A Few Links

[moon_custafer]

The early-20th-c rise and fall of glass caskets-- insert "Will they catch on? Remains to be seen!" joke here. (Spoiler-- they didn't)

Why We Think Cats Are Psychopaths

The actual article is about how cats aren’t psychopaths, and humans need to stop trying to read their facial expressions according to human conventions. My takeaway is to worry for any non-neurotypical kids that might have the bad luck to be born to these people who demand fawning and eye contact.

Anthony Hopkins, Cannibalism Icon, Is the Happiest Man on Twitter.
Now there's a man who gets cats.

Comments

[sovay]

The actual article is about how cats aren’t psychopaths, and humans need to stop trying to read their facial expressions according to human conventions.

I read that. It interested me because I have never thought of cats as expressionless; they are full-body talkative, eyes, ears, tail, paws, spine, they tell you how they're feeling just with their movements. But then I didn't grow up with dogs and I don't think of them as having especially human expressions, nor do I think of that as necessarily being a desirable animal trait. And I have my own issues with how people are expected to express rather than feel their emotions.

My takeaway is to worry for any non-neurotypical kids that might have the bad luck to be born to these people who demand fawning and eye contact.

It's bad enough to be expected to interact with them.

Now there's a man who gets cats.

Awwwwww.

[moon_custafer]

It interested me because I have never thought of cats as expressionless; they are full-body talkative, eyes, ears, tail, paws, spine, they tell you how they're feeling just with their movements.

I know, right? They’re ridiculously expressive creatures— like living calligraphy.

I’m less familiar with dogs, but they seem more expressive than the average human (we don’t usually have tails, after all).

[sovay]

They’re ridiculously expressive creatures— like living calligraphy.

That's a lovely image, and yes.

I’m less familiar with dogs, but they seem more expressive than the average human (we don’t usually have tails, after all).

A major takeaway of mine from that article was that humans place too much emphasis on whether animals can be seen to smile.

[sabotabby]

My cats are such needy little bastards that I can't imagine anyone thinking they were psychopaths, even though they're both quite adept at the death glare. But all they want to do is curl up on me and get petted.

Anthony Hopkins is adorable.