was a normal side but it had some small "growth" on it. They said it could be something he had always had (he had no prior scans for comparison) or a small cyst or just a normal growth that sometimes happens with age, or it could be a tumor or something more significant. Their recommended action was a follow up scan in 4-6 weeks. The alternative was surgery to see what it was, and if needed remove it and get it analyzed. It was located almost exactly where my cat had "told" me. - right between his stomach and diaphragm. Which to me meant it was new (since he had just started telling me a couple months ago at that point) and it was causing pain or discomfort (which to me meant it needed to be removed), so I went against the advice and opted for the surgery. The vet definitely rolled his eyes a bit, but I think at this point he realized I was a stubborn and crazy woman who believed her cat over doctors, and wasn't going to budge anyway. So they do the surgery. Turned out the growth was a cyst, which may have been there for years (no way to know) but it has formed an abscess which has made it swell up with puss. It probably was hurting whenever pressure was put on it (for example, when my cat's stomach was full after eating, when he laid on the area, and when he was breathing faster due to active play). So yeah, basically exactly when he told me (and what I had observed). No one felt it because it's position was such that it would have been hidden from palpations except if they knew exactly where to feel, and even then it would be hard to find (plus pressing too hard on it could have caused it to burst), and because of the shape of it it blended in perfectly with the area and didn't appear to be separate from the surrounding organs. Luckily they were able to drain it completely and remove the entire cyst without incident. But apparently, during those 2 months when I had been getting a vet to try to believe me that my cat had "told me" he needed medical help, he had been walking around with an abscess that could have easily popped and caused him to go into sepsis or even die. Thank goodness none of that happened and he lived another 2 1/2 years before crossing the rainbow bridge. None of my current cats have white the same communication with me beyond very basic wants/desires, which is one of the reasons I want the buttons. But looking back, I kind of wonder if the vets might have been more willing to believe me if I could have brought in videos of my cat using buttons to tell me about his stomach. I guess that would have depended on if the vet believed that cats can engage in real communication through buttons. Hopefully, with videos of cats like Todd and Billi (RIP) becoming increasingly common and popular, more vets will start realizing that they are able to "listen" to their patients complaints the way that human doctors do.
I love watching you and Todd, its amazing how you both connect and totally get eachother I think Glamour knows exactly what she is doing sometimes ❤. Thanks for sharing Blessings
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
Hope you are beginning to feel better.❤
I hope you have a speedy recovery!
@@TheChroniclesofToddToddTalks Thanks, really appreciate you taking the time to do that. Hope you’re on the mend and Todd is giving you healing purrs.
Thanks Dad! So happy you are feeling up to posting these older videos. And this one is amazing! Todd sure knows his buttons!
You take your time in your healing process and we will all be here when you return.
My cat grabbed the brush and chewed it too. It took years to figure out that he wanted his cheeks brushed. I laid the brush in front of him one day and he started brushing his cheeks with it. So I started including his cheeks in our brushing sessions. He loved it.
Aww, that's precious! ❤Smart kitty!
My cat loves to have her cheeks brushed.
To add a possibility: My kitty starts gnawing the bristles if he thinks they're clogged with too much fur.
(The old fur might be stinky/"dirty" too, because he also "grooms" the fur pads if I put them aside instead of in the trash. And no, he doesn't seem to actually want them as he doesn't do anything to prevent me putting them in the trash like he would for something he does want.)
If cats could speak they could organize and overthrow humanity.
LOL Anyone else living the cat life, vicariously, through Dad??
He even looks back at you after pawing at it like "did you see?" It reminds me of Billi pressing things with her head :')
There is much truth in the saying: "Dogs have owners, cats have staff."
Todd sure knows his buttons inside out and upside down 😄 👍
❤ his purring
Todd is proof how much cats can understand and express. He's amazing.
It’s also the owner.
Todd needs an "Oh, yeah, that is good button"
There's more in that head than what crawls! Smart boy!❤
I agree! God bless our kitties! 🥰
I have said it before but a shall never ever grow tired of watching Todd use his buttons in amazing ways!
LOL that "hello" & his body language was like "HELLO?? Where are going? Who said you could leave?"
Exactly what I was thinking!! "Who gave you permission to leave????" 😂😂
More like who gave you permission to stop.
That's what I thought!
