I have a question regarding whistlers and their pets…
My cat not only tolerates my whistle playing, but actually seems to like it–and I get the impression that this is pretty unusual. Often when I’m playing she’ll come and sit beside me to listen, or perch herself in my lap. In fact, she seems to be much more tolerant of my playing than my girlfriend. But I’m getting the impression from other whistle players that pets generally don’t like the sounds of a whistle being played. So, I’m curious as to what everyone else’s experiences have been with their whistles and their pets.
By the way, I haven’t totally ruled out the possibility that my cat comes around when I’m playing the whistle because she thinks the ruckus is a distress call from some poor injured animal. And that’s a humbling thought…
My cat doesn’t really seem to mind or even notice whistle playing. It does hate my brothers concertina though, and will run from the room as soon as it is played
Our dog definitely did not like when I was learning to play the whistle. She’s OK with it now. She could care less about flutes. Initially, she was fascinated by the concertina and her ears and eyes kept going up. She loves my wife’s keyboard playing and has to hear it everyday. She doesn’t care about my keyboard playing and does not consider this an acceptable substitute for my wife playing.
Our dog that we had for 10 years, then died, didn’t care which of us played the keyboard. He even got up on the seat once, played it himself breifly, got down, and never did that again.
My dogs no longer pay any attention to what kind of instrument is going. I’ll have to admit the GHB did get a bit of a rise out of them initially. Actually, the cows seemed to kinda like it. Some of them would always stop grazing and wander over to see what was going on.
My cat doesn’t much care for my whistle - he can tolerate the C but not the D - he just leaves the room for that one. I think he likes the whistle about as much as the vacuum cleaner! None too much.
Maybe your cat is jealous of your time spent with the whistle and that is why he/she comes to you then. They have been known to be greedy with affection ya know.
My tomcat does not like the whistle; he leaves the room if I pick it up. My wife’s cat doesn’t like me much, whistle or no. My wife doesn’t like the whistle either. Maybe I should get a deaf dog/cat from the shelter so I’ll have someone to play for!
Our three cats are unanimous on one thing; they hate my whistle playing. They also hate my harmonica playing. It may be my ineptness but I somewhat desperately hope it is the instrument and not my ineptitude. (My wife usually walks out of the room when I pick up one of those intruments but that is another topic. On our boat she has little physical choice to distance herself from my melodic renditions but she does her best, as do the cats.)
On the other hand, my hacking on my classical guitar and the various ukuleles of all types I have seem fine. For all of them.
This has been a mystery to me forever. I’ve played a variety of acoustic instruments over many years, including whistle, fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, etc… My sons played brass instruments, and my wife plays piano. We’ve had various dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and slimy crawling things over that time, and each has reacted in a completely individual way.
I’ve decided any yipping, whining or mouth-foaming from the critters has been a cheap attention-getting device, which basically brings the animals down to our own level, as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve had that happen to me while I was playing ocarina outside About 15 cows all came over to me while I was playing.
My cat doesn’t seem to care when I play the whistle. I haven’t seen my dogs’ reaction yet cause I always play upstairs in my room and the dogs aren’t allowed upstairs. I can imagine them barking and growling at it just like at the vacuum cleaner
My tomcat does not like the whistle; he leaves the room if I pick it up. My wife’s cat doesn’t like me much, whistle or no. My wife doesn’t like the whistle either. Maybe I should get a deaf dog/cat from the shelter so I’ll have someone to play for!
My 10 month old Airedale will lay down and sleep when I start playing the whistle. I think it soozes him either that or he sleeps to shut it out.
He doesn’t mind my playing the piano unless it interferes with his playing out in the yard. If he wants to play instead he’ll get his hard ball and throw it at the piano. He knows I’ll get up then.
My 9 year old Airedale is always sleeping so it’s kind of hard to tell.
My 12 year old Airedale who passed on about 3 months ago, would come from where ever he was when I started playing. He’d pick a spot and watch me. He passed on before I took up the whistle but I think he would have howled, he would howl when the doorbell would go off.
I have a three year old German Shepherd Dog (male-fully equipped); German lines, 120 pounds.
Whenever I play a D whistle, high or low, he will sit next to me and point his head to the heavens and sing along. His song starts as a low, guttural moan and then rises to pitch and then slides into a yodel like howl. This while watching me from the corner of his eye. This goes on as long as I play a D whistle.
This behavior began when he was about a year old. Before then, he would ignore the whistle. If I play a low F, Bb, A, or G he ignores it.
At first, I thought his singing was amusing. Now, I find it almost impossible to play as I get drowned out. Maybe that’s his point?
My son’s cat doesn’t mind me playing any whistle except for my Every whistle when it is muted down. He even puts up with my bagpipes.
I played for a barbecue a couple of summers back for a guy who had a bunch of Clydesdale horses. They came racing up to the fence and I thought they might break through, but they just stopped and listened!
Slightly differnet take on this: when my little girl was a baby she would cry at any lullaby I would play to her. Whistle, flute, guitar loud or soft she would bawl at the thing. Now she’s 18 months and dances a little back and forth jig when I practice. I like to think my playing has improved, maybe she likes the squeaks and squawks.
Some of them would always stop grazing and wander over to see what was going on.
About 15 cows all came over to me while I was playing.