Can Pets Become Addicted to TV?
I think my cat is addicted to TV. I started
leaving the TV on when I left to go to school or
work, so he would have some background noise and
human voices to listen to, in hopes he wouldn’t
feel so lonely (he’s not your typical independent
cat and quite enjoys human companionship). Now
whenever the TV is on, he leaps up on the ottoman
(he thinks it’s HIS couch), gets all snuggled up
and intently watches TV for hours. My friends and
family find humor in the fact that he’s become so
humanized. I am concerned, as studies suggest that
children who watch TV before the age of 2 progress
more slowly and may develop behavioral issues when
older. I’m sure there haven’t been many studies
on cats that watch too much TV, but I was hoping
you might have an opinion on the matter. Thank
you.
Naomi
Caribou, ME
Cats and dogs rarely become addicted to television. This is because they lack thumbs and generally cannot work remote controls.
Does television stunt the development of cats and dogs? I’m not aware of a scientific study on the matter, but I sincerely doubt it.
In fact, I have rarely seen animals express much interest in television. So, when the kind folks at Off the Wall Entertainment sent me At Home Doggy Daycare and At Home Kittycat Daycare, both on DVD, I was skeptical. The DVDs are designed to have visual and auditory content that is stimulating to and interesting for pets.
Since I am, sadly, between cats at this time, I watched Kittycat Daycare by myself. It was quite entertaining. Features include kittens playing soccer as well as visuals of squirrels frolicking, fish swimming, and birds flitting about.
Doggy Daycare has similar features tailored, theoretically, to the needs of dogs. For this DVD I decided to perform a non-controlled, non-randomized, non-blinded study with an n of one and publish the results in a non-peer-reviewed venue (my blog). I called my pal Buster into the living room and put on the DVD.
Up to this point, I should point out, Buster had never shown any interest whatsoever in television. We’re talking about a dog who will sit through Barry Lyndon, Walk The Line, The Matrix, and The Big Lebowski as if nothing is happening.
Buster loved the DVD. He paid rapt attention to the video from the instant it started. When the soundtrack featured a squeaky toy Buster ran to the speaker. For a moment I thought he might try to use my new sound system as a chew toy. Fortunately he did not.
Buster whined during the scene featuring a dozen dogs frolicking together in a play area. I think he was sad to be left out of the fun.
A harrowing moment occurred during the scene entitled “Nutty Neighbors”. Buster nearly knocked over the television trying to chase the star of the scene (who happened to be a squirrel).
It’s a good thing Buster doesn’t have thumbs. If he did, he’d be at risk for addiction to At Home Doggy Daycare.
Photo: Mia Lily participates in America’s number one pastime.
You have questions. 
I have to disagree about pets not being able to work the remote control. My two dogs are very good at changing channels, although I think they use their rumps more than their paws. ; -D
Loved this thread!! Especially the Non-randomized, non-controlled, study with an n of one. Great scientific technique!!!I have a DVD called “Video Catnip” and when I put it on, my cats appear from wherever they are and one by one line up in front of the TV. They look behind it and try to touch the screen.
Judy
[...] Can Pets Become Addicted to TV?: “ [...]
Yeppers! they enjoy visual stimulation with sound. I think they believe the screen is just another window. My Sabrina will sit quietly beside the keyboard and watch the “Puter” screen when I am surfing the web. People tend to underestimate the intelligence of animals and their need for input of new data. Most housebound pets are BORED out of their minds. Little wonder they become neurotic!
My cats LOVE the catsitter videos and will run to the tv when something is on that interests them. Although the other day Mysty (chunky girl) turned her head and watched a weght loss commercial (REALLY SHE DID). My hubby and I could not stop laughing-it was just sooooo funny. I think it all depends what is on, the amount of movement and what kinds of sounds. Once both cats got VERY upset over a pet rescue show I was watching-there were kittens trapped in a pipe. The kittens were crying, so both of my cats kept running back and forth from the tv to me. I finally had to change the channel.
I bought Catsitter and Video Catnip for my cats. They seem so bored in the winter and I wanted to stimulate and enrich their environment. They like the birds the best as they see them from our balcony and seem to recognize them. They must nit know what a mouse is, though. ;)
My two collies are real people doggies, meaning when we go to the park for walks they are more interested in meeting other people than the dogs the people are walking. They like dogs and are good with them but they LOVE people!
We’ve seen them watch tv occasionally when a sound attracks them and yes, they bark when they hear a doorbell and run to the door. (There is a current commercial running with a doorbell and it gets Pepper going every time!) But what really attracks them to TV is childrens shows that have children on them! They hear a childs voice and come running then sit in front of the tv and watch the show.
