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I was just wondering how other people's animals acted when they played or practiced.
If you heard my attempts at playing you've probably noticed my budgie gets really active singing and whatnot in the background. While I play he gets as close as he can and watches me while doing his thing.
I have a green wing macaw that was given to us not long ago because a friend of the family passed away. The person she went to didn't want her anymore. She shakes her head when I hit wrong notes or have really bad intonation but she seems to like the sound of the violin and "hums" to it at times like she is trying to sing along. 
My dogs do not like the violin, but I can't make them howl while I am playing. (I have tried!) Mostly they just lay down and deal with my noise until I am done. 
On "Cheap eBay violins" … Just tell people they are like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. With a little love, and some practice, they too can be made beautiful.
Honorary tenured advisor
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Animals are like people some of them appreciate music and some don't.
No matter where you go, there you are!
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My cat Dillinger loves it and he even try's to play my violin when I practice. I keep trying to capture him on video. The last video I did here you can see him. My other cat Diva sits by my feet and paws at my legs. I so wanted to post a song today but I live in an apartment and have a new next door neighbor that just hates music or any type of sound. They bang on my walls and called the cops today when I was trying to record a violin version of Let It Be. I'll have to wait till Monday during the day when they go to work. I really have not been happy since they moved in a couple weeks ago. I have a beautiful apartment and haven't had complaints for the last 7 years at this place. Some of you have maybe noticed my attitude on my posts this last couple weeks...
I don't know what to do? Do I move out? The violin is just not that loud!!! But cops pounding on my door is just not cool and I told the officer that i'm just playing a violin. The officer could not believe that my next door neighbor called the police over that. The not so funny thing is that my neighbors have two little dogs that they keep on their deck when they're gone and bark all day long. I would never dream of calling the police over that!
So sorry to hijack your thread RP and sorry to vent to you Fiddlerman family friends. But yeah the police were just here about an hour ago over violin noise and it's only about 6:30pm here on a Saturday night. I do have an e-violin but I play other instruments that are louder like my trumpet and sax . What do I do? 
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Glad to hear your kitty loves your violin! If you feel like sharing it I would like to hear Let It Be. It's a great song. Also please post if you get a good video of your cat trying to practice with you I would love to see that.
I have never seen or heard you play violin. I have just heard your guitar tracks which are very good by the way, I just fail badly at playing with them.
Do you have a string mute? You can try popping that on, but it sounds like you're living next to my old neighbor. If it is you're welcome to the *censored string of words.* I had to move.
My only advise is to find out the rules about noise in your direct area. Follow them to a T. Also find out about your apartment rules for noise. If she is determined she will do the same and try to nail you for breaking some stupid rule.
Just be prepared for war.
On "Cheap eBay violins" … Just tell people they are like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. With a little love, and some practice, they too can be made beautiful.
In fact, depending on the details of the situation, I would arrange to consult a lawyer if the whole issue is worth a few hundred dollar fee. It would cost much more to move and relocation may not be an option for you.
MY CAT
She lived in the garage. When I took up the violin she disappeared for most of the Summer. However, I improved and she came back but my wife says it was only because of the Fall temperatures. Too cold outside. Cats just have no sense of loyalty.
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My dog loves the sound and sits next to me when I play, but no howling. The cat is annoyed, not by the sound, but by the lack of a lap 
MGN - you might be surprised to find that the laws about animals in your area are more strict about noise and a call to your local Animal Authority inviting them out to hear the dogs barking on the deck might just get you some results. Here, if you have a nuisance barking dog they will come out with a warning once or twice and then take the animal. If any of your other neighbors are willing to complain, too, it would be even better. Get a copy of your apartment's noise rules - most have a "quiet time" between 10 PM and 7 AM and if that is true and you're not playing late into the night, show a copy to the nasty neighbors and the cops the next time they show up and see what happens. Tell Management about the abandoned dogs, too.
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
Oliver said:
MY CAT
She lived in the garage. When I took up the violin she disappeared for most of the Summer. However, I improved and she came back but my wife says it was only because of the Fall temperatures. Too cold outside. Cats just have no sense of loyalty.
Is your cat a male cat? Male cats seem to roam about a lot more than female cats.
This is what I heard since my childhood: Cats are not loyal to human but dogs are. Cats attached to the house instead.
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My cat hates when I practice. He leaves the room when I take my violin out. So I must be pretty bad. 
Or maybe it's just too loud for him. 
However, my mom plays the hammered dulcimer and the cat will come running to hear her play. He's not a violin fan, I guess.
The dog doesn't seem to care about the music. He's just like, "Music? Whatever..."
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pky said:
This is what I heard since my childhood: Cats are not loyal to human but dogs are. Cats attached to the house instead.
I've had three female cats that were VERY loyal to me - it had nothing to do with the house because we moved quite a lot. The first (a lilac point Siamese) hitch-hiked with me from Phoenix, AZ to Hood River, OR one very chilly October when I was young and dumb. She was pregnant and had the kittens the night we arrived "home." The second was a solid black daughter of the Siamese who followed me like a dog. The third died of old age just last Summer and was also a Siamese who would allow no one to touch her but me.
