--- title: The cat that only likes Dad, and other choosy pets — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The cat that only likes Dad, and other choosy pets», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Duchess sleeps on Dad's chest, purrs on Dad's lap and sits by the door at six waiting for Dad's key. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / The cat that only likes Dad, and other… # The cat that only likes Dad, and other choosy pets Lesson 457 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 24 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/). - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/1/) — Duchess sleeps on Dad's chest, purrs on Dad's lap and sits by the door at six waiting for Dad's key. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/2/) — When Chloe reaches for her, Duchess flattens her ears and stalks off like a duchess who's been insulted. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/3/) — Chloe chases her for cuddles, and Duchess hides under the bed for a whole day. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/6/) — Choosy pets nearly always have a reason. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/7/) — Sam's hamster Nugget bites because Sam's hand comes down from above like a hawk; when Mum shows him how to let Nugget walk onto a flat palm from the side, the biting stops. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/8/) — Connor's cat Sooty avoids him because he plays his drum kit next to her basket; he moves the drums to the garage and a week later she sits on his bed. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/9/) — Maddie's dog Pickles goes stiff around her new stepdad's deep voice and big boots, until three months of morning walks win him over. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/10/) — Some animals bite back hard. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/13/) — Grandad's sheepdog Bess nips Chloe's heels, herding her like a lost lamb, until Grandad whistles her off. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/14/) — In Glasgow, Lily's auntie's cat Bawheid ignores her all weekend. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/15/) — «Och, he's a crabbit wee thing, dinnae take it tae heart, hen,» says her auntie — crabbit is Scots for grumpy, wee for small, dinnae for don't, and hen is a friendly «love». - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/16/) — On the last morning Bawheid sits on Lily's suitcase so she can't pack. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/18/) — Some animals say they like you in odd small ways. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/19/) — Cats often choose a favourite person, usually the calm one who feeds them and doesn't chase them. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/20/) — Chasing a pet or grabbing it for cuddles makes it trust you less; sitting still and letting it come to you works better. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/21/) — Animals come to like the people who do the daily jobs: feeding, water, cleaning, quiet company. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/22/) — Cats scratch and pets bite when they are hurt or scared; the fix is to change how you touch them, not to punish them. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/23/) — Grabbing a cat's tail hurts it, and it may scratch hard. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/24/) — A small pet like a hamster may be frightened by a hand coming down from above, as a hawk would; let it walk onto your flat hand from the side. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/25/) — Loud noise near a pet's bed, like drums or a blaring telly, can make it avoid you. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/26/) — Never poke your fingers into a bird's cage: a parrot's beak can bite badly. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/27/) — Animals can take weeks or months to trust a new person in the house, and patient daily care usually wins them over. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/28/) — Herding dogs like sheepdogs may nip at running children's heels from instinct; the owner should call the dog off. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/29/) — Some animals show they like you in small ways, like sitting on your things, rather than with big cuddles. - ← previous: [The bulldog next door who never likes you](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you/) - next →: [Magpies, geese, ponies and swans: animals that are not your friends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)