It's normal for most pet owners, I think. I've always talked to pets, mine or otherwise. It's not really the words that matter, it's the tone of your voice. I can 'talk' to my cat simply by emulating the tone/inflection of his meows. I've done it with birds too. I can't whistle but if I mimic the basic sound of their chirping, they will answer back.

I'm not one of those who talks to animals as though they're children, though. I'll ask Zippy "'sup bud?" or whatever. Most of the time he answers back and I can usually tell when/if he wants something based on his meowing/body language. A side effect of growing up with cats I suppose, since I can't do it with most other animals. I can call just about any cat to me if I want to though, heh. I also attract them, it's kind of weird.

~DragonHeart~