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Introduction
Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com.

In today’s conversation, which is part four of four, my British friend Michael and I wrap up our lengthy conversation about the pros and cons of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. Warning: some of the vocabulary we deal with in this episode is a bit vulgar, so if you are sensitive or easily offended I suggest you stop listening now.

As always, you can find the vocabulary notes and full transcript of this podcast on our website, www.betteratenglish.com.

OK, here we go!

Conversation Transcript

Lori:   And some people… I swear, you know, dogs I think are great. It’s dog owners that can be just really lame sometimes.
Michael: Mmm. Mmm..
L:   There’s a forest outside where I live here, where I like to go running and walking and…people, it’s a great place. I don’t see many people, but there are a lot of dog walkers who like to go there as well.
M:   Yes.
L:   And they don’t want to keep their dogs on a leash a lot of times. They let their dogs kind of run wild, and a lot of them don’t really have control over their dogs.
M:   Right, right.
L:   And the dogs can be quite aggressive sometimes. But then, dog owners are really weird. Sometimes they are so protective of their dogs and they think their dogs can do no harm.
M:   Oh dear.
L:   So they actually get angry at you, walking along telling you that, “Oh, it’s because you’re afraid, that’s why he [the dog] is acting like that.” And it’s like…
M:   “Of course I’m afraid. He’s a giant dog with slavering fangs.” Yeah.
L:   Running up barking at me, not looking friendly. Of course I’m going to be afraid, you know? And I don’t think it’s my responsibility as, you know, a person wanting to use the jogging trail — that it’s my responsibility to tailor my behavior to the comfort of dog owners, because it actually is their responsibility to keep their dogs on a leash, unless they have, you know, total control.
M:   I completely agree. I was going to say, do your remember the time I was over in Sweden, and we were having a picnic in the park. And there were the young teenagers that were there, and they had a dog with them. And the dog was running loose, and the dog was coming over and sticking its nose in our picnic bag. And you had to tell these folks, “Excuse me…your dog…?” They where oblivious to the whole thing.
L:   The dog was just doing what dogs do.
M:   He was looking for food.
L: Yeah, of course, he is going to be interested in food. So it is up to owners to make sure they keep their dogs under control when they’re, you know, in the public space.
M:   Exactly.
L:   It is not up to, you know, the other people there to deal with the dog. I think.
M:   You know, we shooed the dog away, more then once.
L:   But he kept coming back.
M:   Well we had some good chow!
L:   Oh we did. Oh man, those pies that Sabina had made! Oh, my god! That is really annoying when dog owners are inconsiderate and don’t understand that it’s really their responsibility to make sure their dog is under control.
M:   Right, yeah, it is part of the responsibility of being a dog owner, I think.
L:   Exactly. And I’m sure…most are fine. Most people do a good job, but it’s the few people who are idiots who kind of spoil it for everybody else.
M:   Sure. It gives the dog a bad name as well. I mean, if you have a few bad encounters with a dog that’s having trouble it can put you off.
L:   Exactly. And that can also…if, you know…there’s some people who are deathly afraid of dogs, who don’t, you know, who have a hard time with obviously friendly dogs.
M: Oh goodness! I was terrified of dogs when I was a little boy. Absolutely terrified. And that was just through a couple of dogs that lived locally. There was a house that I had to walk past on the way to school, and there were these two dogs that would, they would bark and they would run at you. They weren’t tied up either.
L:   Yeah. I think every kid has a house like that, or memory of a house like that, from when they were walking to school. I know I do.
M:   Right! It’s something that sticks with you for a long time.
L:   Yeah, because when you’re little, you know, I was walking to school on my own…I think from the time I was in first grade. So I would have only been five or six years old! Because it wasn’t far, it was only a few blocks and it was quiet, residential streets, so I walked to school by myself or with the little neighbor kids. But when you’re that little, a big dog is really big and really scary. And you haven’t…you’re not aware enough to tell the difference between a dog that’s just running up to inspect you and check you out and a dog that is really, actually aggressive.
M:   Right.
L:   So it’s really scary.
M:   Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I think it can stay with you for a long time as well.
L:   Yeah.
M:   And I guess some people never… in fact, my sister is still very, very scared of dogs, you know? And she’s nearly 40. She was like that when she was a child and she just never got over it.
L:   I have to say I’m wary of dogs. Little dogs, it’s no problem because even if they were horribly aggressive you could always just kick them like a football. And you’d be OK.
[laughter]
L:   But it’s the big dogs, you know, dogs that weigh as much as I do. Those, those can be quite scary.
M:   That would be hard to tackle, a dog like that.
L:   Yeah. And just…its going to be much more serious being attacked by a dog like that than by some little yappy terrier trying to bite your heels, you know?

