Exactly what is it your pet seems to think or feel when you leave it ?

Genevieve is high priestess of the household and she knows it. We sit, stay, play dead, sic, perform tricks and in general obey to her canine fancies She watches every move we make from under her wrinkled brow and we loathe to leave against her wishes...

If I have been gone for more than about 24 hours, my cats become very concerned if I leave again any time in the next day or so, even if it's only for a short time. If I just go out on the porch, they keep an eye on me. I think they are convinced that eventually I am never going to come back.
I've never noticed them being able to tell beforehand if I'm going to leave, though.

All I know is, the cats keep tabs on us.

I haven't got a pet.

I do not think the dog I used to have knew this at all. He used to howl when I would leave him no matter what, and it would always be like I was going to leave him forever. Agggg. If I ever got another dog, I would want to learn how to train him not to cry and howl whenever I left... I did not train him right.

A lot of times it's the breed too. For example, Boxers aren't very vocal while Dalmatians are likely to drive you up the wall.

If it's a lot of us, our dogs can tell we are leaving and get frantic. Usually, they can tell if any of us are going any were, or maybe they just want to go for a walk. But they know when we go outside, we might not come back for a while.

Why is there no "other" option here? Everyone seems to want to answer for you in these surveys and often miss the "mark" in their choices.

OTHER:

Chopsuey (our cat) has been around for so long (17 years) he knows our habits and is not insecure about our leaving him. We put out food for him when we used to leave for a few days. If we were gone for more than that, we had a neighbour come in. This does not happen anymore, our children are older and don't follow anymore. We can come and go as we please (hold on Cuteasabutton your time will come!!) So Chop is never alone anymore.
Besides, when Chopsuey was younger, there always was another cat or creature for him to take care of... (Chowmein was one, EggFooYoung, Sake, CreamPuff, they were all cats that came and went, there were dogs too - Chelsey and Lady)
Chop is the most tolerant animal I've ever known, at 10 yrs of age, I saw him let 3 kittens, that we were catsitting, suckle him! After a week, his teats were raw! I have it on film, if anyone doesn't believe me!

If we're leaving for the day: Hmmm?? Was that the door? Oh, they're gone. Good. I can sleep in peace.

If we're leaving for overnight or longer: Oh no! The suitcase. This could only mean one thing. They're leaving me. God only knows if I'll ever see them again. Geez, I hope they leave plenty of food, I'm always so hungry. I better go check. MEOW!! Come on, you need to put more food than this in here!! I'll starve to death!! You know I'm always hungry! You need to leave the whole 10 lb. bag out if you're going to be gone all night! I know... I'll run under their feet until they notice me, and then I'll lead them to my dish so they'll fill it up more. Yeah, that's it. ZOOOOOOOM!!!

We had a dog, when I was a teenager, who knew when it was Friday night. In town, that dog had to be leashed, in the country, he could go free. He loved going to the country, so when my parents would pack up on Friday, he would be frantically running around the house, making a racket so as to be seen and heard lest we forget him!

He weren't no dummy!!
(He was a great faker too!)

My two cats know everything. Stripe, the momma's boy will howl at the door after I close it behind me, and if its a short trip he will still be there when I come home. Meanwhile Bear, his sister takes the opportunity to knock any glasses left out onto the floor and pull books off the bookshelf. If it is for a long trip Bear clears every surface (book shelves, tables, desk, counters) and Stripe gets nervous and throws up. Stripe is such a little shadow he sits on the edge of the tub while I take a bubble bath and sleeps next to my shoulders at night. Bear is usually found camped out by the food.

That was too funny, you explained it perfectly!!!

I can't decide which is the more intuitive - cats or dogs. I've seen both react with as much "thought", it seems, as you so aptly described your cat's thoughts here.

My pup (Boxer, almost a year) reacts to the sound of my keys and studiously sits next to the door with the most urging set of hopeful eyes you've ever seen.
I usually take him with me to the store since it's only three blocks away. Keeping the window down just enough for him to get his head through, he's mastered standing (one leg) on the passenger armrest and let his face go to the wind. He loves peering at passersby and other dogs.
Love my Leo! (Named after "Sugar Ray" Leonard - Boxer, get it?)

The dog we used to have used to collapse on the floor and snuffle and sigh as if the world had come to an end if her favourite people left the house. She was such a drama queen.

i KNOW that the kitties know when we're going somewhere. when we're going on a day trip or to the store or whatever, i tell them to behave and that i'll be back later; they know that this is true for the amount of stuff we're taking to wherever we're going...they also know when we're going to be gone for a while by the pile of stuff sittin by the door and that i put out extra food and water for them.....i also think that they're glad to be alone for maybe a day or 2, but i know that they get bored and actually start to miss the kid and us

My pet dogs know everything. My cat is fudging stupid.

