Pet motives and training

[nectere]

Something sparked my curiousity, so I thought I would ask here since I cant look myself for a while. What all motives and training you people discovered per pet and per item?

Pet bed = increases comfort and energy, pets can relax and sleep
learned behaviors= staying off sims beds...anything else?

Kitty Condo - increases fun, comfort and (is scratch or energy in there - can they sleep in it?)
learned behaviors = staying off furniture, not destroying furniture...anything else?

Chew toy = increases fun and chew need
learned behaviors = not destroying furniture....anything else?

Cat toy = increases fun?
Learned behavior = I have no idea.

Catnip = no idea

Doghouse= increases engery and comfort, both dogs and cats can sleep and relax in there as well as breed
learned behaviors = not sleeping on sim beds, not sure what else

Food bowls = fills hunger
learned behaviors = eating animal food

Litter box = decreases bladder
Learned behavior = using litterbox instead of floor

Playing with other animals = being friendly/not showing hostility
Sniffing = calmly sniffing
Howling = uh howling?
Peeing outside/inside = not doing it inside or not doing it out side?

what are some of the other behaviors you have found?

[laylei]

I discovered this one last night, playing with my Simself and my SimDog: digging holes. You can't scold them for digging, but you can scold for "being filthy".

When bathing your dog, you can praise for "behaving in the bath" (I think that's what it is... might just be clean)

Scolding your cat for running around crazily encourages "being calm"

[Karen]

When bathing your dog, you can praise for "behaving in the bath"

Or scold for "escaping from the bath".  I had a (presumably) wet dog running around the back yard after it escaped from the bathtub. 

Karen

[ZiggyDoodle]

I purchased my first adult cat last night and while the kitty condo was in the house, the cat still has not slept it in.  He does use it as a scratching post and likes to look out the window from the top shelf, but prefers to take over the dog's bed. 

The family dog has a lovely bed but had to be admonished a few times to not sleep on the furniture/Sims beds, so I don't think the mere presence of the dog bed had any effect. 

Actually, I'm not sure if any of the objects teach the pets anything; the teaching comes from the Sim who praises the animal for sleeping in its bed, peeing in the toilet (or going outdoors) calmly sniffing, etc., or scolds them for their misbehavior.  You can then see the little learning bars fill up above the animal's head during the praise interactions. 

The scratching post does fulfill the cat's need to scratch and the rubber bone does the same for the dog's need to chew.  Praising them for those actions teaches the behavior and if you have a genius instead of a doofus, it doesn't take long.

Teaching the cat to use the toilet was quite hilarious; ditto for the dog eating the kid's homework.

To the credit of Maxis/EA, the kid did not get a reduction in his grade for using the excuse, "the dog ate my homework."

[nectere]

right, I realize the item itself teaches them nothing, but simply using the item provides for a way to learn the behavior as opposed to not using it or vice versa, obviously via a sim scolding or priasing. I am just trying to find out what all learned behaviors there are and how those are triggered and by which actions/objects.

[J. M. Pescado]

Scolding your cat for running around crazily encourages "being calm"

But I love it when they run around crazily. I wish they did it more often. What kind of cat doesn't randomly run around crazily, anyway?

[laylei]

Scolding your cat for running around crazily encourages "being calm"

But I love it when they run around crazily. I wish they did it more often. What kind of cat doesn't randomly run around crazily, anyway?

This is very true. I don't scold the cats for it, it doesn't hurt anything. It's cute when they get the sparklies around their fuzzy little heads.

[gypsylady]

I don't scold my cats for running around crazy either. My cats in real life always had what I called cat fits. 

[J. M. Pescado]

I praised my sim-cats for running around crazily.

[gypsylady]

I praised my sim-cats for running around crazily.

I haven't been able to praise mine yet .They seem to always do it in the middle of the night when their owners are asleep or when my Sims are at work.So I haven't bothered to try.Havn't really played that much yet.

[SJActress]

I praised my sim-cats for running around crazily.

Me, too.  I have a cat at home, and I'll be damned if he doesn't get "the crazies" every morning and late evening.  I like it!