M: Ankle biters. [laughs]
L:   [laughs] Yeah, ankle biters. Isn’t that a slang word for kids? Ankle biters…
M: I don’t know. I guess, maybe.
L:   Or like an informal colloquial word, for… Like the word “rug rats“, we have the word rug rats in American English for kids, which I think is a horrible word. But yeah, ankle biters, I think I’ve heard that before as sort of a disparaging term for little children.
M:   Well, maybe that’s not something you should use for a little dog then, I don’t think.
L:   No, it’s very descriptive though, little ankle biters! Ankle nippers!
M:   Well you could go further, “crotch sniffers.”
[laughter]
L:   Crotch sniffing dogs are the worst! Oh my God, oh I hate crotch sniffing dogs!
[laughter]
M: There is some film I remember seeing with some kid complaining about some dog. His parents say, “What’s wrong with the dog?” This poor little kid balefully cries out, “He is a crotch sniffer!”
[laughter]
L:   I know. I have seen the same film, but I don’t remember which one it is. But it’s funny…Crotch sniffers are…it’s so embarrassing. I know it is just what dogs do. They sniff each other’s, you know, nether regions.
M: They clean each other’s nether regions.
L:   Oh no, let’s not go there! I want to keep this one clean!
M:   OK.
L:   That is just what dogs do. That and the ones that hump your leg. That is so embarrassing especially when you’re over at someone’s house.
M: Especially when they won’t let go.
[laughter]
L: They latch on and won’t let go.
M:  Shaking, shaking your leg. And then… [laughter]
L: Yeah and oh, that’s so embarrassing because you know everyone is thinking about sex at that point. I mean you can’t have a dog humping your leg without people at least momentarily, you know, everyone is thinking about doing it. That just makes it so embarrassing.
M:  Right.
L:   It’s such a delicate situation.
[laughter]
M: Oh dear. Right. Yeah. Yes. It’s difficult to remain cool.
L: When a dog is humping your leg!
M: Trying to look cool and dangerous when there’s a dog humping away at your leg. Yeah.
[laughter]
L:   Yeah. Oh my god, that’s such an embarrassing situation… Anyway I think we’ve reached the point where, again, it can only go downhill from here.
M:   OK. Let’s quit where we are!

Final Words
Thanks for listening. This concludes our four-part series on the good, the bad and the ugly of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. We’ll be back again with a new episode as soon as we’ve had time to record some juicy new topics. We welcome requests from our listeners, so if you’d like to request a topic just visit our website, www.betteratenglish.com, where you’ll find everything you need to get in touch with us. This is Lori from BetterAtEnglish signing off until next time. Bye for now!

Download vocabulary list for this podcast

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the dog doo (4 of 4)

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Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com. In today’s conversation, which is part 3 of 4, my British friend Michael and I continue our discussion on dogs and cats, focusing on the way that human beings tend to get emotionally attached to their pets. As always, you can find the full transcript and vocabulary notes on our website, www.betteratenglish.com. OK, here we go!

Conversation transcript

Note: words in bold are covered in the vocabulary list.

