can you read animal's expressions?

[Autism]

Interesting question.
A as a toddler would annoy the hell out of our dog, not know when to let her go when petting/cuddling her to the point hwree one day our lil dog bit her! :wtf: its like she never saw the reason for that, i put it down to age but now i look and think possibly AS... however now with our cat i think she is much better (we still have to dog and seperated A and dog for a long time, we have had no drama's since as A has matured)

Animals are even harder for me than people! I just think I've often had an advantage because I don't assume that dogs or cats think or feel the same as people...

Animals are even harder for me than people! I just think I've often had an advantage because I don't assume that dogs or cats think or feel the same as people...

I swear I can read my cat. My brother once claimed that cats are always smiling, but I can see a difference between the face my cat makes when he's happy and the one he makes when he's upset.

I used to think that interpreting people was easy, then I learned the truth about people and their intentions. That threw me for a loop at first, but now I am back to make things a lot easier for myself, because now I automatically assume that most people have bad intentions, saves me a lot of time to figure out things and it is true so often.
Animals are pure and I love communicating with them.

 

[Effy]

I'm pretty sure I understood my babies Todd, Rascal and Ranger. Todd is still alive (the others ran away and/or died; it was on a farm and coyotes were in the woods, etc.), and he lives with my grandmother. I've had him since I was a kitten. For starters, I know cats tend to grow up to be like their owners. They mimic the personality of the person(s) they're around most. Thus, he's a lot like me: sometimes he hates affection, sometimes he hisses for no reason, sometimes he's just super clumsy... When I was sick, he knew I was, and when he'd comfort me, I was pretty sure I knew what he was saying. I've also been around horses, but I'm not as great with them. Only sometimes can I read them (and do it well).

But I'm pretty sure cats are my specialty, and people have called me a cat/kitty whisperer in the past, because I somehow just know what they're saying/wanting/feeling/etc. It's like I have a connection with them that no one else around me has had before, and it's pretty cool. Because of this, I've been able to rescue two litters of kittens and pet their wild/stray mother -- the latter something no one else was able to do -- and tame some pretty wild kittens/cats. There's only been one I've ever had trouble with.

But I feel like cats are a lot like me, or maybe I'm just a lot like cats... (If I was an animal, I'd totally be a cat.)

Or maybe I have some scent that just makes them like me.

:s I totally rambled. So sorry.

 

[garnetflower13]

I agree with you, Effy! I remember when I was a kid and I had four cats (someone had abandoned the litter.) One of the cats fell from a window and hurt her paw. I bandaged it, and let her sleep on my bed until it got better. Somehow I knew when she had to use the litter box and always got her there in time. We seemed to have a telepathic connection or something. I also agree that if I were an animal, I would definitely be a cat!

 

[Sheogorath]

"expressions" in the animal kingdom aren't similar to expressions as we know them. If that is what you're looking for, you're not going to find it. Ever. I happen to know a lot about dogs and certain rodents, so I can tell a lot by their noises and body language. But that's something that you only know if you learn about it or someone tells you. Not many people understand what it means when a gerbil yawns or kicks with its little gerbil legs.

To narrow it down to humans: I can only read expressions when I am a third party who has nothing better to do than analyzing people's faces. If I am the one having the conversation, I am most likely just busy trying to make my point. In that situation, I won't see or notice what's going on in another person's head.

 

[Bel]

I can tell if my fish, frogs, crabs and such are happy, but spiders are far harder to read! Haha
Animals are easier to understand because they show displeasure or discomfort very basically. Plus it helps to learn about them in depth to cater to their needs

 

[anthoskate]

Yes, I could always tell if my iguana was happy or angry and I can tell how my dogs and cat feel.

 

[anthoskate]

Humans can pretend to be happy when they are really sad or they can pretend to like you by smiling and not like you at all, so that is one of the reasons that reading human expressions is so unreliable.

 

[wyverary]

Oh yes, I can certainly read when Sweetpea (my beautiful doggie) is in pain or depressed or happy. And, to flip things around, she is uncannily good at telling when I myself am feeling down and in need of snuggles. So it's mutual in this case.

 

[Ellylldan]

I read my two cats better than I could ever read humans. I know what any of their face expressions, tone of their voice, general behaviour means, when they are distressed or happy or just trolling me.

And I agree with what Wyverary said, it's a mutual thing. They always know when I need their help.

And they always know when you kick them unintentionally (you know how cats like to jump right in front of you when you're in a hurry!), it happened a few times to me and I always feel so bad and apologise to them and they come to me and purr like saying: "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean it". Ohhh...

 

[SalanaEiyungAisis]

Animals are even harder for me than people! I just think I've often had an advantage because I don't assume that dogs or cats think or feel the same as people...

And it's true. What I like about animals is that their language is very different from humans. What many people don't seem to get is that an animal does not speak nor think the same way we do, no matter how badly we wish they were. For example, While the humans's communication includes lots and lots of vocalisation, a dog's communication is all about posture , smell and they vocalize only when absolutely necessary. When a dog doesn't want you to be near him, he may start by standing upright, his ears up and pointed towards you, watching you intensely. If you get closer, he might slowly curv his body inward and start to growl, louder the more you approach. But it is only when you are much too close to him that he will start to growl or bark really loud! I find it fascinating how they communicate so easily without talking. People should really realise that dogs do NOT communicate like us and that, therefore, we should treat them accordingly.

You always know where you stand with animals.

 

[the antique autistic]

I do not think that I can read my dogs or chickens faces but I do very much sense what's going on with them. And they are attached to me as well.

 

[Adora]

I think I find it easier a bit with dogs than I do with people,they are more trusting and straight forward but I always had a connection to animals especially dogs my husband says I have a infinity with animals and I once went to a farm where they had this "unfriendly" horse but I didn't know that because she came over to me and liked it when I stroked her head and gave her some grass,I find that I trust animals more than people and they seem to trust me which is good.