whistles and pets

[nduanetesh]

Hi all,

I have a question regarding whistlers and their pets...

My cat not only tolerates my whistle playing, but actually seems to like it--and I get the impression that this is pretty unusual. Often when I'm playing she'll come and sit beside me to listen, or perch herself in my lap. In fact, she seems to be much more tolerant of my playing than my girlfriend. But I'm getting the impression from other whistle players that pets generally don't like the sounds of a whistle being played. So, I'm curious as to what everyone else's experiences have been with their whistles and their pets.

By the way, I haven't totally ruled out the possibility that my cat comes around when I'm playing the whistle because she thinks the ruckus is a distress call from some poor injured animal. And that's a humbling thought...

ND

[jloug]

Both of our dogs are pretty tolerant of my playing but a couple rounds of tunes seemed to send the roof rats in our old house running.

[Boody]

My cat doesn't really seem to mind or even notice whistle playing. It does hate my brothers concertina though, and will run from the room as soon as it is played

[mutepointe]

Our dog definitely did not like when I was learning to play the whistle. She's OK with it now. She could care less about flutes. Initially, she was fascinated by the concertina and her ears and eyes kept going up. She loves my wife's keyboard playing and has to hear it everyday. She doesn't care about my keyboard playing and does not consider this an acceptable substitute for my wife playing.

Our dog that we had for 10 years, then died, didn't care which of us played the keyboard. He even got up on the seat once, played it himself breifly, got down, and never did that again.

[PhilO]

My cats seem to like or at least not mind my playing; but then again, I feed them, clean their litter and brush their coats every day...do the math.

Philo

[cowtime]

My dogs no longer pay any attention to what kind of instrument is going. I'll have to admit the GHB did get a bit of a rise out of them initially. Actually, the cows seemed to kinda like it. Some of them would always stop grazing and wander over to see what was going on.

[boatgirl]

My cat doesn't much care for my whistle - he can tolerate the C but not the D - he just leaves the room for that one. I think he likes the whistle about as much as the vacuum cleaner! None too much.

Maybe your cat is jealous of your time spent with the whistle and that is why he/she comes to you then. They have been known to be greedy with affection ya know.

[walrii]

My tomcat does not like the whistle; he leaves the room if I pick it up. My wife's cat doesn't like me much, whistle or no. My wife doesn't like the whistle either. Maybe I should get a deaf dog/cat from the shelter so I'll have someone to play for!

[kkrell]

My tomcat does not like the whistle; he leaves the room if I pick it up.

Try it again AFTER he's neutered.

Kevin Krell

[seisflutes]

Only one of our six cats likes the whistle, but she really, really likes it.

[Sandy McLeod]

Our three cats are unanimous on one thing; they hate my whistle playing. They also hate my harmonica playing. It may be my ineptness but I somewhat desperately hope it is the instrument and not my ineptitude. (My wife usually walks out of the room when I pick up one of those intruments but that is another topic. On our boat she has little physical choice to distance herself from my melodic renditions but she does her best, as do the cats.)

On the other hand, my hacking on my classical guitar and the various ukuleles of all types I have seem fine. For all of them.

Are they trying to tell me some thing?

Hoping for an answer,
Sandy

[crookedtune]

This has been a mystery to me forever. I've played a variety of acoustic instruments over many years, including whistle, fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, etc... My sons played brass instruments, and my wife plays piano. We've had various dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and slimy crawling things over that time, and each has reacted in a completely individual way.

I've decided any yipping, whining or mouth-foaming from the critters has been a cheap attention-getting device, which basically brings the animals down to our own level, as far as I'm concerned.

[Enclose]

Actually, the cows seemed to kinda like it. Some of them would always stop grazing and wander over to see what was going on.

I've had that happen to me while I was playing ocarina outside About 15 cows all came over to me while I was playing.

My cat doesn't seem to care when I play the whistle. I haven't seen my dogs' reaction yet cause I always play upstairs in my room and the dogs aren't allowed upstairs. I can imagine them barking and growling at it just like at the vacuum cleaner

[bud]

My tomcat does not like the whistle; he leaves the room if I pick it up. My wife's cat doesn't like me much, whistle or no. My wife doesn't like the whistle either. Maybe I should get a deaf dog/cat from the shelter so I'll have someone to play for!
_________________

Are you planning to get a deaf wife too?

[iwanttotoot]

My 10 month old Airedale will lay down and sleep when I start playing the whistle. I think it soozes him either that or he sleeps to shut it out.

He doesn't mind my playing the piano unless it interferes with his playing out in the yard. If he wants to play instead he'll get his hard ball and throw it at the piano. He knows I'll get up then.

My 9 year old Airedale is always sleeping so it's kind of hard to tell.

My 12 year old Airedale who passed on about 3 months ago, would come from where ever he was when I started playing. He'd pick a spot and watch me. He passed on before I took up the whistle but I think he would have howled, he would howl when the doorbell would go off.