I once said “Hi Buddy” to a squirrel in a situation somewhat like this, using my Talking to Squirrels voice, which is not a voice I would every use for a human (high pitched and ratchety). At the exact instant the words came out, the man who runs the landscaping company that takes care of the condos where I live came around a corner and it seemed VERY much like I was talking to him. It was extremely embarrassing, in part because I felt obligated to explain that of COURSE I would not greet him like that; I was only talking to a squirrel. LOL.