Amen!!!!

Perfect!!! that’s why I loved animals! they understood our needs! we have special bond like you mention. It is shame that they hate ASL! where’s their bold? wow I got tear because I love cats and dogs! thank you for your beautiful testimony.

🙂 Gary Brooks

Hello Joey,
Thank you for share with all of us. We need to see this way. I am glad that you showed the compared of it and I hope that you will give them a better idea about it.
Thanks,
– Tar

WOW…this is one of the powerful vlog I ever seen so far. I feel u bec, I had a poodle name Missy who live for 20 years and gone three years ago. We were so so closed. U are right about language between people and animal..it is real. YEAH hands shake for ASL.

Wow.. you’ve proven a good point about language.. We have had many people saying it is wrong to take away others’ language but yet they think it is OK to take away OUR language?

Double standards? Hmm….

Maddy was soo cute! I’m sorry about her .. so adorable. I have two of my own.. Whisper and Milo and we all share languages, theirs and ours and they are beautiful languages.

Way to go!

-SG

Wow! Very touching & solemn vlog! I am really humbled with greater apprecation & respect for you. It is not easy to share something like this but it is wonderful to keep your beloved daughter’s memory alive! Be assured one day that you will see her again…in heaven! May God bless you!

**Tears down from the corner of my eye** ~ a definite parallelism in life! Thank you for a tear-jerker testimony!

~Ginny

Power to the people! To take away the language of its people is demeaning and is a violation of human rights.
I’m sorry about the loss and yes, I had the priviledge of bonding with Suede, a Russian Blue cat. Altho she’s been gone 3 yrs, I still miss her.
She was one helluva of a cat and now she’s in cat’s heaven.

Smiles. You’re right!!!!

Joey,

I feel for you and know what you are going through.
I have had dogs all of my life and they communicate with me by body language, ear movements, the expressions on their face.

My dogs have been my ears and they made me a better parent by how I should treat them that turns out to be a admirable pet. I don’t regard them as a pet but as a member of my family.

John

Joey,

What a heart-felt analogy you made in this Vlog! It is time for us and friends of Deaf Community to become more proactive in making the American Sign Language (ASL) an official language in our nation so we as deaf can be recognized as respectful, intelligent, productive, and well-deserved citizenships in America. Your video demonstration of language interaction between your cat, Maddy and your newborn is brilliant and demonstrating how wonderful, beautiful and unique language interchange between two parties through visual can happen. Therefore, ASL is indeed a beautiful language to use among us as deaf and friends of deaf as well.

Spooky as it is when you mentioned your confession a headliner, you had me wondered about you!

Samuel Weber

What a adoreable cat! Absolutely! I agreed your perspective on essential language and its own natural living.
Society took our language and forced us to learn to talk without any visual language necessary. ASL is the true, natural, and beautiful to share within our community.
From what I learned from John Egbert’s recent vlog about unbiased of Oralism method. He emphasized the language is more important to visualize at early babyhood to receiption before learn to talk or using oral or anything. It will increase their self-esteem and confident from childhood to adult for our abilities to achieve.
God will be with us always that he made us the beautiful living.
Thank you, Joey for your beautiful sharing and analogy of cat.
Nick

What a heartwarming and meaningful example. Love it!

~ LaRonda

You really touch my heart. I understand how you feel about the loss of your daughter. I myself have three cats and one dog. I understand what they want or need that is similar as ASL, you are right.

Yes, yes, cats are living proof that we don’t all have to speak the same language. My cats have been as good for me as any hearing ear dog. And their eyes tell you their utmost secrets.

Best of all, CATS are self contained and you can mutually ignore one another and still be happy and compatible!

Great post you made, thankyou!

Lantana

Beautiful Analogy, Joey!
Awwww…..my heart melted by your story!
If ASL is taken away, we would be impaired! So we have to KEEP ASL. Your analogy is so perfect for ASL!

