Interesting as a measure of time, perhaps, but I'm doubting a cat's purring is equivalent in accuracy to the steady decay of cesium.

 

I think this thread is seeking out an alternative to clocks.

 

A sun dial will work close enough for me

 

You may actually end up measuring the temperature more than the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolbear's_law

 

around here I know its about 8amwhen the horses come back from the pond, and about midnight when they head that way.
dogs migrate to the N side of the house about noon spring and summer.
if they layup against the southside its winter.
cats try to get in the house all the time.

 

tried the cat thing. He wouldn't stay on my wrist. Definitely didn't like me stuffing him in my pocket and using his tail as a chain.

 

The trick is once ya get ya arm up there ya tie the tail around your elbow:upsidedown:

 

If the civilized world is over It will suit me to know daytime and nighttime. I think I can determine those without a timepiece or cat.

 

there are periods of weeks at a time I don't keep track of what day it is
"Jeremiah Johnson: You wouldn't happen to know what month of the year it is? Bear Claw: Why no, I truly wouldn't. I'm sorry, pilgrim. Winter's a long time going?Jeremiah Johnson: [exhausted] Ah. Bear Claw: Stays long this high. Jeremiah Johnson: March. Maybe, April. Bear Claw: March maybe. I don't believe April. [rising to depart] March is a green muddy month down below, some folks like it, FARMERS mostly."
Jeremiah Johnson 1972

I aspire to this

 

IMO, the plants and weather are a better gauges of the year. When the leaves are green and it's hot, it's Summer. When the leaves turn yellow and orange and it's cool, it's Fall. When the leave fall off and it's cold, it's Winter. When the trees get buds on them and it's cool, it's early Spring. When new leaves pop out and it's warmer, it's late Spring. When the Blackberries are ripe , it's June. When the Mulberries are ripe, it's Sept, When the citrus is ripe, it's Feb.

time of day is definitely the sun in the sky. Cloudy day? Your internal clock, hungry stomach is a good gauge.

 

Umm...How could counting a cats purs or dogs pants be a measure of time? You are still having to sit there and count. Its not like you can tell a cat to start purring, then after a bit of time has elapsed ask it how many times it purred. That means you would be counting the whole time and thus become the time measurer yourself.

 

What time is it, cat watcher?

20 purrs and a lick after hairball.

 

There is always the standby "Mickey Mouse" watch. tick tock, tick tock

 

I have kept time in my life by keeping track of which dog or dogs I owned at the time and how old they were.

Life has lots of rythms, like the sun, the moon, the tides, the beat of your heart.Listen to them and learn something.

 

I also noticed another thing while taking a break from some work on a car radio I was petting a cat and placed a multimeter probe in the cat's hair, I held the other in my hand and kept stroking the cat with my remaining hand. The cat generated 13 volts and 3 amps of current. Not sure how it could be captured but it might charge small electronics. There must be a lot more common natural sources of current like that in nature as well.

 

There must be a lot more common natural sources of current like that in nature as well.

Ain't you never heard of a currant bush?

 

My dog can tell time. It's uncanny. I like to feed him right at 5pm and have for years. Then I noticed that at about 5 minutes to 5 he would be sitting on the floor looking at me. If it got to be past 5 oclock, he would look at me and make a little growl/grunt noise as if he was reminding me it was time to eat.

 

The only timepiece I would use an animal for is a cat with mounted on the fireplace with a clock shoved into its chest. One with time and one with temperature.