Lori: Well, do you…you don’t have a dog now though, right?
Michael: No, not personally, no.
L: Would you consider getting a dog?
M: Well, that’s a good question. I mean, I do love dogs. But they really are a commitment and a responsibility, of course. And that isn’t to be taken lightly. But…
L: A lot of people do, a lot of people…especially in the States. People here in Sweden seem to treat their dogs much better overall than people in the States. But you see…I’ve seen the most horrible things back in the States. People get a dog and, you know, they’re all excited about it at first, and then they just, you know, the novelty wears off…
M: Right.
L: And the poor dog just spends its life out in the back yard chained up somewhere, barking its head off, and…
M: Right.
L: You know, that’s really sad.
M: Now that’s a real shame, that’s a real shame.
L: Yeah, yeah…
M: But I think that… this is kind of a morbid thing, but, you know, dogs die.
L: Yeah.
M: You know, their life expectancy is, what is it—about, maybe about ten years, depending on the breed?
L: Yeah.
M: And that’s something that, you know, you’re a lot more likely to go through that… and if you have another dog, you know, it’s something you’re going to be experiencing several times in your own lifetime, and that’s traumatic, if you, you know, regard the dog as a family member.
L: Yeah, you do get quite attached to your pets.
M: Yeah, oh yeah. So, you know, I mean a friend of mine, her dog died just recently, and that was terrible.
L: Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.
M: That was really bad; you know, I mean the dog was 18 years old, I mean, it was a very long-lived dog. But, you know, that’s…for her it was half her life, you know, so a terrible trauma to go through. So I’d rather not go through that, you know, I think?
L: I don’t know. I think the benefits of having a dog, I mean, as long as you can handle the responsibility and have, you know, a good place for the dog…I don’t think, you know, a German shepherd or a Great Dane would do very well in someone’s tiny little apartment.
M: No, for sure.
L: But as long as you can handle that, I think the benefits of having a dog would outweigh the sorrow of when the dog finally, you know, gets old and dies. But I guess everyone is different. I would love to have a doggy, I really would. A small one. A little one.
M: OK, but aren’t you allergic to dogs.
L: Yeah, that’s why I can’t have one! I’m too allergic and also I’m not really sure my life is organized enough to be fair to a dog, or that it would fit in with my…with my life.
M: Is that because you don’t have a regular schedule for things, or…?
L: I don’t have a regular schedule and sometimes I do work really, really long days and I wouldn’t be able to take the dog with me, so I’d have to leave it locked up in my apartment all day long. And, you know, the poor thing, you know, it would need to go to the bathroom or would just be lonely. I’d have to leave it alone so much that it just wouldn’t be fair.
M: Right. It would probably tear the place up. I think, yeah.
L: Because they are social animals, you know. They’re pack animals so they really don’t do well when left all alone for long periods.
M: Right. Right.
L: So it’s rather cruel. But I would love to have a little doggy, a little Border Terrier.
[laughter]
M: Oh yeah.
L: Yeah, but I would worry about getting a purebred dog because sometimes they’re so inbred that they’re completely crackers, and completely free of all intelligence.
M: Yes. I know what you mean. Yeah.
L: I think mutts are generally much more robust and tend to have better personalities ’cause of the…they have a much more varied genetic makeup.
M: Right. Right. Well that’s what they say when it comes to genetics that you should be spreading the genes apart and not…
L: Hybrid vigor!
M: There’s a good reason why you’re not allowed to marry members of your own family.
L: Yeah. Yeah.
M: Let’s tell the British royal family that.
L: Oh, no! Naughty!
[laughter]
M: Well they’re all related on some level or another you know.
L: Oh my god. Yeah. Oh I don’t want to be dissing the royal family so we’d better not go there. Seriously, I would love to have a cute little doggy that I could take with me everywhere…

[This conversation will continue in part 4 of 4]

Download the vocabulary list here.

Final Words
That’s all for today. We’ll be back soon with part four. If you found today’s topic interesting, we’d love to hear your comments. You can leave a comment at our web site, www.betteratenglish.com, or e-mail us at info@betteratenglish.com. Bye for now!

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the Dog Doo (part 3 of 4)

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Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com. I’m traveling abroad this week so I have had to edit this show on my laptop. There is no theme music today because I forgot to bring my music files with me. But I figured that having no music is better than making you all wait until I get home before I post this episode.

In today’s conversation, which is part 2 of 4, my British friend Michael and I continue discussing dogs and cats, and which we prefer. As always, you can find the full transcript and vocabulary notes on our website, www.betteratenglish.com. OK, here we go!

Conversation Transcript

Note: Words in bold are explained in the vocabulary list.

