Why I speak to my cat in Portuguese

I speak predominantly to my cat in Portuguese. Anyone out there who owns or loves cats knows that it's not strange at all to have conversations with them, so it shouldn't be weird that I speak to mine (as often as I do) in a foreign language. 

E and I speak predominantly Portuguese at home, on a daily basis. It's rare that he speaks, or responds to me, in English. I don't know if it's because that's the language that we used when we first met each other and started dating, because after all, we were in Brazil and he didn't know any English at the time. I mean, why change things up?

Even after all of these years, and the fact that he has since learned and been immersed in English, we still speak Portuguese. Maybe it's because I speak Portuguese better than he speaks English, maybe it's out of habit, or maybe it's because I'm an annoying English teacher (which I don't think so; I do help him and he appreciates and learns from me, but still....). 

How does the cat fit into this equation? Since I speak Portuguese at home, it only makes sense that I'd talk to my cat in the same language. I speak English at work, with friends, every time I leave the house, etc., but at home it's Portuguese all the way (unless I'm on the phone or on Skype). We watch TV and movies solely in English but that's about it. 

E talks to his friends on the phone in English, uses Facebook (never Orkut) and is otherwise surrounded by English, but I'm the exception (and the few Brazilian friends he has here). Even if we're out with Americans, speaking English, he'll almost always address me in Portuguese. We won't do this to be rude, I just see E and think "Portuguese" so it makes sense. I even discussed this once how I dreamt in English until he appeared in my dream, then I spoke Portuguese since I was talking to him. Must be habit then, correct? I think so. He hasn't given me any other explanation.

I do, however, believe that each time we're in New York with my family and childhood friends he speaks more English to me. Our goal is rarely to alienate someone (we can use our knowledge of a foreign language when we're out in public and want to have a private conversation). We therefore usually speak English around my family unless we want to say something to each other in private - then we shift to Portuguese.

All of this Portuguese speaking leads to the fact that I address my cat, Sebastian, in Portuguese as well. I mean, why would I speak to him in English if I don't speak to his "father" in English? Plus, it's more fun to call him gatinho, bebezinho, Sebastiaozinho, chatinho :).