Thank you for sharing videos of your special daughter cat, Maddy with us and I am so sorry about the loss. She was so pretty and I am sure that she knew that she had very good owner (she was thankful for loving and caring owner!!). I know the feelings you went through and at the end, you had heartbreaking like I did. As animal lover, yes, I strongly agree that animals do have communications with owners by showing body languages and behaviors and I often watch between animal and other animal communicate each others. Very interesting!!!

CJ

Cats communication are not a LANGUAGE. It called communication mode like a code same as Boat with different flags to communicate with other boat is not a language. ASL is a language for sure because there are rules to make sense. Please read the book called Linguistic of ASL the purple book to refresh your own description of language.

Thanks!

Awwww, sooo cute and lovely, enjoyed your vlog and analogy which rings true! Every language is precious but the most precious of all is our ASL language! I can’t imagine living without my cat and dog, same way that I feel about ASL, can’t imagine living without it! Long live ASL and bringing Deaf people closer into tight knit community, all over the world!! Thanks for sharing with us!
So sorry about your loss of your dear Maddy! Curious, what kind of cat was Maddy? Maine Coon? I have a cat who is a maine coon, such fun loving cat, now about 12 years old (adopted). Also have Jack Russell (4yrs old), they get along so well and so loving to each other, melts my heart! My cat welcomed my dog, who was 5 months old, when she joined us. Thank God for animals!

what about the loss of hearing? cat hears and deaf doesnt hear?…it seems like compare apple with orange…cat is not disability and we, the deaf, are called disability, because we cant hear…of course, myself im deaf, but i dont see our encouragement toward asl as we are minority and seen as disability, and we are said that we need to be fixed to hear again from the view of hearing…so one of the ways is ci or medicine or whatever, all just to fix us…sad, but fact…someone wants a solution? ask joey

I thought it was the DOG! 🙂

Cute and you’re dammm right. No takeaways! No question about it! 🙂

And, did you get yourself leopardized?

🙂

Regarding the comments made by LaDonna Synder- I believe she misinterpreted Joey’s vlog by seeing it as literal. Joey is very much aware of grammar and complex rules in ASL. What he is attempting to say is that we should cherish ASL and our pets as well. It is a clever analogy whch requires inferential understanding.

Edna

Long Live ASL!! (My brother had his cat for 21 years and she is gone in few months ago.)

As I watch your Vlog, touch my heart. Very truthful, 100% percent agree with you what I feels toward the cat. I have 2 cats and 1 dog.

That’s very truth, animal can be good bond with deaf people when they knew they are deaf, another deaf eye-animal for us. Wonderful, smart animal like these.

Amen to that story, hit my warm heart-felt, but I knew how do you feel when your cat, maddy gone, heart break, same simply to my feeling of my best “german shepard” name was Babe, best number #1, died at age of 9 years old due to arthristis hip, I had to put her sleep. She got a free from army in Texas where my father was working there, and brought Babe home for me to gift me, she was all full of gray/white, beautiful female german shephard. Still miss her do now.

Same with human and animal died, heart break, life goes on but bring our good memories in our heart forever like your story goes on.

Thank you for many your story, keep roll on Vlog. Amen.

Thank you for a great post. Cats and dogs are very precious family members.
They put smiles on our faces.

Yes, pets do have the language.

Think about the parrots. They can talk. They can communicate.

Many animals like your cat have the non-verbal communication.

Therefore, they ALL have the language.

By the way, I am very excited to tell you that I am honorably elected to be the presenter to teach the TWO 5th grade classes at the elementary school next week. I, of course, will teach the ASL preservation, deaf history and ear model (I borrowed the ear model from the science class at Middle School. 🙂 )

My older daughter told me that many of her friends and classmates from Milddle School will take a field trip to Gallaudet! Boy, am I impressed! That’s my alma mater!

ASL must spread them out!

White Ghost

I do not think animals have language. They do communicate by using their eyes and nose and body. Some do communicate by vocal but it is only one way communication.
ASL is a language because it is two way communication between two or more people.
I have not met anyone who is opposed to ASL. Why is everyone saying that ASL will be taken away? Is it everyone’s imagination gone wild? They can’t take ASL away from us because we use ASL all the time. I am having a very hard time believing that someone out there is trying to take ASL away from us. I do not think ASL will become extinct.