Lori: Well anyway, we’re digressing. Enough about dog poo. What do you think the best thing about doggies is?
Michael: Well, it’s difficult to say any one thing. But I like the kind of nature and the relationship that dogs have with their owners. And they are generally interested. And they are genuinely affectionate — or they can be — genuinely affectionate to their owners, which is something that I really don’t see in cats.
L: Yeah, cats are interesting. They’re interesting. It’s hard to know where you have a cat.
M: Uh huh.
L: I mean, if a cat is coming up and rubbing against your legs and being what looks like affectionate, it’s like, are they really…?
M: Right. [laughter] That’s called cupboard love.
L: Cupboard love. Yeah, are they really just in it for the food? Or are they really…? You know, ‘cause dogs — I agree with you — dogs really can seem to be genuinely affectionate towards their owners. I mean, the best thing in the world has to be coming home, when you left your dog at home for a few hours, and you come home and your dog is so happy to see you. And you’re the best person in the world and it’s just the most exciting thing ever that you’ve come walking through the door.
M: Right.
L: One of my favorite sayings is “I wish were the person my dog thinks I am.”
M: Aww. Yeah. I know what you mean.
L: Because they just think that you’re just the best thing ever, and every time.
M: Well some people can be like that too.
[laughter]
L: Yeah, but not every time.
M: No. Maybe not.
L: I mean, seriously, with dogs it’s, like, every time. You only have to leave them for 20 minutes and then come back and they’re just all over you ‘cause they’re so…just…overwhelmed with happiness.
M: That’s true. Yeah. Without fail. Without fail.
L: Yeah it’s fantastic.
M: You know I like that. The interaction you can have with a dog. They really want to play. And yeah, that’s just… I’m a dog person.
L: Yeah…I think…I like cats too. I know we differ about that, but I do like cats. But I would have to say I feel more affinity towards dogs.
M: Well, I like kittens. You know?
L: Oh kittens! Don’t even get me started on little kittens.
M: Kittens… well yeah they like to play and they’re full of mischief. They can be fun. That’s before they turn into cats and that’s when it all goes horribly wrong for me.
L: Oh, yeah. Kittens are just the cutest thing. And…but cats like to play too. You remember Janne and Ozzie’s cat, with the laser pointer. What fun we had.
M: Yeah, that was a lot of fun, yeah.
L: Yeah. Cats go absolutely crazy if you have one of those laser pointers and taunt them with it.
M: Yeah, but…the thing is though, they’re trying to kill it.
L: [laughing] Yeah, that’s true again!
M: That’s the problem. While we’re going, “Aww, that’s so cute.” But the cat is thinking, “What is that little creature? I’m going to kill it and eat it.”
L: Exactly. [laughing] And, no, “I’m going to catch it and toy with it first and then I’m going to kill it.”
M: Right, yeah. “I’m going to toy with it until it dies of a heart attack and then I’m going to eat it.”
[laughter]
M: You know, “Tear it apart and bring its entrails to my master.”
L: Exactly. Yeah, that’s a funny thing that cats do. I don’t know if that is just anthropomorphizing, you know, when you want to, kind of, impinge human qualities onto animals. People tend to say that, if their cat has been out in the garden and killed a bird and left it inside the house, that the cat has left them a “present.” And I don’t know if the cat is just saving it for later…or something…you know, why does it have to be a present?
M: It’s bringing it to you saying, “Hey, can you stick this in the fridge for me?”
[laughter]
L: Exactly. “I want to save it for my dinner.”
M: That’s the reason. It is because the cat can’t open the fridge, that’s why.
L: When I used to have cats, I used to find dead birds and things in my room that the cat had…you know…killed and left under the bed…and…that’s kind of unsettling.
M: Yeah, that’s not so much fun.
L: Yeah, that’s horrible. Well, you don’t have a dog now, though, right? You personally.
M: No, not anymore…

Final Words

That’s all for today. We’ll be back soon with part three. If you found today’s topic interesting, we’d love to hear your comments. You can leave a comment at our web site, www.betteratenglish.com, or e-mail us at info AT betteratenglish DOT com. Bye for now!

Download transcript and vocabulary list.

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Don’t step on the dog doo (2 of 4)

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Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com.

In today’s conversation, which is part one of four, my British friend “Michael” and I begin by talking about whether we are “dog people” or “cat people.” Then we move on to discuss the social etiquette of dog walking – particularly picking up after them in public places.

As always, you can find the full transcript of this podcast and vocabulary notes on our website, www.betteratenglish.com.

OK, here we go!