I have two cats- Charmin, who is 20 yeaars old in people years. She is too old to care either way. And my cat T'Pau- who is just about 1 year old now, just gets mad if I leave her outside when I go run errands for the day; and she will rush inside and gorge herslf on kitty food like she has not eaten for weeks. Then she snuggles and purrs after that. The three week old kitten that I have been watching for the last 4 days waits at the top of the stairs for me until I come home and give her her bottle again. Then she is happy. I will be sad when she goes home

Chopsuey (our cat) has been around for so long (17 years) he knows our habits and is not insecure about our leaving him.
Wouldn't one of the 8-11 options have worked for this?

Mine was a little cocker mix.

I'm just being difficult - I don't like people putting words into my mouth!

My cat dictated it; I just typed.

It sounds like you need to teach your cats to put the books away after they're done reading.

Boxers are my favorite breed of dog in the whole world!! I grew up with a boxer and I loved that dog so much. They have the sweetest temperament. The one my parents had before I was born used to let my older sister stand on her to watch my mom in the kitchen.

What color is Leo? Are his ears cropped? Lots of people have stopped cropping them, and I think they look really cute with floppy ears.

My dog gives me the sad neglected look every time I leave her, even if it's to go into the bathroom.

Pets are not allowed where I live.

This really needs an Other option because I currently have 7 cats and they all act differently when I leave. Some get upset, some open one eye and give me an "Aren't you gone yet?" look, some run to the food bowls to make sure there is enough food in them until I get back. It's too bad I couldn't teach the "worry wart" cats to tell time.

I've grown to love this pup (had him since 8 weeks) more than any other dog I've known - and I grew up with many a-mutt! Leo has the common Boxer markings, "floppy ears" and he's got the best disposition of any animal. I like how it's not that he's so "eager to please" but he just won't dare "disobey" (directly). I've found I never even have to raise my voice with this dog. Sometimes I have to repeat "no", but just as calmly as the time before keeps him from continuing with what no-no he may have in mind.
He has to fall asleep with the side of his face on my open palm. A real cool dog, this one.
Do you have any pups now?

No, I haven't had a dog since I moved out of my parents' house. The man I was married to for 13 years didn't like dogs. Mandy and I would love to have a dog, but we're renting and it's not allowed. Eventually we'll buy a house and I'm sure we'll get a dog then.

Boxers seem to me to be very smart and particularly affectionate dogs. Count your blessings and enjoy your wonderful companion!

Thanks, it took a while for me to warm up to another Boxer; the one Chris and I had before this was a mix - and we came to find this can be a dangerous thing sometimes. "Dempsey" had neurological problems after a couple of years and became harmfully aggressive. Our house is across the street from a children's pre-school, so taking care of the situation was an immediate demand on our conscience. And - although we spent an entire weekend searching - we couldn't locate even a rescue shelter that would take a dog with that sort of problem. (He was partial to attacking. Ok, me. He attacked me, for some reason.) We had to be assured that whoever took him would explicitly notify any new, potential owners of the problem, and we couldn't get that assurance.
It really brought about a fear that hadn't previously existed. But, suddenly (and resulting from Chris's persistence), almost a year to the day later, I decided I was "over it", and we found the litter that our pup was a part of. A million bucks and a hundred shots later, Leo. And worth it all, of course.
Hope to hear about the day yours comes to you! (Do you mean...Mandy Mandy? Our Mandy of SC? No, no...right?)

Yes, darling! Didn't you know that she is the love of my life? We have lived together 9 years (as of July 23). Paula Abdul said it best... opposites attract, no?

No! I had no idea! Wow, great longevity! Chris and I will be starting our seventh year this August. Congrats!

Thanks!

You're my little angel face schnoooky oookems and I lovey wuvey you......


Now, get on your knees and pleasure me, wench!
*snaps the whip*

Ok...am I...?
...am I being had here?
Someone! Anyone! Anyone who knows these two well enough, come over here, please, I need to know if I'm being taken for a fool! That's it, gather around, gather around...
These two tell me they're a couple - have been for nine years now. Not that I'm the suspicious type, but since it pretty much blows me away, can anyone confirm this for me?

Why is it so hard to believe?

