Dogs and Cats

Rosemary

Rosemary

Hi,
I am the lucky owner of 4 charming but yappy Yorkshire terriers and one magnificent ginger tom cat. I also play clarinet. When ever I play higher notes the dogs of course howl in sympathy or just go run and hide. Fair comment I suspect, If I had any sence I would run and hide from me too.
The other day I was going to practice and I knew it would invlove a lot of dog howling worthy notes so got my daughter to take them upstairs and close her door so they could escape the frequencies. I was about 20 minutes into the proctice when I Heard a Yowling noise. I dismissed it 'cos i was into the music, I could not however ignor the claws that then got dug into my leg accompanied by angry meows from one large and very indignant ginger tom.

So now when I intend to play the upper range I not only have to get the dogs locked away but the cat too.

Do you think they are trying to tell me something. :wink:
 
Anything above clarion A makes Gleep (three year old male tabby cat) puff his tail and run, keep in mind my Didgeridoo playing, regardless of how good or which didge, makes him run all bushy tailed.
One of my cats has the fortune to be deaf, 13 year old Muffin (female tabby) sits all curled up in a ball while I play.
Tiger is scared of everything, and is always hiding regardless.
I think all animals are alarmed by the high pitched squeal of altissimo from instinct, pure startle, and the fact that it's an "unnatural" and unfamiliar sound and they don't know where it's coming from, how that little black wooden stick makes that sound, why, and when it'll stop.
 
A funny story indeed. Cats are passive aggressive in my experience. They take something for just so long and then they "get even". When I was dating my current wife I used to tease her old tom cat "Killer" a bit by stroking his fur the wrong way and grabbing his tail when he walked by. I hadn't visited her for a couple of weeks and then went to her home for dinner as I was walking through the doorway from the dining room to the kitchen, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the calf of my right leg. I looked down and Killer was strutting away with what looked like a big cat grin on his face. Needless to say, he was never teased from that time on.

My springer spaniel Toby, sings along when I play any of my woodwinds. He is especially fond of the key of Ab. The only time it is a problem is when I am trying to make a recording. The rest of the time it is quite enjoyable. We just say that he is channeling his "inner wolf".

Tobybed.jpg
 
I'm just the crazy cat lady of the town I suppose. I'm contemplating getting another.
Anyone have any ideas on how to "clarinet train" my new kitten? I fear I didn't train the others correctly.
 
The only one of our cats who objects to my clarinet playing is the 18-year-old deaf one. I think she learned to hate it when she could still hear, and now simply leaves the room because she sees my opening the clarinet case.
 
What a cute picture. If only people who are different from each other could get along that well. . . .
 
Cute picture, Rosemary!
This one is Gleep, the newest. 3 years old, didn't break him in properly and he runs at the sight of the clarinet.

Gandalfe is probably right, there's music all the time here, the problem is my less-than-beautiful high G...
 
Gandalfe said:
Gleep?
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Mmhmm. Named after the little yellow shape-shifting character in the Herculoids cartoon. He makes the same noises as the character.
 
Mmm. My cats hated me playing clarinet. The only thing worse was attempting to play oboe. They'd jump on me and bite me until I stopped playing.

The baritone sax intimidated my current dog. He runs and hides. 68-pound baby ....
 
pete said:
Mmm. My cats hated me playing clarinet. The only thing worse was attempting to play oboe. They'd jump on me and bite me until I stopped playing.

The baritone sax intimidated my current dog. He runs and hides. 68-pound baby ....
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I used to have a beautiful English mastiff who never left my side UNTIL I took out the sax for some shed time. Then he departed to the furthest room in the house. As he aged, I finally realized just how deaf he had become when he began to stay in the room with me and the sax. He's gone now, but lived to the ripe age of 12--a long life for a mastiff!

Now I have two cats who are also offended by the sax. They now leave the room as soon as they see me putting out the stand and opening the case! Could it be me? Or---hmmmmm:idea:--perhaps it's the mpc--or the horn ;) (see Gandalf's thread on GAS!)
 
Gleep sits on the piano bench next to me while I play occasionally. It's the only instrument in the house that he finds tolerable.
 
AltoRuth said:
He's gone now, but lived to the ripe age of 12--a long life for a mastiff!
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It's really unfortunate that the larger the dog, the lower the lifespan. Great Danes, for instance, are marvelous dogs, but 12 would be ancient for them.

My dog's almost 13.
 
I know, it's a shame. I wish my dog had more years left in him but such is mother nature.
He's about 11 now, a black lab/shepherd mix and a good looking dog at that. He's got a little gray around his "beard" now and his joints are starting to go. If it weren't for his medicine he'd be immobile. Still has his personality though.
He's getting well used to the clarinet though, the more deaf he gets.
 
I have 4 yorkies, one is nearly 16 one is 14 and the two babies are 20 months. The two old dogs don't really care about the clarinet. Poppy the oldest is so senile (well more brain damaged really, as she has been like it since birth) she probably doesn't realise she should be worried and Penny the 14 year old is going deaf.

The puppies are getting used to it. Bella will now lay next to me. Sometimes she gets down and goes and looks up the horn of the instrument. What she expects to see I have no idea. Peppa is too busy playing with the cat to worry about what I do. The cat is still appauled and goes outside.
 
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