Conversation Transcript

(Note: Words in bold are featured in the vocabulary list [PDF])

Lori: Would you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person?
Michael: Oh, I’m a dog person, I can tell you straight away.
L: Really?
M: Absolutely, 100% confirmed, dog person. You bet.
L: [laughter] Dog person… Have you ever had a dog?
M: Yes, I have. Yes, I had — let me see, this would be about 10 years ago. I had my own doggy; I had a Norwegian Elk Hound.
L: Oh, was he cute?
M: He was very cute; he was painfully cute. He was great. But I don’t have a dog nowadays, but I have…I walk my neighbors’ dog.
L: Oh right, yeah, Bertie.
M: That’s right, I was telling you the other day. They’re a lovely old couple, who I’ve known for years, but they’re getting on a bit and they’re not so active, so I take their dog out for a walk quite often.
L: OK! Do you have a law in England or in your city that you have to pick up the dog poo when you’re walking your dog?
M: Well, I think it depends on the council, the local government. Because if you go to certain areas, they have signs up and it will say, “Don’t let your dog foul the footpath!” and they will actually tell you that there is a fine of fifty pounds or whatever. I think it can be a lot more than that, actually. But I don’t know whether it’s a blanket law, you know, I don’t know if it’s a law for everywhere. I think it’s more down to the local authorities.
L: OK. Do you notice that people are good about picking up dog poo when they’re out with their dogs? Do you find a lot of, you know, doggy doo?
M: I still see quite a few dog turds on the pavement, I’m afraid. And unfor- I’m sorry to say, and not nearly as much as in the seventies. That was part of my childhood. I remember.
L: Oh, stepping in dog poo, totally, in the summertime when you’re running around barefoot.
M: Oh when it squishes between your toes?
[laughter]
L: Oh. That is, oh, the worst. But at least if you’re barefoot it’s easy to wash off. It’s almost worse when you step in a pile with your sneakers on. It gets all inside the tread, oh man.
M: Oh. Right. OK. Like the Adidas trainers that used to have the ridged soles as well. So it would get.
L: Yeah, or any hiking boots or anything at all that has a, you know, a pattern and ridges and texture on the sole.
M: Well, my parents actually had a special stick and a scrubbing brush which was specifically for getting dog poo off your shoes.
L: Yeah, ’cause…that’s, oh, it’s such an annoyance. But I, you know, I have to say that here in Sweden I think it is some kind of law that you have to pick up after your dog. And when people go out walking their dogs they have little…special little plastic bags, little black bags…and there are actually special garbage receptacles for depositing the dog poo. And people are pretty good about it, I have to say.
M: Well we have those bins here, at least the area that…you know, around here where I take Bertie for a walk. There are quite a few of these special dog bins, these red bins, and there’s a picture of a dog on the front of it. So that’s never a problem. But, for me, still you find that people just let their dogs foul the footpath, even though there are these bins around. And I don’t know, I guess it’s not, it hasn’t quite caught on.
L: Maybe people think it doesn’t apply to them, or whatever.
M: Well, who knows? It’s no fun. I must admit I don’t relish…
L: No, it’s not nice.
M: …picking up the dog’s mess, but…
L: But you pick up after Bertie?
M: Absolutely I do. Yeah.
L: Do you have special little bags?
M: No, I just use my Tesco bags.
L: [laughing] Tesco bags?
M: Yeah, Tesco are great. You know how I feel about Tesco, but…
L: Yeah, maybe it’s almost like I feel about Google.
M: Yeah, Yeah. [laughing] It’s almost to that level. But the problem with that actually is because they’re typical plastic supermarket bags, you know, and so they’re actually perforated.
L: Oh, dear.
M: Yes. If you don’t hold the bag in the right place, then there can actually be contamination, and that’s not so nice. So…
L: Oh no. Oh dear. Well, are they…? That sounds like they could be big as well, so it could be a bit unwieldy.
M: All right. Quite. They’re quite big.
L: You should just take some little plastic baggies with you.
M: Well. Yeah. Yeah. I suppose so. But I manage OK with the Tesco bags. You know?
L: I could send you some from here…special plastic doggy-poo bags
[laughter]
M: No. That’s OK. We do have them here in England you know. But…
L: I hate to think of you getting contaminated. I think Bertie would probably hate it too.
[laughter]
M: He’s very cute. But I’m afraid, you know, his poo does smell. So it’s… you wouldn’t think so to look at him, but..Yeah.
L: Well anyway, we’re digressing. Enough about dog poo. What do you think the best thing about doggies is?

…hear the answer in part two!

Final Words

Thanks for listening. We’ll be back soon with part two. This is Lori from BetterAtEnglish.com signing off until next time. Bye for now!

Download full transcript and vocabulary list (PDF).