Well, not really "unbelievable", I guess as it is surprising. I never even observed that the two of you knew one another.
Me - the ever-observant writer someday, right...uh-huh!
No, I congratulate you both. (I guess I 'congratulate' because I can't stand it when people refer to me and my SO and tell me "No, I 'think' it's great", "No, I'm 'ok' with it" - who the hell asked them? Haha)

Oh....I get it

My cat, Gidget, spends most of the workday lying on my bed, but for some reason, she either doesn't want me in "her" room or doesn't want me to know she goes in my room, because the minute I start upstairs, she runs down. If I walk in my room while she is in there sleeping, she usually wakes up and runs out. I have never been mean to her for being in my room. I even try to pet her and praise her for being in there, so who knows? Casey is cool...nothing fazes her. My mom said that Casey really missed me while I was in the hospital, kep running to my room and crying, smelling the tote bag I take to work, etc. If my mom walks to the corner store,Gidget jumps on the window ledge and cries. Casey looks out the window, but rarely cries.

Mandy and Sue are two of the sweetest people at Survey Central!

I like SueBee a lot, and I think Mandy's about the funniest around...

You poor thing! I don't want you to think you're being had! (I know that feeling well -- I'm very gullible.)

Mandy and I really have lived together since July 23, 1993, and we "dated" for about 8 months before that. We try not to comment to each other too much here at SC because it tends to annoy other people when we could just talk to each other in person. We would have posted a picture of the two of us together, but we don't have any that both of us like. If you look at our pictures in the user photos page, there's one of Mandy where you can see part of me in the same shirt I'm wearing in my other photo. I just made her chop me out of that one because I hated the way I looked in it.

Oh, and we each have our own computer, so you will sometimes see us commenting at the same time. We both became too addicted to share.

You've met Mandy and me in person. Could you please reassure NthenSome that we really are a couple? He thinks we're pulling his leg!

No, actually, I'm a ditz. Mandy may have relayed to you her colorful version of that fact by now. I was thinking aloud (an action which I need to rethink each time I allow myself), and revealed my confusion. I listed the things that weren't adding up in my head about it all.
They involved many factors that had no place in my formulations to begin with. I was confusing your name with ASB's for some odd reason. (Even though that little mix-up immediately followed my response to Biggles here, where I correctly referred to you, not ASB.)
Let Mandy tell you about it. The way I'm conveying it is forcing it to be one of those things where "you had to be there". I'll trust that Mandy will do the little story justice.
Ugh. Boy, is my face crimson, ha! Believe me, if we wanted to take the time to figure out my thought process, we'd better have nothing else to for a looooong while to come.

Dear NthenSome:
I have met "Mandy" and "SueBee" and they are indeed a "couple," or so they say. The fact that they travelled to Boston together, and brought their "daughter," "Mallory," suggests that they are in fact some sort of family unit, or else that they are very committed con-artists. Or they are aliens cleverly posing as the perfect lesbian couple. I tend toward the latter theory, personally.
Sincerely,
Enheduanna

Dear Enheduanna:

I received your affidavit, and I'm returning it to you. I simply need one raised Notary Public stamp. And please have the document signed by two witnesses - at least one of them must be a Judge who sits in his or her own court, and none of them can be either Mandy or SueBee (but an ASB or two is okay).
hmmmm... what else, what else?
Ah, yes! Please enclose one or two of these macadamias cookies that are being passed about lately. I think that should help, yes.
[Thanks, E. I think by now, I'm buying into it all. After my last foul-up, I have no choice anyway.]

Well, bill and jen and romkey can vouch, but they're not around just at the moment. When they are, though, I'm sure they'll happily serve as witnesses!

...And ummmm...? The macadamias cookies?

Yeah, uh, they're, uh, in the mail. They'll be there any day now...

<---alien

"she is one of uuuuus..."

"Tonight, Mandy guest stars on an all-new 'X Files'!"

Thank you! I had a feeling you might say something like that. Of course, your sister-in-law has actually been to our home, so I thought that would count for something. I haven't seen topper around here for a long time. She must be busy painting and such, huh? (Yes, as if you're her keeper, I expect a detailed report of just how she is spending her time these days! Oh wait... maybe I'll just send her an e-mail. )

I love your endless supply of appropriate emoticons! They are very entertaining!

That was kinda pushing it trying to wrangle cookies out of the deal, but I guess I can't blame a guy for trying.

My fish don't miss me.

God - my scam for the cookies was obvious then! I worried about that. But - got them in the mail today, so I'm guessing it was worth it!

Whoo-Hoo!

Are you sure? If the water level ever goes up, it could be from their tears.

Sure you did!

I'll keep an eye on it.

My pet knows when I am going to get the mail or go to the store as opposed to getting ready to take her for a walk. She knows WAY ahead of time and it is really weird.