A wonderful analogy! I have two cats that drive me crazy. I love them very much thou. One of them is the smartest cat. She is ten. My family dogs Chip and Sally are gone and they are terribly missed. Especially Chip – we were close. Chip understood my few homemade signs. Been thru with Chip when she had three litters. Wow .. Thanks for sharing this with us. It is a very powerful analogy. ASL is forever.

My son has 3 dogs and 9 horses. he’s deaf, but he has some ways of communications with each of them. it’s amazing! I’ve always knew that there’s a way to communicate in any ways with everything on the planet… sorry about Maddy. I can feel for your family

I agree with you about the anaology of a cat. that is stupid of of AGB to take the ASL away from deafies.. wow that is the violation of their rights….we all must not give up the ship and fight for the rights our freedom of laguage. ASL is the beautiful language. especailly MUSIC..:) thks for this information, Joey .. KH

Hey DZ, you can sign to dogs “Sit”, “Bang”, “walk”, “T” (for bathroom), “eat”, etc The dogs will understand you perfect fine

I don’t know about the cats — never experience it! 🙂

It is called the communication which means that it has LANGUAGE!

It is amazing that everyone is arguing with me about animals can communicate. You train the animals to say certain words. That is obviously very limited communication. Language is a conversation between two or more people.
Why do you all think ASL will be taken away from ya’ll? I am wondering if you all are paranoid.

Thanks to all above for your comments. It is indeed an interesting discussion and yes, I am very familair with the difference between communication and language.

As for why I think ASL will be taken away, we need to look at AGB and how they are trying to deprive the exposure of ASL to Deaf babies. It is very clear that they will do anything to make sure Deaf babies will speak not sign.

Therefore, it is our duty to be more alert and educate each other how ASL play big role in our lives especially our future Deaf children.

A majority of you think animals have language. Tell me if the animals’ language have any grammar, syntax or discourse? How is that compared with ASL language?

The ASL analogy of Maddy’s capacity for language and for Deaf people’s capacity for language, which is a fitting analogy since both cannot always speak the spoken language (animals and deaf humans). We need to find an approach to AGB’s cause to shut the hands and open the mouths in focusing on speech and find a way to keep the hands open and the mouth free to speak at will, with hands free to sign at will, without babies being targeted for their destiny without being able to decide because the parents and the system want to decide for the babies. It’s like having the adults decide the baby should have their heads drilled for cochlear implants without letting the child be involved in the decision. It is not a matter of life or death where the adult decides; it is the arrogant matter where the adults decide what to do with their children physically, with drills through the skull or by shutting their hands, robbing them of the beautiful ASL language. If a child is to be literally drilled in the head, it should be in regards to a life or death matter, not in the attempt to rob the child of a beautiful language in ASL. Right? In regards to AGB it is all about integrity. Drilling in babies’ heads is their idea of integrity, I guess, the preservation of it. Interesting.

That what I did sign and taugh ASL to my dog and she is great and undy what I say to ask. She was rest in peace. I already miss her. I do momery in my heart of her – her name is Blackie…

That good for childrent to learn ASL in their future what they wants… CANT TAKE SAY NO .. keep ASL forever!!!!

DZ,

What are your observation of AGB’s attempt to block the exposure of ASL to Deaf babies? I’m curious. Thanks.

Wow very touchy! We have a 2 year old Yorkie Terrier named Minny. My wife hails from Minn. I am from NY so we named her MINNY!
I agree that animals know how to read sign language as I sign to my dog. Minny responds well with signed commands!

My favor Bombay cat full jet black color and glow gold eyes night just eyes only. It true cat can communicated with me I saw cat said meow but no sound I asked hearing kids can hear my cat? They said no i think cat knows I am deaf like expression face with lip. I went bed overnight during winter season cat’s paw pat serval times on my arm or head mean cat need warm I pull blanket let cat under my chest keep warm then sleep good. Well good relationship with pet. I taught said sit cat could sit too. it wondeful part of langues.

Joey, I am deeply sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing the relationship with your “daughter”.

