Unusual Pet Reactions

Do your pets have any strange reactions or behaviors triggered by other people or things?

Achilles has recently developed an episode of hysterics whenever I play Fallout :stare: He tries to crawl into my lap, he whines, he shakes madly, tries to literally get on top of me, hyperventilates. A few moments ago he started whining as if he were hurt! It's so unusual, only developed in the past week or so. I'm not sure if it's the gunfire or my reactions to enemies (I often squeal and screech at the screen). When he's clearly distressed, I'll pause the game and calm him down or let him outside to be away from it.

I feel terrible but it's so peculiar and almost funny! I've had him since he could fit into both of my hands, so it's not as if he's having flashbacks of being in a households with gunfire or anything. I really have no idea what it is, it's such an odd development.

Additionally, my mom's dog goes nuts at the UPS guy. Any other kind of truck can pass - USPS, industrial or moving trucks, transportation vehicles, garbage trucks, but she loses it when she sees that big brown truck going by our street.

Our cat Sugi is terrified - terrified - of headgear which changes the outline of people's heads. He's okay it's like a wool cap or something but if it's got a wide brim or worse yet sticks up somehow, he loses it and runs away. We discovered this one year when it was Christmas and we were all wearing our antlers, and he walked into the room, stared in horror usually reserved for Elder Gods, and then absolutely belted out of there.

Oh god, Achilles is also terrified of hats and large slender objects that are picked up, like brooms, guitars, lengthy paint rollers, etc. He's an absolute chicken and will sit there cowering and shaking. I have no idea where he gets it from!

Kitty goes nuts whenever she hears Parker 's voice when P isn't here.

My Bozo would only chase certain color cars. the

My sister's poodle had to wear clothes .. She hated not having a shirt on.

I turned on Fallout just now. Achilles heard the startup cog noise, then the music came on, and he started shaking uncontrollably and jumped into my lap to be comforted.

How am I supposed to play my damn game like this! :stare:

Maybe he's started to worry about you when you play because you squeal sometimes. That's so odd, though, that it'd be that game specifically. Maybe something happened to him while you were playing once and you didn't notice, and now he associates the two things.

This might just be an all-dogs thing, but my sister has these giraffe statues that terrify her dog, and her roomie's dog, too.

I do think the squealing and shrieking is definitely a factor, but he just knew from the music! Odd little thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shorty

I do think the squealing and shrieking is definitely a factor, but he just knew from the music! Odd little thing.

---

Your dog associates whatever it is he doesn't like from the music of the game. Dogs aren't stupid. They understand things. If there's loud noises or unpleasant visuals in your game, & the music plays whenever those things appear, then your dog will associate that to the music & get weird.

The bulldog is terrified...of plastic bags. I have no idea why but if she hears the crinkling or even just sees a bag she freaks out. She literally ran away from me when I walked in with groceries a few times. Yet she is completely unafraid of large public buses and proceeds to chase after them every chance she gets. When one stopped on the side she bit the tire. I couldn't believe she did that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mister Adequate

Our cat Sugi is terrified - terrified - of headgear which changes the outline of people's heads. He's okay it's like a wool cap or something but if it's got a wide brim or worse yet sticks up somehow, he loses it and runs away. We discovered this one year when it was Christmas and we were all wearing our antlers, and he walked into the room, stared in horror usually reserved for Elder Gods, and then absolutely belted out of there.

---

That is semi common with some cats, I think. Years ago one of my parent's cats FREAKED OUT when my mom put on a pair of cat ears for a costume. The cat just got all wide eyed and tore out of the room faster than Sonic the Hedgehog at a cocaine convention.

My hamsters try to eat my finger when I stick it near them. :quina:

Or something horny, I'm not sure. :(

Well I don't know if this counts, but our chicken freaks the smurf out when she hears the door to the back yard unlock. She will stop whatever she is doing and run to the part of the coop closest to the door. This is behaviour totally normal for most affectionate pets I guess, but it's just funny to see it from a chicken. She also paces once you're in the back yard.

Smitzy reacts to people in the kind of way that Gollum does.

My cat juts likes to give me love maulings. Most of the scratches on my hands aren't from working on cars, but from Martin. :colbert:

His eyes get all big, like he just took some horse tranquilizers right before he attacks, so I do get some warning.


