If you’ve ever had a pet pretend to be unwell for some extra love and attention, you’re certainly not alone. Every pet parent knows the heart-wrenching feeling of seeing their furry companion in distress. You instinctively want to comfort them with cuddles and care, but some clever pets have learned how to manipulate the situation for their benefit.
In a captivating story shared on Love What Matters, a Logan, Utah resident named Emily Carter recounted her experience with her one-and-a-half-year-old border collie, Max. One day, Max developed a mysterious cough that left Emily and her husband, Jake, quite alarmed.
“Max’s coughing began about a week ago,” Emily explained. “We make a point to not leave him alone for more than three or four hours. I was substitute teaching that day and came home for a brief lunch and some Max snuggles. Just as I was about to head back to school, he started making a terrifying coughing and choking noise. It completely freaked me out! I was frantic, googling dog CPR and peering down his throat while he was acting totally normal, wagging his tail and running around, eager to play.”
With her heart racing, Emily called Jake in a panic, explaining that she didn’t want to leave Max alone in such a state. Jake rushed home to keep him company. However, just as mysteriously as it began, Max’s cough ceased.
“He was perfectly fine the rest of the day and night,” she continued. “We thought maybe he had something stuck in his throat that he finally expelled. But the next morning, as we were getting ready for work, the coughing returned. Jake decided to work from home and take Max to the vet that afternoon.”
Can you guess what happened next? The vet found absolutely nothing wrong with Max. He was the “picture of health,” Emily noted.
Curious, they reached out to several veterinarians for insights. Most suggested that Max might be feigning illness in the mornings or when they were about to leave, knowing that such behavior would garner him extra attention. While it’s rare, a few clever pets indeed master the art of manipulation to get what they want.
After the vet visit, Max dropped his coughing act. Emily suspects that while the allure of additional attention was appealing, the stress of the vet’s office outweighed it. Other commenters on Emily’s post chimed in with tales of their own clever pets who seemed to have an intelligence that could rival a Mensa member. One even shared a story about their “sick” horse, while another recalled how her cat once pretended to lose her voice just to score some canned food instead of kibbles.
It’s amusing to think about how our adorable companions can be so cunning, isn’t it?
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In summary, Max’s antics serve as a reminder of the clever ways our pets can engage us. While it may be frustrating at times, their charm and intelligence always shine through.