I’m genuienly convinced that cats can understand human language at least half as well as dogs, and they just actually do not fucking care about what we are saying, 95% of the time.
The primary mechanisms of T. gondii–induced behavioral changes in rodents occur through epigenetic remodeling in neurons that govern the relevant behaviors.[11][12]
…
Behavioral changes observed between infected and non-infected humans include a decreased aversion to cat urine (but with divergent trajectories by gender) and an increased risk of schizophrenia and suicidal ideation.[17][18] Preliminary evidence has suggested that T. gondii infection may induce some of the same alterations in the human brain as those observed in rodents.[19][20][9][23]
…
T. gondii is one of the most common parasites in developed countries;[25][26] serological studies estimate that up to 50% of the global population has been exposed to, and may be chronically infected with, T. gondii; although infection rates differ significantly from country to country.[14][27]
So, given that T. Gondii literally manipulates the genes in a human that govern your neurons… that arguably also constitutes an indirect form of mind control.
Last bit:
Dogs, as we domesticated them from wolves… literally grew muscles in their faces, around their eyesockets, that allow them to have and make human style eyebrow expressions.
Probably not ‘mind control’, but… sure helps with interspecies communication.
An animal understanding a request made in plain English is a vast departure from one’s assumptions about their language understanding, which can be quite creepy
Its creepy that your pet could understand a very simplified version of what you are saying?
How?
Why?
It’s creepy that your Alexa is always listening, and sending all that info to a giant megacorporation.
It’s creepy that people pay for that ‘privelege’.
It’s creepy that Grok can undress a woman.
What is creepy about the idea that a small animal you presumably love… can understand you a bit?
Its … not going to be able to tell anyone very much, in very specific detail.
You can’t have ‘ability to execute a command’ without ‘ability to comprehend a command’.
Dogs are commonly trained to execute a variety of complex commands in multiple specialities… the creepiness is just … the idea that cats can also do something similar?
I find that to be amazing and wonderful, I don’t find this creepy at all.
I genuinely do not understand the specific thing here that is creepy.
Things that are not expected are surprising, maybe shocking.
For them to also be creepy, they have to also be… digusting, unsettling, off putting, remind you of some kind of tragedy or trauma, or indicate some kind of nefarious intent, something like that.
Why would this make you fear your cat?
It alerts you to danger, potentially understands a few English words.
These are… good things, yes?
… Would you be afraid of a dog if you could get a dog to bark when a pot is about to boil over?
If the cat understands English, then it has heard too much. We cannot allow any loose ends. The soup is too important for us to be exposed now.
I’m genuienly convinced that cats can understand human language at least half as well as dogs, and they just actually do not fucking care about what we are saying, 95% of the time.
I think they are telepathic
I mean, both dogs and cats can smell significantly better than you can.
They can nearly literally smell your stress, fear, sadness… anything in a human that is regulated or expressed via horomones? They can smell that.
https://articles.hepper.com/can-dogs-smell-emotions/
Cats also can smell much better than a human can, I see no reason why a domesticated one would not also be able to do similar things as dogs.
https://vetexplainspets.com/cats-sense-of-smell-vs-dogs/
So they don’t need to have … Charles Xavier style telepathy.
They just need to use their relatively superpowered sense of smell, to have a pretty good read of the emotions you’re feeling.
And! Well… many cats technically do carry a kind of parasite, that does impact human minds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasma_gondii
So, given that T. Gondii literally manipulates the genes in a human that govern your neurons… that arguably also constitutes an indirect form of mind control.
Last bit:
Dogs, as we domesticated them from wolves… literally grew muscles in their faces, around their eyesockets, that allow them to have and make human style eyebrow expressions.
Probably not ‘mind control’, but… sure helps with interspecies communication.
Cats are the reason I’m suicidal? 😮
I mean… theroetically plausible as a contributing factor, but suicidal ideation typically has … many contributing factors.
Also, can I offer you a hug via the internet?
Yeah me too, except I think they understand it all. They just don’t fucking care and it makes me mad.
https://americanliterature.com/author/hh-munro-saki/short-story/tobermory
An animal understanding a request made in plain English is a vast departure from one’s assumptions about their language understanding, which can be quite creepy
Its creepy that your pet could understand a very simplified version of what you are saying?
How?
Why?
It’s creepy that your Alexa is always listening, and sending all that info to a giant megacorporation.
It’s creepy that people pay for that ‘privelege’.
It’s creepy that Grok can undress a woman.
What is creepy about the idea that a small animal you presumably love… can understand you a bit?
Its … not going to be able to tell anyone very much, in very specific detail.
You can’t have ‘ability to execute a command’ without ‘ability to comprehend a command’.
Dogs are commonly trained to execute a variety of complex commands in multiple specialities… the creepiness is just … the idea that cats can also do something similar?
I find that to be amazing and wonderful, I don’t find this creepy at all.
I genuinely do not understand the specific thing here that is creepy.
Its just not expected, that’s all. Not that there would be any harm caused.
Things that are not expected are surprising, maybe shocking.
For them to also be creepy, they have to also be… digusting, unsettling, off putting, remind you of some kind of tragedy or trauma, or indicate some kind of nefarious intent, something like that.