EDIT: Shorty, I wonder if you tried playing the game on mute, if he would have the same reactions. I know you need sound, but if mute helps, maybe using headphones could be a work around.

Achilles is so cute. :love:

My dog is terrified of the vacuum. The vacuum comes out and he goes nuts and runs away.

My parents have a furry rug in their lounge and he will lay upside down and just wriggle around on it because he loves it. :lol:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg

My cat juts likes to give me love maulings. Most of the scratches on my hands aren't from working on cars, but from Martin. :colbert:

His eyes get all big, like he just took some horse tranquilizers right before he attacks, so I do get some warning.

---

same with my cat Spunky. I also take him on walks with a harness and leash. He attacks my roommates cats and he LOVES water and tight spots to cram himself in. He's definitely a Mainecoon. And, he has such a girly little meow.

Mainecoons are pretty big. So that's like getting mauled by a bobcat. Have fun, buddy. :p

Yeah he's about 13 months old and around 11lbs. He's as tall as my roommates 5 year old cats, longer and still growing!

This isn't exactly a reaction, but my sister's dog also jumps in the bathtub to indicate that he's thirsty.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg

EDIT: Shorty, I wonder if you tried playing the game on mute, if he would have the same reactions. I know you need sound, but if mute helps, maybe using headphones could be a work around.

---

Headphones might work. I think I might still cause him distress by reacting to being attacked, though. But it is definitely the startup music he has a problem with xD

When I pet myself I get a strange reaction...



My Labrador is a weirdo. He'll get close and attempt to stop people for jumping into my pool. He goes for the legs. Once you've successfully made it into the water, he'll run around the pool barking until you surface unharmed. At the river, he jumps in and pulls you out of the water. He does this with complete strangers. Thinks he's a "Rescue Ranger". One year he swam across the river so many times that he got exhausted. He was being swept towards the rapids, I nearly drowned saving him. Now I only take him when the river is low.


A also have a Maltese (wife's choice), total spaz. She prances around constantly, but if you lay a finger on her she "freezes". Remove your finger, back to prancing. Touch her, motionless.

My nickname for her is "Bird-food". She's bright white, eagles and falcons always circle my yard. If not for the Labrador, she'd be splattered on someone's car by now. There is a hoot owl waiting for his shot at her too. Bird food, only a matter of time.

Your dogs sound beyond adorable. :lol:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shorty

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg

EDIT: Shorty, I wonder if you tried playing the game on mute, if he would have the same reactions. I know you need sound, but if mute helps, maybe using headphones could be a work around.

---

Headphones might work. I think I might still cause him distress by reacting to being attacked, though. But it is definitely the startup music he has a problem with xD

---

Your dog is a grade-A, supreme wuss though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Happy Noodle Boy

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shorty

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg

EDIT: Shorty, I wonder if you tried playing the game on mute, if he would have the same reactions. I know you need sound, but if mute helps, maybe using headphones could be a work around.

---

Headphones might work. I think I might still cause him distress by reacting to being attacked, though. But it is definitely the startup music he has a problem with xD

---

Your dog is a grade-A, supreme wuss though.

---

He really and truly is.

My cavalier-Biscuit- is totally weird. The vet thinks she has some kind of doggy dementia. She barks at darkness, every night she just barks at the window. She barks at planes and birds. But if someone random comes into the house- she just wants cuddles! She gets ridiculously jealous of other dogs and just wants to be stroked and loved!

At food time she is a total nightmare, she cries and barks throughout the entire meal and tries to jump up, anyone would think we starve her! She's only started this behaviour in her later years.

It's a good job she's absolutely adorable! Love my baby! Attachment 58153

One of my dogs has such a strange personality, he's really grumpy in a really cute way. Basically, recently we've had to leave the living room door open of a night so a breeze goes through the house cooling it down making it nicer to sleep. Now he has access to the living room at night, his favourite place to sleep during the day, he uses it like a bedroom. I came downstairs last night to see him open the door, drink some water, then return to the room and close the door behind him. I think he enjoys having his own room to sleep!

My parents' cat Dewey tries to open doors with his paws and when it's 3 am and he's hungry, he seeks out my big brother and cries at his bedroom door so that my big brother will get up and watch him eat. When my big brother isn't home, he goes after my mom xD