Hey, Dad! You're done, but I'm not! 😅
Todd was like, "Hello??? I wasn't done!!!"
Wow! Todd really does know the button locations inside out and upside down!
The way he looks at you is so precious 😻
He truly did deliberately touch the button! Amazing!
For the Non-Cat-People, if Todd had not actually wanted Bellyrubs, then when Dad tried to give him the Bellyrubs, Todd would have swatted or nipped to indicate that he was not willing to have his vulnerable abdomen handled. That touch that could not trigger the button, but was indeed intentional, that is something to behold.
Todd trusts that dad give him attention and focus as Todd wishes to be "heard" and was likely a test from Todd to Dad; you noticing my [a little too] subtle request? You did! *Purrs contentedly*
Thanks for sharing this leap in Todd's thinking and testing limits of the communication buttons, Dad!
Yep, my orange cat boy would get on my lap and want to be petted, but when he had enough would grab my hand lightly with his teeth to make me stop. I always acknowledged him, saying Ok you want me to stop.
Kudos to Dad for catching Todd's request even though the button was not activated. That shows a level of communication that transcends what other human/cats have without a sound board.
I'm not surprised... he's such a smarty pants! 💜💜💜
That is so sweet, how Todd thanked Dad by touching his hand, right after Dad understood message. So amazing!
He's so cute I'm gonna cry omg
I like the way he tried to sneak that Mousey in there after the Brush button. His face showed it all that he didn’t like the “No” answer. Like darn it didn’t work 😺
Yeah that was so funny, he clearly showed some displesuare.
I remember seeing it in some of the other videos, too - it feels almost as if he's hoping that asking for Mousey just after Dad has sad yes to something else, will trip Dad into saying yes to Mousey as well.
I love seeing him sneak in an extra Mousey request every once in a while. You know he's thinking that it can't hurt to try, Dad might just say yes one of these days. 😅
Very glad to see Dad up and around so quickly after surgery! Todd is an amazing cat boi!!!
I think he said he had some videos saved up that he is uploading while he recovers.
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
smart and beautiful cat Todd is. All your kitties are beautiful
Ah, the things one does for a good belly rub! Thank you.
P.S. I love the look he gave you. "What do you mean all done, mister? There's still plenty of belly to be rubbed!" 😀
I think Todd may be like the Hobbits and wants second breakfast mousey.
He is so cute and smart
don't forget elevenses!
Todd is living proof of cats having emotions just like humans.❤
Always love the look on his face after you hit “all done” like he’s considering if he will allow that or not. “Hey Dad did I dismiss you and say you could leave?”
The “hello” was interesting because he was following you, either to go down too and to say hello below. Or chasing “Hello, come back here!”
He is so durn cute. I have to say I was relieved to hear you tell him "no", not because of the request itself but because I was wondering how in the world you would ever have had occasion to say "no" to that perfect angel. xD
Same! I’ve been considering getting my frighteningly smart Bengal a talking board but I can’t imagine ever saying “no” 😂
@@Missalexkennedy I feel like I am in a tiny minority of people who have challenging kitties. xD Mine know the word "no" well already. They ignore it, of course!
His purring says it all! ❤😊
such a precious intelligent fur baby
Sweet kitty
He is so precious!!! He loves you so much. You can see it in his look at you!!
Cutest cat 🐈⬛ ever!
What a loving dad to such a precious cat! ❤❤❤❤😊
Todd is one handsome gentleman. 😊
Todd lives such a TOUGH life! 🤣
I saw it. I expect it's hard to fully depress upside down ad backwards but he knew what he wanted.
I wonder if Todd could learn to spell his name if you gave him T O & D buttons?
How quite. He said hello as if asking if you're coming back.❤❤
Love me some Todd❤
My calico jazzy is just a smart she knows every word I'm saying ❤ she can even say hello.
Such a smart boy!!!
Very clever and I love the purring! he is one lucky cat. His wish is your command!!
Just wanted to send warm wishes and love to all of you and thank you for all the smiles!:❤ 4:07
He’s such a sweet boi🥰
Todd is Gorgeous!! Hope you are recovery well.
It's fun seeing all that floof in slow motion!
❤❤❤ I love watching Todd. Thank you so much for sharing him and his house siblings. ❤❤❤
I’ve noticed over the years that animals - not just cats and dogs - are becoming much more intelligent. Anyone else agree?
