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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / September 2004What is our cat saying to us?
We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. For example, my super-smart Vanilla (now RB) would come to where I was, and DEMAND that I get up instantly and take care of whatever she wanted. She would lead me to the fridge, or the cat box, (she was 100% indoor) and sit there mewing until I acted. She would also watch carefully while I cleaned the cat box to ensure that I did a proper job. Same when I fixed her dinner or a snack. Everything had to be just so. And when it was 10-11pm or so, she'd DEMAND that I turn off the TV and come to bed! RJ, my present huge orange fuzzball, isn't as sharp as Vanilla was, so when he wants something he mews, but can't figure out how to lead me to the job at hand, so I have to guess. Most of the time is for him to "play out" on the fenced patio. He loves this since the patio has a high fence and no gaps (his former owners declawed him in front -- boo) but at least the benefit of that is he can go play out and there's no way he can get away. Anyway, sometimes our cats will just come over and meow at us, for no apparent reason. Naturally Siamese will speak volumes, whole paragraphs of cat lingo. But even non-Siamese will often simply have something to say to us. Any idea what it is? It's not "I love you" because that tone we can identify immediately. And it's not "Angry" or "Scared" either. The "words" are articulate and not stressed with high emotion. Do you think that our cat is simply saying "Hi there"? >We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, >or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. My gang aren't very talkative. Sammy hardly every says anything, when she wants my attention she comes over and paws me - or pokes me with a claw if I don't pay attention as quickly as I should. LB is the most talkative, but she has a very soft voice. Mainly she talks about dirty litterboxes and when she wants outside. As far as she's concerned a box that has been used once needs to be scooped NOW. And, since Sammy follows me around, supervising scooping, and then jumps in and uses it as soon as I've finished, there is no such thing as a clean box in our house. (Sammy even follows me from one box to the next and tries to make a deposit in both.) Rocky has little to say, I didn't think he knew how to meow until last year. <snip>  SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html ---------------------<snip>---------------------- > Rocky has little to say, I didn't think he >knew how to meow until last year. LOL (really). We knew that our beloved Misty(RB) could meow, she would hold regular, extended conversations with DH. We just didn't know she could meow loudly. At least not till I took Lady Jane Grey out to the courtyard of our apartment building for a leashed romp on the grass leaving Misty access to our second floor patio where she could watch. About five minutes into Janie's supervised exercise period, I heard this cat 'mow'ing (rhymes with cow - ing) so loudly that I wondered what was happening to the poor kitty. I was surprised to learn that it was Misty, she of the (normally) well-modulated voice. She didn't stop till we were back in the apartment. Regards and Purrs, O J >---------------------<snip>---------------------- >> Rocky has little to say, I didn't think he [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Regards and Purrs, >O J Sometimes their voices can be surprising. My tiny Mimi had quite a harsh, powerful meow. Every day when I got home, it was perfectly clear: Stinky: Hi Mommy! Mimi: WHERE THE @#$%! WERE YOU??? Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com >>---------------------<snip>---------------------- >>> Rocky has little to say, I didn't think he [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Theresa I can identify with that. Boyfriend greets me with a tiny trill. Kitty FC says GET INSIDE THE HOUSE IMMEDIATELY AND GIVE ME MY FOOD. Tiny black & white tuxedo kitties know what they want. And they won't stop until they get it. Tweed > "Kreisleriana" <kreisleriana2@yahoo.com> wrote >>Sometimes their voices can be surprising. My tiny Mimi had quite a >>harsh, powerful meow. Every day when I got home, it was perfectly [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Tiny black & white tuxedo kitties know what they want. And they won't stop > until they get it. Oh, yes. Nikki has that voice, too, when she really wants something. She's not quite so rude as she used to be when she was younger, though. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > Oh, yes. Nikki has that voice, too, when she really wants something. She's > not quite so rude as she used to be when she was younger, though. . I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the day. If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. If I try to sit (just a little bit) on my own chair when she's in it she spits. I'm still learning about my cats - as I said, being a d*g person - and Kitty doesn't seem to be able to retract her claws fully. It's quite painful if she sits on me. I was told this was an "old cat" thing and when they get very elderly (and she is) they just can't put their claws right in. Is this true, or do they just want clipping? Haha. "Just" I say. There is no way in the world I could do it on my own, I'd have to get a brave friend over. One to hold her in a towel and press the paws and the other one to clip. Earplugs will be needed... Rrrroww. Meeeeeow. Hahhhh. Hiss. Spit. Slash. That's what will happen. Please tell me it's an old cat thing, and not that I have to clip her claws <swoon> I might have