Animals response to meditation

[BrittanyTheBuddhist]

This will probably be one of the strangest things you've read on here,
But I own two cats and whenever I use the word "ohm" they run in panic. I've owned another cat as well as dogs who don't mind when I meditate, and these two cats are completely content when I'm repeating mantras, but as soon as I mutter ohm, they panic. The reason I am on here now is because once again I was meditating with them sleeping by my side, and even though I say ohm in a very quiet, peaceful, pleasant tone, they immediately woke and one bolted into the bathroom and the other behind the curtains.
I'd lock them out, but they're attached at my hip and will cry at the door and attempt to upon it until the succeed.
Has anyone ever heard of something so crazy, or why they might be doing this?

[futerko]

Funny, thanks for sharing. Maybe as they are so attached to you, they have a fear of cultivating non-attachment?

[Ayu]

In my experience all cats are like this. They all react in some individual way on the vibrations of meditation.
Some like some dislike certain practices.

Maybe it would be interesting to find out if there is any point where they stop running wild when you chant "Om". Like in a sientific test series.

Once as i was on a meditative walk, doing the Vajrasattva-Mantra, i met a cat. It was on the hunt for a mouse... I just felt pitty for the mouse and stopped my walk, looking at the cat, chanting in my mind, thinking nothing special further.
The cat looked at me, stopped hunting, laid down and started to purr. This seemed to me quite fascinating and i kept standing there, chanting, waiting "When will this cat stop purring?"
We remained like this for many minutes - until i thought, i have to move along. When i started to leave the cat jumped off and ran away.

[lobster]

I use the word "ohm" they run in panic.

ah yes, known some human cats behave like that . . .
maybe you need to learn to om-purr felid style?
Start them off on mmmm (humming) and add a bit of increasing 'O'

O m m m m m m oggy petme hum m m m m m

[Johnny Dangerous]

My cat is actually the opposite, she is really fascinated by sitting and by Manis, she hangs out on the altar and sniffs at the Buddhas, she seems comfortable around it...I hope it does something for her.

[randomseb]

The specific sound vibrations you make when you say ohm perhaps are just unpleasant to your specific cat's ears?

[Ayu]

My cat (it was a male like an old distinguished gentleman) always began to panic when he heard Punkmusic.
And he enjoyed extremely the oldfashioned music from people like Johannes Heesters.
For example like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwMAQ9ocKaE
When he heard this he immediately started to purr.