I think it's just that humans are finally paying attention
While possible that is hard to measure without a cross section of reliable data. It is more likely that humans are paying more attention to animals and that has changed our perception of them from dumb animals to intelligent beings
Yes I really agree
@@chezamaudefinitely this too
Humans have downplayed the intelligence of animals for ages despite all the signs.
We're finally not only paying attention but actually giving credit to the intelligence of animals. Before people would dismiss signs of intelligence and that used to drive me insane growing up 😂
We love Todd and Dad ❤️❤ I hope you‘re taking it easy‼️❤️‼️
That last "hello" was interesting. I wonder if it was a sort of hello/goodbye like the way "aloha" is really used traditionally? It would give us another interesting perception of Todd's language use--very subtle.
Todd is so cute, clever, intelligent and adorable
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Dad, my belly feels great. Hope you both are feeling better soon!!!!
I think Todd is a genius.
Honestly Todd ceases to amaze me ❣️❣️ The intelligence that you can see in his eyes and his buttons, is so beautiful and awesome!! And if it wasn’t for his hooman he wouldn’t be as happy content and he is never bored ❣️❣️ I added two more buttons for my Harem of kitties LOL,, so he is now up to five///. Eat,Bubbles,Bitch,love you and the final word cookies 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 he has mastered cookies and bubbles and definitely likes calling his sister the B word 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 thank you Todd’s hooman and Todd. Glamour and Paulie
Todd loves Dad. x
1:25 wow, Todd's getting fast! He went right over to the other button, and didnt even falter when he was listening to you!
I absolutely love watching Todd, and was inspired by the episodes about him alerting you about Glamour's back to get some buttons.
We finally received our first 6 buttons today. We have 4 cats, and they are closely bonded so I think having one set is best. They always prefer to use the pile onto the same bed (whether there is room or not), play with the same toys, share bowls, etc... and they are constantly mimicking each other, so one set seems to make sense. There is one that has been showing us he is more trainable than the others and also to find his own way of communicating his desires to us, so we are going to focus on showing him (althogh we will show the others as well). If he gets it and the others see him being praised for it, they will immediately become jealous and try to "play" as well. (I swear these cats will count how many times each gets a pet, and demand exactly the same number - so yes, a lot of sibling competition for attention and praise).
So, here is what I am wondering. What do people thing about incorporating a camera? I am not really big into social media, so I don't plan to post anything unless at least one cat picks up on it in a meaningful manner, but should I set up the camera right away so that, if things do go well I can show people how it all started from day one, or would that just be boring to watch?
I only started watching Todd about a year ago, so I don't really know if Dad was streaming videos early on so people could see the growth, or, if he just started posting (or interacting with Todd through the camera) when it became clear that Todd had a real interest and aptitude for using the buttons.
Btw- as a cat "mom" of 4 sweet felines, I have to say that even without the buttons, I think Dad is one of the best cat-parents I have ever seen, and I love the connection he has with Todd. I imagine that connection was there before the buttons, but I think the ability to "talk" to each other has made that connection even deeper.
Great question. I set up a single camera right away and started his videos. I will say I. Ant tell you how many times reviewing the footage has shed new understanding as to what Todd was doing or trying to say. I hear the buttons, but I don't always see him or what happened just before that will make his pushes make sense. Whether you post your videos or not, I recommend it.
Cool cat. Having a confident conversation with his person. So fascinating to watch as he navigates his way through the dialogue. Can see him thinking.
Precious and clever our Todd❤❤❤
That's so cool Todd! He actually kicks your hand away first, so I think he really did want belly rubs! ❤
So sweet. I always knew pets understood what we said, but they never had a way of communicating back as good as this. I’m so happy someone thought of inventing these buttons
And to think that pigs are even smarter than cats and dogs.... it's so sad, they are being treated that way... 😢
Todd is amazing. Hope "Dad" is doing well also.
Todd is very loved
He's such a funny little guy.
I find it impressive he can pick out his buttons even when upside down. He's clearly got everything memorized very well.
I wish I knew of some place doing cat research who could do a cat brain scan of him. I think it would be so interesting to see if teaching buttons changes how cats think and gets new areas of their brains to light up.
