Week 2 Does he love me? Or hate me?

I have a cat who is three years old now named Melon. He is what I consider the most naughty type and always judges food he does not like. His favorite food is fish can, which has lots of fat and proteins. I did not interact with him often since he wanted my dad more. He only came to me when he wanted to play with a laser pen or bite me. In the past, I usually considered him as a three-year-old child because he understood some of my words when I was talking to my friend about how bad he behaved, and he will take revenge by scratching my door at midnight or pooping in my shoes. By reading the article "Inside The Mind Of A Cat," Grandin brought up an important idea of why cats act differently than dogs even though they are both domestic animals. "With people and cats, it was more a relationship of convenience."(64). Even though I love my cat and provide everything he needs, he does not need me so much because he can also get food for himself in the wild. I appreciate his company, but he probably thinks of me as someone who gets him food more efficiently. However, I believe we are bound with each other since he always stays with me when I study my homework or watch lecture videos, and when I call his name, he meows for feedback. The communication often confused me in the past since I did not know how he learned his name. Kluger, in his article, teaches me the truth by mentioning, "the conversation...is usually one way...with words, just a few of them, enunciated clearly, repeatedly and often loudly. (71) Now I understand why Melon reacts to his name and favorite food.

Reading Into the Mind Field is helpful for me to focus on my topic of dolphins since I believe dolphins share many similarities with humans. By reading the article, I understand how the social formation of animals is similar to human society. Animals also have inheritance knowledge. They teach their experience and knowledge to their offspring, saving them from stepping into the traps and difficulties that preceded them. The involvement of people in these already formed chains of relationships is highly influential. These animals may be exposed to dangers that should not have happened in the first place, threats that the warning of their kin could have avoided. As last week's video showed, birds learn from others' behavior. Animals, besides birds, also learn from their ancestors to find food and protect themselves. With human interaction, certain behaviors will never be taught to a group of creatures and might lead to severe consequences.