Animals' responses

[SparkStillLit]

I don't really know where to put this. I've been making some observations for very many months now, years in the cases of the cats.
The animals do not care for updh. My cat will stay by me pretty much no matter what, but the other cat, who universally likes everyone (my cat is very choosy and likes only select people. The sun rises and sets on me, but DS is also ok. Others can sometimes pet him, but NEVER dh). Anyway, other cat will leave as dh approaches. He was even comfortably curled on the bed with me, dh approached, cat left and layed in my office until he was good and sure dh was gone, then he came back and re-curled where he was before. This is typical.
DS's dog, who is of guardian type, and is very sensitive, recognises dh as part of the family, but it's as if she doesn't trust him. She whines and yips when he speaks, as he usually uses a loud and hectoring tone. The louder and more aggressive he gets, the more agitated she becomes. She doesn't do this when others speak. She has also grabbed him off DS and gone between them and shoved him off DS. He finds this funny, but he also has to be careful because she isn't playing. She doesn't hurt him, but she won't let him hurt DS. She has never done anything like this to me, as she doesn't consider hugging or normal touch to be threatening, nor has she done anything to DS's friends, not considering them threatening either.
The old dogs can even get all agitated when he speaks, and the old male has bitten him, ages ago, because dh grabbed him and scared him. He doesn't trust dh, either. *I* can grab him.
None of the animals are fearful of him, like as if he actively abuses them. I'm certain he doesn't. He likes them. He gives them treats, he feeds my cat from the table, he pets the ones who allow it. There is just something about him that they don't like. Our old cats who passed didn't like him, either. One more actively than the other.
I know people are always saying animals "sense" things, and I don't know if they smell things, or are reading body language, or hearing nuances we can't or what. It sure makes a person think.
I haven't read that book, the one about trusting your gut, but I'm thinking it would be an interesting and perhaps scary read.

[SeaBreeze]

Animal's instincts are definitely more finely honed than ours. uNPDh also does not physically abuse our dog, and claims to like dogs more than people, but...he can be verbally abusive and agitated when our dog dares to have a mind of its own. (Yeah, I know how the dog feels...And yes, I intervene on the dog's behalf which gets me in trouble too
..)  Our dog also picks up on H's anger in general (like when H raged at putting together a bookshelf) which sends poor puppy into hiding. Dog is also skittish when H is drinking or moody.

Before youngest DS left home, the dog often sought refuge from H's rages or tense moods in DS's room. This prompted DS's private observation to me that in this house, our dog is "our canary in the coal mine." I think you and my DS are both onto something, and we should pay heed to what our animals may be telling us.

[Cascade]

Our pets don't dislike my pdhusband but they definitely prefer me. I think that is in part because my husband can be noisy at times, and he also spends a lot less time petting them, compared to me. He will feed them sometimes but I think his feeding them is more about gaining their favour, than it is about giving them food when they need to be fed. He never gives them water, or cleans up after them.