My cat and I play a game where I ask, “Do you want a [word other than treat]?” five or six times before asking if he wants a treat, to teach him that not all questions mean treats are about to be given.
It’s insane the force with which he turns his face away from me, as if to say, “Excuse me but I really need to be in the kitchen right now, treats are about to be given,” when I ask if he wants a telephone. No matter how many times I tell him he has misheard, he simply does not believe me.