They absolutely adore all children so I am not surprised by this.
Even the show Elmo gets them since he has a very childlike voice.
However, the exception is when they hear wolves howling on TV. All 3 dogs ears go up, heads cock side to side, Murphy looks aroung the back of the TV looking for them and Peanut barks back at the wolves and Pepper looks at the TV, then back at us, then at the TV, then us as if she is thinking……did you hear that? LOL!
This Sunday on my local PBS channel is a show all about Wolves in Yellowstone called In the Valley of the Wolves.
If you have dogs, you might want to turn it on for them and see if it triggers any reaction.
My 3 year old female..Blackie..loves Animal Planet.
She sparked interest in Mere Cats..first..so I bought 2 videos which she loves. She started imitating how they scratch the ground when forging for food.
She enjoys watching Animal Plant epidoses on all kinds of snakes and will sit for an hour watching it intensely. I was planning to by just a video for her to watch on reptiles.
Our rottweiler, Ripley is a TV addict. It doesn’t matter if there’re any dogs or animals or kids in the show, she’d plop herself in front of the TV and watch it like a person would. She gets very excited when there are dogs or animals or kids in a movie. I don’t think leaving a dvd on all day for her is a good idea coz she’ll get carried away and will try to jump into the TV, which would leave us a very expensive disastrous mess when we get home!
My Sweet Birdy has been addicted to TV for ages. And I mean she REALLY watches TV. She get’s up at commercials and get’s a drink or a toy. Ad she has many shows she likes better than others. She tends to like Pet Star, House and Scrubs, A LOT. Never in my life have I seen a dog actually WATCH TV like her for the amount of time she watches it. Really cute.
Our little Bella loves TV! It’s become a problem – whenever there is a dog, cat or other critter Bella thinks it’s in the livingroom and jumps at the TV barking – she sometimes turns it off or changes the channel. She’ll go to the window when the dog disappears from the screen, thinking they are outside waiting to play with her. It was cute but watching DogTown and The Dog Whisperer was becoming almost impossible. We have had to resort to Ceasar’s teachings to get her to stop. Now, if we’re lucky, she sits like a squirrel in front of the TV and watches.
Bella knows the music to commercials and shows with critters, she’ll run in from another room when she hears it. She is a TV hound!
My Jonny LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the TV and always has
not only does he watch it.. he talks to it, sits up, twitches, his ears, growls sometimes, and barks (sometimes its very aggravating as I has to wait till hes in bed to watch the Dog whisperer)
He has his favorite commercials that trigger him and he comes running form the other room to watch.. (usually other Dogs) but he also Definitely does not like violence such as gun shots or fist fights he gets all worked up and upset about it. He sometimes would jump up and touch the button to turn it off.. I got tired of that and had to move the TV to a higher position. He has his favorite shows, he loves the greatest American dogs, and the dog shows, and his favorite movie is finding Nemo. I once set my Web Cam up and left the TV on to see how often he does this when I’m not home..
He watched it ALL DAY LONG only left a few times to bark at something outside the window a few times.
My dog is extremely smart, (of course) and full of personality so ya just can’t help but laugh with him…..
Gena and Jonny
My Sasha just loves watching TV…is she addicted, I doubt it, but she loves to watch. It seems to be the colors and movement that catch her eye…NASCAR races are her favorite.
If my cat Ka – zar doesn’t like what’s on tv he stands on the remote. Pitty he can’t tell time so he could do this when the bold and the beautiful is on I would never have to listen to it again.
The thing that worries me is he play more attention to the ads than the programs what does that tell?
My little Charlie Bubbles will run in from another room if he hears David Attenboroughs’ voice on TV. He sits staring intently up at the screen, occasionally putting his paw up on the screen itself. This only ever happens with animal documentaries – he’s not in the slightest bit interested in anything else…
All 4 of my dogs watch TV occasionally (wolves and other animal shows get their attention) but one is particularly attentive to it. Sula is fascinated by animal shows and watches actively – getting up to look closer, turning her head to follow the action. First dog I’ve ever had that shows that much interest. Funny to watch!
My name is Buttons and I love to watch CAT DVD’s Mommy got me one called We Are The Cats and that is my favorite. Another one is Secret Life of a Cat. When I get tired of the tapes, Mommy finds a good cartoon on the TV and sits down and watches with me. I usually fall asleep watching TV. When I see Mommy with this thing she calls a Remote, I run and settle down for a long relaxing time. Thought I was the only one who loved watching these tapes. So nice to know many, many other kitties do too.