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Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Don’t step on the dog doo (part 1 of 4)

Download English lesson podcast and transcript

Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from Better at English. I’m currently on vacation in the American southwest, but during a very long car trip I had some time to put this episode together for you. In today’s conversation, my English friend Michael and I talk about whether or not I should get a pet cat. We don’t agree: Michael thinks that the cat I want is ugly, and I think it’s adorably cute. To settle our dispute, we have put a poll on the website that will allow you listeners to vote and give me your advice. If you go to www.betteratenglish.com, you can see photos of videos of the kind of cat we talk about in the conversation, and use the poll to tell me whether you think about my choice of cats.
Are you ready? Here we go!

Go to the poll.

Conversation transcript

Lori: You know we talked before about whether or not we are dog people or cat people.
Michael: Oh sure.
Lori: Yeah, and I always thought I was a dog person but I think that might be changing a bit.
Michael: Oh no! Say it isn’t true!
Lori: I was over at my friend Monika’s the other day and she has a new cat, and it is the coolest cat; I totally fell in love with her cat. It’s all I can think about now is I want a cat like that.
Michael: OK, and what is so special about this cat?
Lori: It’s naked. Have you seen those cats? Naked cats? I think they’re called Sphinx cats.
Michael: Do you mean like Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers films?

Lori: Yes, like Mr. Bigglesworth.
Michael: Hmmm.
Lori: What, don’t you like them?
Michael: Well, keep talking, I’m not convinced yet.
Lori: No, I always thought that they were really ugly, you know, these hair hairless cats. I’ve seen pictures of them and…you know, Mr. Bigglesworth in the movie isn’t really a nice looking cat, but when I saw this cat in person it was so cute! It was so incredibly cute! They are so ugly that they’re cute.
Michael: OK.
Lori: And he was so friendly and affectionate…and just alert…and almost like a dog.
Michael: And what color is he?
Lori: Well, it’s hard to tell the color because you’re just looking at their skin, but he was a dark gray.

Michael: Oh, cool.
Lori: A dark gray color with these big, beautiful, green eyes, and he just…I picked him up and was holding him and just fell in love with him, this awesome cat. And supposedly they can fetch! They’re almost…they’re more…their personality is more like dogs than cats.

Sphinx cat fetching

Michael: So essentially what you’re telling me is that you used to be a dog person but now you feel that you’re becoming more of a cat person because you found a cat that acts more like a dog?
Lori: Yes! See, you know I’ve been feeling lonely and depressed? And, you know, people have been telling me that a cat or a dog, you know, a pet would be something good to get. But dogs are such a huge responsibility! I was thinking maybe a cat, you know, a cat you can leave for a day or two and all they really need is food and water and you don’t have to take them out.
Michael: Right, right.
Lori: And I’ve heard you can even teach them to use the toilet! So you won’t have to have a stinky litter box.
Michael: Yeah, I saw a little video of that on YouTube I think it was, of some cat using the toilet — don’t ask me why I was looking for things like that on YouTube, [laughter] but I do remember something. Yeah that would be cool. It must be difficult to train them to do that though.
Lori: You have to take it slowly step-by-step. You just move the litter box closer and closer to the toilet, and then you gradually raise it, and then you actually put it on top of the toilet, and then you put a bowl down in the toilet, and eventually they are used to it and all you have to do is get them to actually stand on top of the toilet. And once they’re doing that then you take the bowl away and that’s where they go. I’ve heard you can even teach them to flush.
Michael: Oh, goodness! I would be frightened that the cat would fall down the loo.
Lori: Oh, he would just jump out again if he fell in.
Michael: Yeah, I suppose…I guess.
Lori: They would probably only ever do that once and then they would learn.
Michael: Yeah, that’s true, yeah. And you’ll never get them back again.
Lori: Yeah, but the cool thing about these cats — a lot…the these naked cats that are hairless — a lot of people think that they’re hypoallergenic, but apparently they’re not. But since they don’t have hair, you’re not getting the hair everywhere, and you’re supposed to give them a bath a couple of times a day [this is incorrect – Lori meant "a couple of times per WEEK"], and supposedly even people who are allergic to cats, a lot of them can actually tolerate these cats.
Michael: Well, aren’t you allergic to cats?
Lori: Yeah, I used to be really allergic but now it doesn’t seem like it’s so bad.
Michael: Yeah, I’m the same. They used to make me sneeze really badly but….hmm, OK.
Lori: Yeah, so I thought maybe I would ask Monika if I could borrow her cat if they go away for vacation or something. [laughter] No, I’m serious! If they go away for vacation I could just let the cat stay here and see if I develop allergies or if he bothers me.
Michael: Right.
Lori: Because if not, I am so getting one! I want one of those cats so bad; it’s…all I can think about is my naked cat! I want one!
Michael: Well, I don’t know, I mean, it would be interesting to know what our listeners think about naked cats. Or what did you say that the proper name was, a Sphinx cat?
Lori: A Sphinx cat, or I think they’re called Canadian hairless. I’m not sure; I would have to check. And I’m, I mean, they’re the kind of thing that you either think they’re horribly ugly or you think they’re adorably cute, because they look like gremlins or even like Yoda.