[cabelle]

I enjoy the kitty crazies too. If you have more than one you can call it the Kitty Indy500. In a two story house it's a great source of fun and entertainment. 

[rohina]

Especially when they smash stuff. 

[Motoki]

Scolding your cat for running around crazily encourages "being calm"

But I love it when they run around crazily. I wish they did it more often. What kind of cat doesn't randomly run around crazily, anyway?

I like when they just stand around and get all meoww, meowww, MEOOOOOWWWWW111111 heh. So realistic.

They should have made the female ones get in heat too haha. And there needs to be a hack that makes male cats spray like the skunk, lol

[rohina]

I like when they just stand around and get all meoww, meowww, MEOOOOOWWWWW111111 heh. So realistic.

Yeah. I always yell at mine for that. Both in RL and in the game. Oh, how apropos. I have 2 crazy cats running around in the room as I am typing.

[cabelle]

I like when they just stand around and get all meoww, meowww, MEOOOOOWWWWW111111 heh. So realistic.

Mine like to do that when they can't find one of us. I'll yell, "I'm in here!" and the kitty who's yowling will come running over to me. Usually because she wants her lap to nap on.

Your cats are so cute Rohina. 

[Swiftgold]

I like when they just stand around and get all meoww, meowww, MEOOOOOWWWWW111111 heh. So realistic.

Mine like to do that when they can't find one of us. I'll yell, "I'm in here!" and the kitty who's yowling will come running over to me. Usually because she wants her lap to nap on.

Your cats are so cute Rohina. 

Mine does the same thing, though it's such a small place that I wish I knew why he can't find me sometimes! I'm also told he howls at the door for me for a while when I leave the house...

[aussieone]

My cat usually can't wait for us to leave in the morning. She gets a look on her face that says "Geez, will you two go already!" 

[jrd]

My cat always waits for me at the door when I come home from work. She also recognises the sound of my PC turning on, and usually comes jumping on my lap shortly after.

Her most annoying habit is the meow, meow, MEOW!! after she's eaten...

[notveryawesome]

I wonder if the constant meowing by some of the sim-cats has to do with how social they are? It seems that, in the Kat household, the kitten meows a lot, but the adult cats don't. The kitten is more friendly/social (and thus more needy for attention) than the others are, so this would make sense, at least as far as the limited logic of the game is concerned. In RL the less friendly of my cats happens to be the more vocal one, whilst the quiet one is very clingy - living proof that highly vocal cats aren't necessarily the most friendly, but if the game assumes that friendly/clingy cats are naturally more vocal, then the constant meowing of certain ones makes sense.

Overall, I've found the sim-cats to be amazingly realistic (haven't played any dogs yet). My only complaint is that the cats can't sit or lie in sims' laps, but this is no surprise since neither can toddlers or babies (wtf?). As for pet motives and training, I haven't noticed any that weren't already mentioned here. Do playing actions, like tossing sticks for dogs to chase, do anything besides increasing fun? I'd think that fetching could be a useful skill for certain pet careers...

[Sleepycat]

according to the guide, a sim seated on a sofa can cuddle a cat that is seated near them

[Karen]

I like the way the mother dog will nuzzle her pups.  Does that do anything except increase social and build relationship points?  Can playing with/nuzzling a puppy or kitten actually influence their personality, i.e., make them more friendly or sociable when they grow up?

Karen

[eamethyst]

It may train them to be playful (as oppsed to hostile) towards others, but unlike Sim children, I don't believe you can actually influence a Sim pets personality.  Look to see if the thumbnail of the puppy has the small circle icon when they are being nuzzled, if it does, you should be able to have your Sims praise for being playful.

[Kaliban]

I discovered a few days ago that Dogs can use by themselves the craftable "water spitting" toy (don't know the english name), you know, the hardest one to craft.
It satisfies their bathing needs, and their fun motive, and you don't have to do anything.

[Jelenedra]

The water wiggler. 

Also note for training dogs, if you scold them for something they will bark at you. Which gives you a chance to scold for being hostile toward others. And then they bark...which...

Well, you get it. Had a puppy behavor trained not to be hostile within 5 minutes of it being born.