To: LaDonna Snyder, DZ, and Animalasllover,

Check this website (in engine search) for “Cat Language 101”, it says the cats do have language and there are list how and what kind of language they have/use. Next time check first before pointing your finger at someone.

I had a cat who understood several signs like “eat”, “outside”, “potty”, and “come over” and we had a dog, Puff, who understood 22 signs. Once a while when we (human) have a conversation, our dog watch us and when she recongized the signs, she responsed back wit her body language and shocked us.

Thanks Joey for great vlog!

Hi there,

Joey, I am sorry to hear about your beloved cat. We lost our dog to cancer last year. I felt I could communicate with her, she knew how I was feeling and all that. Now I am seeing images of her, sometimes she would run across the room or do something tricky. Very interesting!

Anyway, a couple of years ago, many deafies were upset over Koko the gorilla who was taught sign language, now we are looking at animals who have an unique way of communicating, so looking back, did we have any justification to get upset over Koko learning sign language or not?? Me wonder. Does anyone agree or not? Should we have embraced the idea that Koko was able to learn sign language or still disagree with the idea?

very touching – i have three cats. i love them to death. yes excellent analogy about taking away language – powerful. well expressed !
love your story
Noni

My cat Monet knows her name. I had tested her a few times while she was sleeping. I used my voice to say hello, la la la …. nothing worked. Finally I called her name. She immediately woke up. Renoir doesn’t care but herself as a beautiful silky black cat with olive colored eyes. She is pathetic.

Only when Chip stared at me while I was eating. A Golden Retriever pup hated when I had to point her to the floor (without my voice) – Lie down. She departed us to the Dog heaven in ’92. I miss her very much. Communicating between animals and people is quite amazing.

I have a pure philosophy: Why shut the hands in an effort to produce a child that has hearing loss the ability to speak? What does hands have anything to do with impeding the progress of speech therapy? Like, hands get in the way? Vowels and cosonants bouncing off the hands? That is nonsense. If a child has a natural ability to speak, even to listen with the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, how can signing pose as a barrier to speech? FEAR. That is what it is. Fear in the minds of parents and the influential educators, the oralists, and the remnant whose descendants are the Milan Conference people who shut down ASL and the signed languages of the world. If the oralist zealots did a study on the Milan Conference, they would discover that many Deaf professionals found themselves out of jobs and shipped to Asylums for the Insane or Mental Hospitals. Is that what the very same parents want for their children that have hearing losses to meet with the same fate if today’s era was in the era of the Milan Conference? Thank goodness we are not in Milan, Italy, year 1880. I just hope people will get over their fears and embrace ASL as a beautiful language, and if people want to learn how to talk, great! Just don’t use fear as justification and ASL as a primary language an excuse. The truth is that anybody can be raised to learn ASL and maintain speech skills through speech therapy the same time.

I know you miss Maddy. I miss my dog named Buddy. He was my best friend when I was a little kid. His name “Buddy” was so easy for me to pronounce when I was a kid. It was “Buddy! Buddy!” all the time. I could fingerspell “Buddy” and he would tilt his head like as if he heard me. Cute dog, too..a beagle dog. Sort of a cross breed, I think but with strong Beagle genes.

lol, over 1,600 views! with a title and subtitle like that, no wonder! 🙂

I enjoyed watching your cat\’s first approach towards your son, that was so beautiful to watch, she seems hesitant and curious, and craned her neck to see the new member of the familiy… really touching! I can see why you miss her.

How did AGB attempt to block the usage of ASL for deaf babies? Do you have the proof that AGB does not want deaf babies to learn ASL?

In answer to DZ’s question:

AGB’s purpose is to stress the importance of early diagnosis and INTERVENTION through advocacy, education, research and financial aid; AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive in mainstream society. AGB is clearly involved in every facet of intervention measures which includes discouraging parents in having their babies learn ASL as a first language. That is AGB in whole as an organization! Does that answer your question? Or do you want to breakdown the word “intervention” further?