"Researchers unlock new secrets to improving cat health using crochet hats", posted 1 month ago.
edit: at University of Montreal.
@@akinpaws Yup. I'm aware of it. But as far as I am aware, they are not doing this research.
I love the little knitted hats, though. They're adorable.
There is nothing sweeter than a cats belly. Too bad you cant sit there and brush him for an hour or so.......I would love to use it as my relaxation meditation time!!!!!! I actually fall asleep rubbing my cats belly.....so relaxing!!!!! You guys have a good day.
I have two little white cats who love belly rubs.
At the end I think Todd was saying "Hello" to his fans... not Dad..
. 😁👍👍
Wow! He pressed that button upside down and backwards! Todd is a kitty who knows what he wants. 😊
He's a happy boy. He's a smart boy.
One day it Will be Brush AND mousey. Persistance Todd 😺
Did Todd mean, HELLO, I wasn’t done! 😾
😂
Exactly! 😅
Wow, that's so cool! He seems to know that you are so attentive to his communication that it would work just to touch the button even if he wasn't able to press it to make the sound!
Really, that's amazing!
He's a fiiiinnne young man. Todd: What about breakfast? Aragorn: You've already had it. Todd: I've had one yes, but what about second breakfast? 🤣
Thank you for sharing your adventures with Todd!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I loved the Hello after you went downstairs. It was almost a summons, Hey Dad, we are not finished up here, so I am waiting!
Such a smart kitty that loves his bellyrubbs
I get the same thing from my cat. I tell him mousey go sleep. See mousey night. Then I put the mousey in the cat drawer.
His purr is so LOUD, love it!
5:57 Todd wanted brush, not comb! This is how we know the belly rubs paw was intentional, because he wouldn't have let you unless that's what he wanted!
Awesome. Can hear the purrs from here!
Glad to see that you've recovered from surgery and didn't have to "settle" too long.
I could be wrong but he said he was going to show some videos ge had already while he recovers
So I don't think this after surgery.
@@jeannadavis3018 True. I had forgotten that.
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.
@TheChroniclesofToddToddTalks Get well soon!
Todd is just amazing! ❤
I think another aspect of the buttons that is overlooked is that the pets involved know that we are paying attention to them, their needs, and their wants. In contrast, other pets know that we give them attention, but often not the attention that they're wanting. All simply because there's a communication barrier.
While I agree, and have even just taken the steps of getting the buttons, I think that if a human and cat are enough in-tune with each other, many of them start developing their own type of "language" to communicate certain information. Cats will start using their ability to identify sounds more so they can recognize certain words, and humans will start being attuned to even subtle body language, intonations and changes in actions, that we don't usually note in other people. It is somewhat similar to how many parents, especially mothers, are able to correctly understand what an infant needs/wants/feels even before the child can speak (my son was non-verbal until he was almost 4, but I was able to easily understand at least 90% of what he wanted to communicate. (And yes, we tried sign language, but other than a few small signs he completely rejected it). He used a combination of gestures, facial expressions, grunt type sounds, and eye direction to tell me what he wanted/needed/was curious about. In some ways, even though he speaks completely fine now, that need to be attuned to his non-verbal communication has allowed me to better understand him and has made our bond closer since I can understand and respond to things he is afraid to communicate or doesn't know how to really express.
I do believe similar bonds can exist between animals and people, especially beloved pets, when both parties have the desire. I have 4 cats now, and 3 who have passed. 2 of them (both of whom have passed) each were so close to me, and to each other, that at times it felt like we were having actual conversations. As one of them got older, he developed some issues that had no outward symptoms and the only behavior changes were relatively normal changes with age. He let me know something was wrong and helped me understand that it was somewhere in his upper stomach or chest. I brought him to several different vets, including a gastroenterologist, all of whom thought I was crazy because they could find nothing wrong with him, and when they asked me his symptoms all I could tell them was that he kept "telling" me that the area was bothering him, and seemed to "complain" mostly after he ate. And that when he slept he now seemed to prefer his back, and have less restful sleep and sleep for shorter than usual when he was on his stomach or sides. He also seemed to get tired a bit more quickly when he was playing- he still played just fine and jumped and wrestled and everything, he just was breaking his play up into shorter sessions over the course of the day (this part they dismissed as part of aging, since he was almost 14 years old).
