this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025
1079 points (98.6% liked)

cats

25535 readers
520 users here now

Typical internet cats. Videos, pics, memes, and discussion welcome!

Rule 1) Be kind

Rule 2) Follow the lemmy.world rules

other cat communities

midwest.social cats

cats with jobs

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] FancyLad@lemmy.world 131 points 7 months ago (5 children)

One time, I got a job at a large, chain electronics store as a warehouse associate. They already had a guy there named Tim, but they immediately decided that they liked me more than him, and renamed that Tim (that worked there for 2 years) to "Other Tim."

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 40 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] 474D@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago

Actually a badass nickname though, I would have leaned into that. But Other Tim doesn't seem cool enough for that

[–] laranis@lemmy.zip 35 points 7 months ago

Worked at a place with a guy named Todd. Then we got another Todd who was less than bright. He got nicknamed Re-Todd.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 7 months ago

Literally othered

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

My cousin dated two guys named Dewey (back to back, too). When she introduced the second one to us, we called him Dewey Twoey

[–] XTL@sopuli.xyz 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] Nikls94@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

The enchanter!

[–] blackjam_alex@lemmy.world 63 points 7 months ago

Using Maxwell as the pic breaks the illusion of the story.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 50 points 7 months ago

Human Connor should know his place

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 34 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My name is Connor, I am the ~~Android~~ Cat sent by ~~Cyberlife~~ the Cat Distribution System 😼

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 7 months ago

at least I'm not the only one whose mind went there

[–] Googlyman64@lemmy.world 32 points 7 months ago

the cat in the picture is named Maxwell. he's a lad.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 31 points 7 months ago

I would be honored to be called Human Sanctus if there was already a cat with my name.

[–] 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com 27 points 7 months ago

As a Connor myself I would be totally cool with being called human Connor

[–] OrangeEnot@lemm.ee 22 points 7 months ago

Honorifics work well in cases like this. Call the cat Connor-sama and the human Connor-kun.

[–] ZagamTheVile@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

And i think we know about as much as we need to about Human Conner.

[–] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago

While I think it’s fun and I personally have fun when colleagues share the same name as me, I believe it’s a form of harassment and bullying if you request not to be called something other than your name and people at work, a professional environment, refuse to do so.

[–] serenissi@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Fake. You telling me people on that board have office job?

[–] bane_killgrind@slrpnk.net 5 points 7 months ago

It's exactly the guy in the office you would expect

[–] chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I know that's a joke, but I worked with a friend who'd regularly discuss 4chan with me. I also sadly witnessed him slowly go from just laughing at Trump to supporting him, though that was back in 2015-2016. I moved and stopped using Facebook, so I haven't had any recent contact with him.

Edit whoops, this is cats. If politics isn't allowed here I can edit this.

[–] serenissi@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

💀

Btw, this is cats. Only highest level of politics is allowed here.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Jokes aside, it's probably easier for the cat to learn to ignore "Human Connor" than it is to learn a new name for themselves, right?

[–] i_am_not_a_robot@feddit.uk 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's probably easier for the human to recognise "Human Connor" than it is for the cat to learn a new name, right?

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

The cat isn't going to understand 'human' either, so it's just <human noises> CONNER <more human noises, where are the treats?>

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

Cats can definitely recognize phrases made up of multiple words, as words themselves don't have a meaning for them.

[–] kubica@fedia.io 10 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I'm not sure, maybe we underrate them. I knew of a dog that also answered to being called by two different names, it was so amusing when I saw it.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I mean, who DOESN'T have a pet that responds to both "[real name]" and some variant of "Shithead"?

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

they don't respond to shithead, but they get called shithead

[–] dukatos@lemm.ee 5 points 7 months ago

Mine responds to: her name, bitch, dog, and puppy.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I don't doubt that they can learn it, but it will probably take the cat longer than the human. Sounds totally fair to keep that in mind.

[–] gonzo-rand19@moist.catsweat.com 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I dunno, I changed my cat's name after my ex left (she named him Tiny Rick and I thought that was fucking stupid) and he bounced right back. He was maybe 3 at the time. It's been nearly 8 years and he comes when called by his "new" name just fine.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Sure, I'm not saying it doesn't work. But it's probably gonna be pretty confusing for the cat to hear its name for no reason. I'm assuming you didn't run around saying "Tiny Rick" every day for those 8 years?

[–] gonzo-rand19@moist.catsweat.com 2 points 7 months ago (3 children)

To the cat, wouldn't saying its name at all be for "no reason," even if it understands its name? It can't really infer human reasoning unless it's got something to do with feeding it or offering some other kind of direct interaction.

Getting a cat to come when called mostly hinges on its ability to recognize a benefit to coming over, not on its ability to recognize a specific word (though you can use a word as reinforcement once the desired behaviour is achieved). This is how you can train a cat to come when you say anything at all — its name isn't a magic word that unlocks secret cat behaviour, it's about the conditioning behind it.

All that to say that animals can recognize and respond to a new name, word, or action pretty easily when you use treats and positive reinforcement. My other cat (who recently passed away 😭) came running when I tapped my fingers on the ground because that was heavily associated with giving him treats and pets; I didn't have to use his name to have him look at me or come over, he just did it based on the expectations that I fostered in him.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The cat been responded to "connor" for so long, adding a "human" or "cat" at the front mean nothing to them.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I think they can learn to ignore "human Connor" fairly quickly when they don't get the response they know/want.

[–] Gerudo@lemm.ee 16 points 7 months ago

I would love to have that nickname

[–] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 13 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I’d totally run with that and say you can call me HC for short!

[–] duhbasser@lemm.ee 8 points 7 months ago

HC does work nicely and I’d 100% go by that. I’m learning Spanish and if my name was Connor I’d ask for MC - Mejor Connor = Better Connor.

I’d hop onto every Zoom call and open with “Mic Check 1, 2, 1, 2”

[–] Randelung@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

"My friends call me Jesus."

[–] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

You don’t fuck with the Jesus

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 10 points 7 months ago

"Just Call me human John Smith!"

Day 163 they still dont know im a kitten with legal license.

[–] Fleur_@hilariouschaos.com 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I just want people to be called by their preferred names and pronouns

[–] rayquetzalcoatl@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I doubt Human Connor is going to be actually upset about this tbh

[–] redhorsejacket@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

He's upset enough that he voiced his preference. Choosing to ignore that stated preference might be fine in this context, or it might not be. But, assuming that someone is not actually upset about a behavior that they've requsted change seems like an unnecessary leap of faith.

[–] rayquetzalcoatl@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It also seems like an unnecessary leap of faith to assume somebody is actually feeling usurped by a cat.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Did they ever ask the cat what it’s preferred name is?

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Oh snap! I once worked somewhere that already had a guy with my name and he asked me to use some other name. I thought that was bad enough (and told him no). But this is next level.

load more comments
view more: next ›