My dog, on the other hand, would leave me for the first friendly person who would let her run off-leash and terrorize the neighborhood.
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
I have 2 cats- male and female. They both hate me playing. Only they see me getting violin from the case, they leave the room =). Cats have very sensitive ears. And violin's sound has a lot of overtones. For example take the E flageolet on E string and then play open E, you will notice that it contains flageolet too, but most time we (people) ignore it. But cats cant ignore. Poor cats hear even all the ultrasound that we can't hear. So they have to leave.
MGN - you're not alone. My neighbours upstairs always starting to jump above while i'm playing =). I guess they want my ceiling fall on me to make me stop.. BUT I'M UNSTOPPABLE!!! hee-hee.
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Mad_Wed said:
........ BUT I'M UNSTOPPABLE!!! hee-hee.
Yeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaa, that's the attitude. ROTFFLMAOWOTTDDMF
I added "the tears dripping down my face" now. Not too hard to remember is it?
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said:
Mad_Wed said:
........ BUT I'M UNSTOPPABLE!!! hee-hee.
Yeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaa, that's the attitude. ROTFFLMAOWOTTDDMF
I added "the tears dripping down my face" now. Not too hard to remember is it?
Why dont you just use the whole alphabet and be done with it?
No matter where you go, there you are!
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Our pug, Kopo is terrified of the violas in our house, and will literally run from them when they come out of the case.
I'm trying not to take it personally, but hey- I'm not THAT bad, am I?
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You guys are great. I love animals. I really don't like those little tiny dogs barking though. Cat, I would never call animal control on them though cause you are right, the laws are really strict down here about pets and dog barking. Animal control here just takes them and puts them to sleep because there is just no more room in animal shelters here. My other neighbor did call the landlord when "the people next door" moved in because they would put the dogs in the garage with the door closed. No light no nothing...Now they live on the deck neck to my home office/studio and believe me they bark all day/all night! They are not happy dogs. I did call our landlord this morning about what happened yesterday and said I can play my instruments between 8am to 10pm. So I will. If "the people next door" want to confront me good luck to them 
For sure I'll record Let It Be on violin today RP and working on a violin version of Hey Jude. Just remember RP I'm a beginner on violin so I need feedback on how to sound better... Here's the link to my little thread of me playing so far RP (yah got to explore the whole forum - lots of stuff going on here): https://fiddlerman.com/forum/s.....-progress/
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myguitarnow said:
Cat, I would never call animal control on them though cause you are right, the laws are really strict down here about pets and dog barking. Animal control here just takes them and puts them to sleep because there is just no more room in animal shelters here. My other neighbor did call the landlord when "the people next door" moved in because they would put the dogs in the garage with the door closed. No light no nothing...Now they live on the deck neck to my home office/studio and believe me they bark all day/all night! They are not happy dogs. I did call our landlord this morning about what happened yesterday and said I can play my instruments between 8am to 10pm. So I will. If "the people next door" want to confront me good luck to them
Exactly! With consequences like that, you would think that people would be more interested in improving the life of their animals. IMHO, it's torture to keep dogs isolated like that and it breaks my heart to have it going on close to where I sleep. The OH actually took a young dog from a home where she and her sister were tied in a muddy yard to a tree for their whole lives. The people never let them off their chains and they were miserable. That dog turned out to be a really great dog and his only regret was that he was unable to take both dogs. He did talk to the people before he took the dog and they did not care one bit - the dogs were an inconvenience to them, not loving members of the family. Those people should not have animals. Or children.
But Good News that you have official permission to play during the day! Rock on!
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
CatMcCall said:
... IMHO, it's torture to keep dogs isolated like that ..
Keeping anybody isolated is a torture! Sometimes people don't understand that they are responsible for the animals they have.. i have my 2 cats not without a reason. My female cat Vilka was treated very bad with her first owner, he even threw her outside from the 2nd floor window, my mom saw this and took her from them, brought her home. My male cat Perets was thrown away in a trash tank, he was put in a plastic package. My mom brought him home too. The misery is that my mom and i can't take them all.. Animals are very grateful creatures. They LOVE us. And making bad things to them is a betrayal!! I hate those peole and i wish that all bad things they did to an animal will return to them.. and i don't feel sorry for them.
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For sure I agree with you guys. I hate how people can treat animals so poorly but the law tells me I can't go ring my next door neighbors doorbell and ring their neck when they answer cause then California law men will put me to sleep
Anyways the point of this thread is how our animals react when we practice music so lets get that back on track and get to practicing our fiddles otherwise this thread could get too heated. Love you guys!!!!
i think when i play violin i do the bad thing to my cats too 
. But, thank God, we have 2 rooms in our flat!! 
=)
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Good news with what the landlord told you MGN. This of course makes the most sense. Happy to hear it. Hope your neighbors move away....
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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