Joy, I totally agree with you, and I think it is great to talk with our pets. I can see when Chipper understands me, and also see the puzzlement on his face when he is not quite sure what I am telling him.
Chipper has always slept in bed with me all 10 years of his life, but now that he is older, and we have a tall bed, I have worried that he might roll off in the middle of the night and hurt himself. So, I found a used baby playpen on Craigslist, and set that up for Chipper at the foot of the bed. He is still close to me, but I know that he is safe in there and can't fall out and get hurt.
However, if I put him to bed and don't come right to bed myself, he will climb out and sit in his favorite chair to wait for me. So, I put him to bed at the same time i am going to bed, and always tell him "Goodnight, Chipper". Then he knows it is bedtime, and stays right there until I pick him up and take him back out in the morning.
We both know that he can climb out anytime, but he will always wait until I come and get him.