#54 good question, I don’t any see media news are that ASL banned all over USA? Who is authorized? Who said banned it? We want to know what excatly where these began spread out removed ASL? Need the facts make sure keep the balance rights things. I want to know which one on website who banned the ASL I am sure too many there but need the speciific. Yes, we keep ASL forever! One thing our State guy who invented the UniDuo device communicate two person that worse part of audism period! and their goal removed ASL and interpreter service. He tried to sell business at school ,work, and hospital that wrong if it will be madatory I am against it. We need keep ASL with interpreter service.

Joey,

As I watched your vlog, that brought me a SMILE knowing that pets have a beautiful language of their own, just like with us, deafies with our beautiful language, ASL!!

I may not be able to have children, but I have four beautiful furry babies that I consider as my children. They knew I am deaf, and will do anything to communicate with me with their non-verbal language.

So animals have language, therefore, deaf people have their language too! So, let’s preserve our mother’s language, ASL, and leave it alone!!

Joey, *applause applause*. I loved it! We have 5 cats. Our oldest is my husband’s first cat (now 10 years old). When my husband is sick, our oldest “boy” lays with him as long as he thinks “daddy” needs him. [We have a teenage daughter too.] Pets are fabulous! ASL all the way!

After watching the vlog again, Joey was trying to say can we take the language away from the animals? I know that it is impossible to take the language away from the animals. If we have to take the language away from the animals, we would have to put muzzles over their mouths and then we would be charged for animal cruelty just like Michael Vick’s dogfights.
However, I do not see how the analogy applies to ASL. There is no way that they can take our ASL away from us unless there is another Hitler that will try to take the ASL away from us. I just hope you all are not crying wolf about taking the ASL away from us. ASL still exists!

So the controversy is about whether ASL is a language? Most of you think ASL is a language and that you all think animals have language. The animals’ language does not have any grammar or syntax. So why do people who are opposed to ASL do not think ASL is not a language? ASL do have grammar rules and syntax. Do those same folks think we are animals?
I am sure this is a provoking thought!

Joey,

Very touch story about Maddy. I love name of your cat’s names.

I knew how much you missed her and really so special to your member family and go through difficult she passed away.

First things I thought you had daughter from someone’s else after you married .. you fool me..

I read FB’s story about Bug’s hearing dog and It did made me cried and really very touchy alot to me.

My son, Corky is now 17 yr old. he is really freak lover ice cream after one of us ate ice cream. left of the creamy of Ice cream on bowl. so I can give him every night. I am really spoiled him so much. Somehow, Last night I realized the bowl is dirty in dishwasher. I have to use large cups to eat ice cream.
Corky can hear I scratched the bowl from spoon. he wait and wait. I put down on the floor. he cannot lick into the cups. he is really pissed off at me. I realized I forgot about cup is not fitting his head into the cup.

Corky is blind and know where he go and sometime he want to go outside and lay down on porch .. he cannot go anywhere .. Due to his blind.

Response to DZ in regards to language:

Language is universal, whether it is signed, spoken, or renacted through body language and an array of facial expressions. It is not just about grammar rules and syntax. Seeing Maddy look at the baby carefully and gingerly, thoughtfully, as not to jump on it or scratch it is an EXPRESSION of language. Anyone or anything that inhibits personality has language. Any pet can react to human language as their master. We are not protesting seeing ASL users being called animals. We are protesting the intervention of usage of ASL by children at their earliest ages, because things are changing. More children are getting cochlear implants, and in the wind of seeing children undergo cochlear implants, we see more emphasis on speech therapy over ASL and even discouraging the use of ASL. Joey’s analogy does apply to ASL, because for one: Animals do display language however we want to interpret it as, and ASL is a beautiful language, and muzzle or not, nobody can take away our languages, the animals or the humans. Even music is a language! And for two, and finally, Joey’s assertion is that ASL is our language, and it cannot be taken away, it is already a part of our lives. Maybe people do not recognize that animals do have a language, and that Deaf people do have a genuine and authentic language which is ASL. It is just a question of whether oralists who are against sign language believe that ASL is a genuine language or not; or their reason of discouraging the use of ASL is the fear of decline and erosion of speech skills. So what happens? Perhaps denial. Denial that ASL is indeed a beautiful, authentic language which is also the 4th most widely used language in the United States, a fact which AGB seems to ignore.

