What non-human, non-AI things do you talk to?

[petra]

Are you one of those people who has conversations at their cat? Do you address technology that isn't listening?

Comments

[petra]

I have lots of conversations at my cat, and I have been known to plead with technology when it does not work.

[cynthia1960]

+1000

[petra]

Good to know I'm not alone.

[illariy]

I think talking to cats is quite common. When I lived with one, I also talked to it, sometimes in a human voice, sometimes attempting cat language, too which she was not as responsive as other cats previously had been. *g* Perhaps she knew me too well!

One of my former flatmates also talked to the cat very often and that is why I found out quite late that at least some of the times, when I thought he was talking to the cat, he was actually talking to himself. Hehe.

[daegaer]

My cat also talks to me, at great length! She has opinions. We have philosophical conversations, often about exactly who paid for the pillows and who should therefore be allowed put their head on more than one corner thereof.

[petra]

Ah, that's fair. My cat also has strong opinions. She mostly expresses them via body language.

[sulien]

LOL! Better she lay on the pillow than on your head. That's a rude awakening for sure.

[daegaer]

She's definitely more of a "kick in the head until all the pillow is miiiiine" type of girl!

[dine]

I definitely talk to my cat! Olivier doesn't always respond, but when he's got an opinion, he's not shy about informing me

I don't tend to chat with most of my tech, though I do talk to my car, Roland. not in-depth conversations, but sometimes little encouragements while driving.

[petra]

My SO, along with talking to the cat, has the habit of patting the steering wheel consolingly after taking a hard bump/pothole in the car.

[dine]

somehow I missed this response earlier - I think encouraging pats are totally reasonable when you've hit a bad pothole. the car needs to know you're sorry, and it wasn't its fault

[sulien]

Glad to hear other folks occasionally talk to their cars. Do you mind if I ask if Roland is named for a fictional character, a historical person (Charlemagne's paladin) or someone you know?

[dine]

I did have Charlemagne in the back of my brain, but honestly? the major inspiration for the name was Warren Zevon

[sulien]

That's quite an inspiration! I''d never heard that particular Warren Zevon song before, thanks for the link.

[petra]

I've had this song in my head all day without ever clicking the link. The internet is magic.

[dine]

the internet *is* magic! if you had to be earwormed, at least it was an interesting song?

[petra]

It's a great song, yes. I have had earworms I minded much more.

[scytale]

I definitely talk to the cat!

[petra]

Cats are listening! They may not care, but they're listening just the same.

[scytale]

It is true!

Humans' words are unimportant. Except words like "treat" and "dinner", those are very important.

[illariy]

Oooh, I love this question!

As I said in my reply to your comment, I used to talk to the flatshare cat. When I moved into the flatshare, I actually looked forward to living with a cat a lot because I had wanted one since childhood but my mother was allergic and also hated cats. Well, when I moved into the flatshare I found out I am also allergic to cats but the symptoms got a lot better after a while. But then I found out that I hate living with a carnivore, especially one like the flatshare cat that used to attack people out of the blue at night when I walked to the bathroom half asleep and bite into the legs deep enough to draw blood, among other shenanigans. People who know more about cats say she exhibits behavioral abnormalities and I suspect it is because she was both an indoor cat and did not get enough play time on a regular basis. Well, she has since left the flatshare, the former flatmate who used to talk to her quite a lot took her with him when he moved, which I am so thankful for. I am now cured of the wish to live with a cat. Glad I found out this way and not after adopting one myself and then being forced to rehome poor cat.

Anyway, I am rambly today, it seems. I used to talk to my calculator at school and during homework. I somehow lost the habit and miss it. Maybe I'll start talking to it again. I also used to talk a lot to my first laptop, including addressing him by name. I sometimes talk to the current, second one, but have not given it a name so far but I think after 10 years of use, she has earned her name, I am still deciding on which, though. I also talk to appliances if I am having trouble with them. I have also tried to explain my exam topics to various inanimate objects, as it really helps with learning stuff, especially for oral exams, which I hate. And then I talk to my collection of piggy banks occasionally. Hmmm, I think as a child I also talked to house plants and I definitely still talk to trees but mostly in my head, when trying to find out if they would be okay with a hug or not. Only out loud quietly when I think no one can hear me.

Edited to add: I think I have previously also talked to rocks to ask if they would be okay with being sat on.

[sulien]

Conversations at cats? Sometimes, but it was most often the case of conversations with cats, my own and those who live with other humans. In particular, Rocket and Haldir, both of whom owned me at one time (and they knew it). Rocket was a mixed breed Color Point Shorthair (the one in my icon, in fact) who spoke a Siamese dialect of Catinese, which I picked up to some extent (not that I knew precisely what I was saying, but Rocket got the gist). Haldir and his sister, Púca, were Maine Coon mix and spoke what I would consider Standard Catinese, but apparently I wasn't able to communicate as well in that and rather annoyed them, since they canted their ears when I tried and got a long suffering expression on their faces. Púca wasn't particularly talkative, but like Rocket, Hal would follow me around the house while holding a conversation with me, or at least trying to. I finally gave up attempting to speak Standard Catinese and stuck to English with Haldir and Púca, who were fine so long as I paid attention and spoke to them when they spoke to me and Hal would nearly always answer when I spoke to him, whether he was in the room or not.

As for dogs, I've only met one who enjoyed talking with people and that was McKay, an Amstaff my Mom and I rescued off of the highway out here on the Washington coast. Mac was the most talkative dog I've ever met and he always enjoyed talking with my folks and me.

Talking to technology? Like the rest of the folks here, it's usually pleading with it to work. :-p

[petra]

You must be very good at speaking Catinese. My attempts generally tick off my American Shorthair.

I have heard it said that there is no universal for how cats address their owners, but in a clowder there are probably some similarities.

My mother-in-law has a very talkative dog. I rather wish it wasn't.

[sulien]

Is your mother-in-law's dog a barker/yapper or a talker? The barking seems more like shouting and yelling. Mac wasn't much of a barker unless someone he didn't know came to the door or bears were within hearing/scent, then his bark could raise the dead (Amstaffs have very deep, resonant barks, especially when they feel their family is threatened). His talking was more of a Scooby Doo-like 'oohr-rowr' mumble (with an added soft whine if he wanted something).

[petra]

The mil's dog is a yapper more than a talker. I've known more chatty dogs who oor-rrowred, and that was less annoying, you're right.

[fred_mouse]

I am Mouse Who Talks To Everything. Furniture, technology, cooking ingredients, the sky, the plants. I try to limit this to when there are no other humans in earshot, because they tend to look at one funny. Particularly if one is thanking a tree.

[petra]

I endorse your talking to everything. I am Petra who mumbles under her breath, so masks have been freeing for me on a certain level.