Open Thread: Strike A Pose, There's Nothing To It

Hosted by a bird posing in a garden

Ever get the impression that animals are intentionally posing for us?

Oh, I'm sure there's some scientific explanation - maybe they are posing in a way, trying to make themselves look bigger and more threatening, or smaller and less threatening, or non-tasty, or anything else to make other animals less likely to attack and/or run away from them.  But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the way that bird up there looks like he's saying "get my good side!"  Or the way my cat, as soon as he realizes people are in the room, immediately begins holding his head up in a much more picturesque fashion, lest we forget that he is magnificent.  Or how certain baby animals are so painfully cute that it seem like they must be doing it on purpose somehow!

And I imagine a world where animals are TOTALLY aware of us and how we react towards them, and where classes in posing prettily to manipulate human emotions are part of any young animal's upbringing.  This world pleases me.

Open thread!  Have any of you ever caught your pets or other animals obviously posing, or else displaying an unnervingly amount of human-savvy?  Ever been outsmarted by a cat or manipulated by a dog?  Ever looked at an animal with mingled admiration and fear and gone "You did that on purpose!"  Share in the comments!
 ~ Kristycat

Monday Reminder!  While I have fun coming up with pretty pictures and/or interesting “prompt” questions for open threads, you aren’t limited to those!  These threads are open - go wild, talk about whatever moves you!  (Just remember that this is still a safe space, please!)  

And, like on all threads: please remember to use the "post new comment" feature rather than the "reply" feature, even when directly replying to someone else!