Lol…god, Joey. All those years I’ve known you and you scared me a bit cuz I thought you had lost an human infant daughter. heh..
yeah I understand you, man! I got a daughter, too, Molly.
Thanks for showing. Now off to spending more time with Molly now! She’s almost 4 and knows half of our language.

WOW! Conflict in your talk… Not dare to take language from other and cherish and advocate ASL. What about other’s right among HOH, SEE, etc…Forget or ignore Bill Of Rights, Are you?

Agree with #62. Language is not about syntax, grammar, etc.

To deafmutearthur:
Huh? What rights are you talking about? When one of us refers to “Deaf” we meant Hoh, late Deafness, etc. sometimes we don’t feel like listing out those labels. Why not just say “deaf” as a reference to ALL of us. Geez!

SEE is/was well-liked by hearing people cuz so they don’t have to learn the real language of ASL. While SEE is NOT a language, see the difference here? Deaf people do not like SEE therefore we do not have to address SEE at all.

To Colin,
Why do not you read U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights article IX? Equality among us, citizens
are most sacred … Requires of ASL upon hearing impaired people, mean that freedom of choice is oppressed… Oh you say that SEE is not a language, why do not you try to communicate with SEE people….You will understand them clearly, so SEE is language as same with ASL…

Cat lovers all have personal terms that we use to describe cat antics (a playful trick or prank; caper; a grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture), their body language, and their individual idiosyncrosies (characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual).

So, all individual of cats has different methods of communication towards its own master. Its master has difference of defining what their cats or animals are “saying” to them than to the others.

So, cats’ or animals’ communication is like a communication mode as it is one-way communication.

Obviously, ASL isn’t a communication mode as it’s two-way communication.

Yes, they are trying to sweep ASL away from us.. yet, better word, GRABBING our ASL and DISCARD IT or even SHRED IT AWAY.

We all have to fight for our ASL rights and preservation!!! And, it is not the first time, unfortunately.

I still adore the film that George William Veditz made about ASL preservation in a film. Maybe you should clip some and post on your site, Joey.

deafmutearthur :
Because I used SEE, Cued Speech myself when growing up so I’m entilled to tell you that it’s not working and they are NOT the language of the Deaf. SEE, cued speech is screwing up the Deaf Education in USA, like it or not. SEE is not clear and rather awkward when comparing with ASL. I would say that 90% of my friends who used SEE ended up using ASL.

come on, guys, am I right or wrong here?

This doesn’t mean I do not communicate with “them”. I don’t know where you get that from.
Also I notice you called us hearing impaired. You should know by now that we don’t go by that term anymore.
Now you can either take my words for it or follow your hearing friends’ so-called wisoms.

Colin
Oh! you meant that “hearing impaired” word itself do not exist in vocabulary…. Then you better correct US goverment which still use that word and I am not ashamed of being called as Hearing impaired person ….I am 3rd generation deaf mute !

Joey! LOVED your compassionate message about your cat! was totally funny and touching at the same time. Best part about it was your expression, clever title to get people to read it that got me smiling! My 3 babies are my “kids” too. Rocky, Champ, and Montana (all three names are sports-related due to my hubby being a sport fanatic).
I ahba the purpose of the message. Also, can you point out who is it who is saying ASL is not a language? It would help if there’s specific reference to such statements. Thanks for the cute show! Take care!

Sheri,

The most recent example is Mike McConnell’s blog “Is ASL destroying ISL?” There are few others you can find via DeafRead.com.

In addition to that, I have met several people who told me that we have no business to say ASL is our language because they use SEE or PSE which they considered to be a language too. That’s the problem – many people do not realize that ASL is the ONLY sign language to be recognized as a language.

So the bottom line, there are many people who still think low of ASL or refused to recognize ASL as our true and only sign language in America.

But guess what, we shall not stop but continue to educate people that ASL is our true and only language in America. It has done so much for many Deaf people and eventually changed their lived after they were exposed to ASL.