Look, every single animal is unique and different...but some of our pets are quirky as heck, I'm just sayin'.
So this week, when Reddit user DMLorance asked, "What quirk does your pet (past or present) do that nobody believes when you tell them?" the stories were almost TOO perfect.
Here are just a few of the quirkiest qualities shared:
1. This bed-time boof:
"Every night at around 10 p.m., my childhood dog would tell me it's time to go to bed. I could be in the living room, watching TV, and she would sit in the doorway and make little 'boofs' until I eventually got up and followed her to bed. This happened every single night from my high school years until the day she passed at 15 years old. I miss that old sassy girl."
2. This adorable cuddle:
"One of my cats legitimately sleeps in my bed. Head on my pillow, under the blanket, held to my chest like an actual baby. He will spend all night like this, and he gets mad if I stop cuddling him at any point. We sleep with our noses almost touching, and I know when he 'boops' my nose with his nose that he wants me to cuddle him tighter. It's bizarre, but adorable."
3. This picky drinker:
"My dog refuses to drink from a bowl. We took him to the vet because we thought he was sick, turns out he was dehydrated. He always has water next to his food, but wasn't drinking it. We changed his bowl to a slightly deep dish, the type that we use to eat soup, and now he drinks from it. HOWEVER, if we change it back to a normal dog's bowl, he will stop drinking water. Nobody knows why he does this."
4. This anti-social pup:
"I have a Pomeranian who is a total introvert. She's super laid back and chill, but that kind of throws people off. No matter where I live, she claims some space in the house as her 'bedroom' and goes there to be alone. One time, it was a cabinet in my kitchen. She claimed one of the lower unused cabinets and took soft stuff and snacks and toys in there, and could open the cabinet all by herself. She would chill in there for HOURS. Currently, it's the corner of the sectional against the wall. She has all of her favorite things under there, and my other dog NEVER goes under there, almost like they know it's her private space."
5. This cat-dog:
"I have a cat that plays fetch with his stuffed animals. He also gets annoyed when I don't throw the stuffed animal far enough because he loves to chase it. He'll even chase it down the stairs into the basement."
6. This dog-cat:
"I had a toy poodle mix named Yoda who would literally meow like a cat if I said 'Yoda, go meow!' I started saying it as a joke to him here and there, but one day he actually started doing it. He was a good boy."
7. This concerned collie:
"My old collie used to yell at us if we didn’t come home from school on time. Like, if we went to a friend's house or the walk home took too long, he would howl at you for the rest of the night. There was no getting out of it with him."
8. This sweet kiss:
"I'll yell for my cat when I haven't seen her in a while, 'Mildred! Come give me a kiss!' She will ALWAYS come running into the room and jump on me, turn her head to the side, and I'll kiss her cheek. Then, I turn my head to the side and she quickly pushes her nose into my cheek. Finally, she will jump back down and go back to wherever she was. It's the sweetest."
9. This rule follower:
"We have a very unique dog who seems to have internalized a set of rules. He is friendly with our three cats; however, if he observes them doing something that we (the humans) have corrected them for previously, he will then take on the responsibility for future occurrences by sitting beside the misbehaving cat and barking at them until they stop."
10. This curious adventurer:
"My cat's slowed down a bit in her old age, but for most of her life, she ran TOWARD loud noises. Plates fall out of the cabinet? She ran right in there to get in the middle of it. Drop a heavy piece of furniture on a tile floor? 'Hey guys! What's going on?!' I always said it was a good thing she's an inside cat, otherwise she'd run toward the first car she heard on the road going, 'Oh hey, what's this!?'"
11. This fierce protector:
"My father's dog designs elaborate alarm systems with his toys. At night, before bed, he arranges toys that squeak inside of doorways and at the top and bottom of stairs. If you move the toys, he politely waits until you aren't looking and then places the toy back. They don't just end up in a spot, they are placed there. It also seems like the toys are chosen for each location based on ease of squeak and volume. The loudest toys are inside the door of the bedroom.
One final note on placement: If the door swings inward, the toy is placed outside of the door's arc. If it swings outward, it's right in the middle."
12. This invisible cat:
"My cat is super social with me, very much like a puppy — likes to play fetch, follows me everywhere, and never leaves my side. No one believes me...but that's because they've literally never seen my cat. He hides at the hint of a noise, and runs under the couch until the strangers go away."
13. This exercise aid:
"Whenever I do push-ups, my dog crawls under me and pushes up off the floor against my torso, as if they're trying to help me."
14. This excited pooper:
"My cat gets SUPER HYPE after taking a dump. She will do a few victory laps around the house, stop and meow really loudly, scratch her post...it's hilarious."
15. This incredible feat:
"A long time ago, we had a cat who potty trained himself. The cat was outside most of the time, so he had no litter box because he'd usually go outside but, eventually, he taught himself to pee and poop in my toddler's small toilet. It still had to be cleaned regularly, but I consider it cool."
16. This smart cookie:
"I have a cat that knows how to turn a lamp on and off...and it's one of those twist knob lamps. He just grabs it in his teeth and turns it."
17. And finally, this bird squisher:
"My last dog was a massive, 90-pound chow/shepherd mix that behaved more like a cat than a dog. She hunted birds in our yard, but — rather than catch them with her mouth — I would watch her leap up and squash them with her massive frame. It was majestic, like watching a blue whale breach. Just a big fluffy dog suddenly jumps and body slams a pigeon to death. Then, like a cat, she would bring me the dead bird as an offering."
Now it's your turn! What's the most unbelievable "quirk" your fur baby has? Share your story in the comments below...bonus points for a picture of your pet along with it!