Michael: Well, that’s what I was thinking, that maybe we could ask our listeners whether they, are they for hairless cats, do they think hairless cats are attractive, or do they think they are really ugly?
Lori: Yeah, bald, naked cats. Are they, is it thumbs up or thumbs down? Should I get one or not?
Michael: Aren’t they really wrinkly?
Lori: They can be.

Sphynx kittens

Michael: Because that’s the thing that looked strange to me is when they’re all wrinkled. I mean if they were smooth, you know? No hair but smooth then that would…
Lori: Well they’re fairly smooth; they have some wrinkles on their forehead, and I guess some breeds are wrinklier than others, but I just think they’re so cute. I love them, and they’re so friendly and affectionate, and I really, really want one.
Michael: Well, we’ll see.
Lori: Yeah, we’ll see. I’ll put some videos and photos up on the website so people can have a look if they want to.
Michael: OK, well I’m not convinced yet, but…
Lori: Well, you know if the answer is yes there will be no excuse: I will have to get one.
Michael: OK, well, we’ll see about that. I’ll see how many of our listeners I have to bribe to say no.

Final words
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Real English conversations from Better at English. As always you’ll find a full transcript and vocabulary notes for this and all other Better at English episodes on our website. Make sure to go to the website, www.betteratenglish.com, have a look at the photos and videos of my beloved hairless cats, and vote in our poll to let me know what you think.

Before I sign off, I want to say thanks to everyone who has donated since the last episode. Michael and I really appreciate your generosity. Your donations are a big help to us in keeping Better at English online and free for everyone to enjoy. To contact us, use the contact form on the website, post in comments, or email us directly at info [AT] betteratenglish [DOT] com. That’s all for now; see you next time!

Vocabulary list

dog/cat people
A dog person is someone who very much prefers dogs to cats. A cat person very much prefers cats to dogs.

in person
When you see someone or something in person it means that you see them in real life rather than a picture or film.

affectionate
If a person or animal is affectionate it means that they show feelings of liking or love.

awesome
Awesome is American English slang meaning “very interesting, very impressive, or extremely good.” Many people disapprove of this usage. In standard English awesome is used to describe something that causes feelings of great admiration, respect, awe or fear.

fetch
If you teach an animal to fetch, you teach it to bring you objects. For example, you can throw a ball and the animal will go pick it up and bring it back to you. Dogs usually think this is a lot of fun, and will play fetch the same ball over and over. It is very unusual for cats to learn to fetch.

litter box
A litter box is a special box filled with special sand (cat litter) that is for indoor cats to go to the toilet in. They have to be cleaned very frequently or they smell terrible.

are used to
To be used to something (or somebody) means that you are familiar with it.

loo
Informal British English for toilet.

hypoallergenic
If something is hypoallergenic it doesn’t tend to cause allergic reactions in people.

I am so getting one
The construction to be so +ing is grammatically incorrect in standard English. But it is commonly used for emphasis in informal, conversational American English, particularly among younger people. Usually the so is stressed, and the vowel sound is drawn out – the longer it is held, the stronger the emphasis.

for
If you are for something, then you approve of it. If you are against something, you disapprove of it. These two words often come in pairs, for example, “Are you for or against Lori getting a hairless cat?”

thumbs up/down
Making a gesture with your thumb pointing up means that you approve of something. If you gesture with your thumb pointing down, you disapprove of something.

bribe
If you bribe someone, you try to get them to do something for you by giving them something they want in return (such as money, gifts, services).

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Lori wants a naked cat