I was on maybe the 4th or 5th vet when I outright asked for an imaging test. They had done 2 ultrasounds so far and none of them showed anything concerning. One area was a bit large, but not abnormally so, and wasn't uncommon for older cars. The vet must of thought I was mad and tried to explain that the dangers of unnecessarily putting a 14 year old cat under sedation for a scan outweighed the likelihood of finding anything wrong. He also told me that it would cost quite a bit. I told him I wanted it done, was happy to pay, felt the cat was in good shape for his age and could handle sedation, and promised to stop bothering everyone if the scan came out clean. I think that last bit did the trick.
I dropped off my kitty for the scan a couple days later. When I returned that afternoon, the vet quite sheepishly told me they had found something. The area that they had previously said seemed a little on the big side was not actually big. The organ was a normal side but it had some small "growth" on it.
They said it could be something he had always had (he had no prior scans for comparison) or a small cyst or just a normal growth that sometimes happens with age, or it could be a tumor or something more significant. Their recommended action was a follow up scan in 4-6 weeks. The alternative was surgery to see what it was, and if needed remove it and get it analyzed.
It was located almost exactly where my cat had "told" me. - right between his stomach and diaphragm. Which to me meant it was new (since he had just started telling me a couple months ago at that point) and it was causing pain or discomfort (which to me meant it needed to be removed), so I went against the advice and opted for the surgery. The vet definitely rolled his eyes a bit, but I think at this point he realized I was a stubborn and crazy woman who believed her cat over doctors, and wasn't going to budge anyway.
So they do the surgery. Turned out the growth was a cyst, which may have been there for years (no way to know) but it has formed an abscess which has made it swell up with puss. It probably was hurting whenever pressure was put on it (for example, when my cat's stomach was full after eating, when he laid on the area, and when he was breathing faster due to active play). So yeah, basically exactly when he told me (and what I had observed). No one felt it because it's position was such that it would have been hidden from palpations except if they knew exactly where to feel, and even then it would be hard to find (plus pressing too hard on it could have caused it to burst), and because of the shape of it it blended in perfectly with the area and didn't appear to be separate from the surrounding organs.
Luckily they were able to drain it completely and remove the entire cyst without incident. But apparently, during those 2 months when I had been getting a vet to try to believe me that my cat had "told me" he needed medical help, he had been walking around with an abscess that could have easily popped and caused him to go into sepsis or even die. Thank goodness none of that happened and he lived another 2 1/2 years before crossing the rainbow bridge.
None of my current cats have white the same communication with me beyond very basic wants/desires, which is one of the reasons I want the buttons. But looking back, I kind of wonder if the vets might have been more willing to believe me if I could have brought in videos of my cat using buttons to tell me about his stomach. I guess that would have depended on if the vet believed that cats can engage in real communication through buttons.
Hopefully, with videos of cats like Todd and Billi (RIP) becoming increasingly common and popular, more vets will start realizing that they are able to "listen" to their patients complaints the way that human doctors do.
Your boy, Todd, is so clever.
I think my kitty heard the "all done" through my headphones. She stopped playing for a moment right when that happened.
I love this 💞😍😅
Todd is amazing. I wish my HunnyBun was that cooperative!
Todd is such a handsome guy and so beautiful!😻 Hope you are feeling a bit better today.😊
Dad, Todd didn’t say hello to you. You were downstairs. He was saying hello to us. 😉
I love watching you and Todd, its amazing how you both connect and totally get eachother
I think Glamour knows exactly what she is doing sometimes ❤.
Thanks for sharing
Blessings
Thank you all for lovely video! 😊
4:28 I can hear Todd's motor all the way across the internet!!
Todd is a human in cat form
His absolute trust and love for you is amazing ❤
Todd is so charming and smart! 😊
Try using a rake style comb , the one with the flat metal blades spaced apart . You will be amazed at the amount of undercoat you can remove .
Dad! Too rough, want gentle belly rubs 😂
He has the perfect pattern, those boots and gauntlet are very smart !
Hi Dad and Todd.
Hello!
I can hear him purring all the way to here, lol!😉
Ok, that was amazing!
Glad to see you moving around. Pray healing will continue. ❤️
While this footage is new in that it has never been seen before, it is pre-surgery. I thought I would continue to post videos while I recover so everyone can continue to see Todd and Dad interact together.