If I walk into the house through the front door, the cats think it's feeding time.
If the cats have been fed by another member of the family, they still want me to feed them.
They have regular(ish) feedtimes 8am & 9pm.
If they have already been fed, by me, they want to be fed again..even if they still have food in their bowl?
Are they just greedy, or am I not feeding them enough?, IF I am not feeding the enough why dont they supplement their diet with mice, birds etc.
They dont generally scrounge off other people either!
2006-07-18 05:42:20 · 10 answers · asked by crustaceanman 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Pavlov's dog didn't actually have a syndrome that it suffered from. It was a conditioning process. Bell then food, etc.
Your cats are probably just greedy, or wanting to make sure they're not going to miss their next meal. They could also just be happy to see you. Check with your vet for how much you should feed them if you think they're not eating enough.
2006-07-18 05:48:17 · answer #1 · answered by desiderio 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Pavolv's dog works for just about any species of mamal, most birds and reptiles as well. It is just that they are anticipating that you will feed them when you walk through the front door. The cats don't understand time, they understand that when you do some things they get fed, they just aren't always sure what the trigger is. You might want to think about getting a bell or something else that every time you ring the bell you actually feed them, so then they will associate the bell with food and not you walking into the house with food.
2006-07-18 05:48:16 · answer #2 · answered by Lady 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's what happens when you feed your cat wet food. The food has to be really fresh - some cats won't even eat wet food if it's been sitting out for more than 20 minutes.
But yes, I would agree that it's a Pavlov thing (which is not a "syndrome"). Our cats for some odd reason, do it over water - they could care less about the food, but boy do they love it when I go over to their water bowl because they know I'm going to change it. If they had it their way, they would have a fresh bowl of water every hour.
2006-07-18 05:48:00 · answer #3 · answered by TrippingJudy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe you are mistaken in your impression of Pavlov's dogs. It was a psychological experiment on conditioning. Pavlov's dogs were fed at regular mealtimes. The dogs would expect their meals at a certain time and in response to their anticipation, they would salivate. After the dogs were conditioned to anticipate their feed times, a bell would be rung to announce the feedings. So, the final result of the experiment was that the dogs would salivate in hunger when a bell was rung as they were conditioned to expect a feeding to occur after the bell was rung.
It is possible a similar situation is occurring with your cats but instead of being conditioned to expect feedings at a certain time, they have come to associate feedings with a specific person, you. Most likely, they are conditioned to expect you to show up to feed them so when they see you show up, they think they will be fed. If you are worried about their nutrition or diet, it is best to take them to a veterinarian to get some expert advice as it is possible to overfeed them since conditioning can override natural urges.
2006-07-18 05:53:18 · answer #4 · answered by Esh F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a syndrome, it was just a discovery that you can condition animals to react to a stimulus a certain way.
You can figure out if you're feeding them enough by the package usually. It goes by age and weight.
Dogs are always scrounging for things to eat even after eating, it wouldn't surprise me that some cats do it too.
2006-07-18 05:46:02 · answer #5 · answered by Christina 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Pavlov's dog experiment is an experiment in a type of training called "Classical conditioning". Your cats seem to have developed this to some degree: when they hear the front door, they know it is time to pester you for food.
Furthermore, they seem to have the idea that if they pester you for food you will feed them. Perhaps you have intermittently responded to their requests and thus instilled another type of training "Operant conditioning" - much stronger stuff! - and they believe they should keep pestering you until they are fed, or until they pop!
2006-07-18 05:47:55 · answer #6 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Food is a big focus in the life of a cat. The scenario you descibe is common. I suggest you make sure their worming is up-to-date and stick to a routine when feeding (ie, same time of day, same amount) will help you to say NO. Also check food labelling to check correct amount to feed your pets.
2006-07-18 14:30:24 · answer #7 · answered by tammy_mn5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO. JRT are SELECTIVELY BRED to be vocal! For use in-ground when WORKING FORMIDABLE QUARRY! A mute "white-dawg" is a LIABILITY!! Makes em hard to locate when DIGGING to em!
2016-03-26 22:46:21 · answer #8 · answered by Carmella 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your cats are very clever and have trained you very well.
2006-07-18 06:34:49 · answer #9 · answered by Alex should be working 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have they been wormed ??
2006-07-18 06:38:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