to get serious help, if so! Tweed > I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the day. > If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. If I try to [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Tweed I think it is an old cat thing... Bandit, 14 doesn't complete retract hers. Hugs, CatNipped >> I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the day. >> If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. If I try to [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > CatNipped I thnk so too, though I had a kitty that was never very good at it and you'd hear her "click, click" across surfaces. It's also why it's important to look at old kitty's claws and make sure they don't grow into the claw pad. that happened to one of my old kitties once. I felt so bad I didn't notice sooner. I was vigilant after that. > I thnk so too, though I had a kitty that was never very good at it and > you'd > hear her "click, click" across surfaces. It's also why it's important to > look at old kitty's claws and make sure they don't grow into the claw pad. > that happened to one of my old kitties once. I felt so bad I didn't notice > sooner. I was vigilant after that. Yeah, I'd read about that happening so I check mine regularly since I don't clip (I have scratching posts in almost every room of the house and let them take care of their own claws unless there is a problem). Hugs, CatNipped >> I thnk so too, though I had a kitty that was never very good at it and >> you'd [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > CatNipped That was her problem though. SHe got too old to do much clawing so it just grew around into her pad. I felt AWFUL. >>> I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the day. >>> If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. If I try to [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > that happened to one of my old kitties once. I felt so bad I didn't notice > sooner. I was vigilant after that. I agree on that point. My Siamese (RB16) had one claw grow into her pad. She really used bad language when the Vet cut it out, but felt much better after. TuTu's Vet has her assistant wrap a towel around the cat and hold her while trimming her claws. TuTu is not that old -- she just hates claw trimming. Guess I understand the feeling. My Podiatrist cut out an ingrown toenail on my left foot today -- it HURT1 MLB > I agree on that point. My Siamese (RB16) had one claw grow into her pad. > She really used bad language when the Vet cut it out, but felt much better > after. TuTu's Vet has her assistant wrap a towel around the cat and hold > her while trimming her claws. TuTu is not that old -- she just hates claw > trimming. Guess I understand the feeling. My Podiatrist cut out an > ingrown toenail on my left foot today -- it HURT1 MLB Purrs for your foot. I had one cut out of my left foot about a year ago. I had no idea it could hurt that much. Took about a week before it stopped hurting. Bob >> I agree on that point. My Siamese (RB16) had one claw grow into her pad. >> She really used bad language when the Vet cut it out, but felt much better [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Bob I appreciate your purrs. The toe is feeling much better. This is the third toe I've had ingrown nail on. The other two eventually had to have part of the nail removed. MLB >> I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the >> day. If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > I think it is an old cat thing... Bandit, 14 doesn't complete retract > hers. I agree, Snoopy is also 14 and doesn't retract her claws either. She likes to put her paw on my face when we cuddle in bed, it can quite uncomfortable, particularly when she sticks a claw in my lip. The look on her face though, it's impossible not to love her. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. >>> I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the >>> day. If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > uncomfortable, particularly when she sticks a claw in my lip. The look > on her face though, it's impossible not to love her. Oh, I can't get cross with Kitty about it either, she purrs so hard while she's doing it! I'm going to try and clip them though, in case it might make a bit of a difference. I've spoken on the phone this afternoon to my intrepid friend about helping me, and she's up for it. "That should be fun" she said, rather ironically I thought.. We haven't made a firm date, as she is a very busy person, and I want my eye to be a bit less fragile when I do a cat fight, but it will be sometime during the next two weeks. I'm really looking forward to it (not!) Tweed >I agree, Snoopy is also 14 and doesn't retract her claws either. She >likes to put her paw on my face when we cuddle in bed, it can quite >uncomfortable, particularly when she sticks a claw in my lip. The look >on her face though, it's impossible not to love her. Rocky doesn't retract his claws either, and TED's upper estimate would put him around 10. I thought it might be because he never learned to be careful with hoomin skin, since he was on the streets for his early life. I was warned that he would probably develope arthritis in his front legs because of old fight injuries. His injuries is what first made him stand out when he was one of the ferals I was feeding. So, I wonder if early stages of arthritis may also be a contributing factor. LB and Sammy are both normally pretty careful not to stick me when they knead. One really cute thing is when they lay on my chest and knead. I usually wear bib overalls, and they've learned that they can use their claws on the overalls. In the past when they went to high, I would catch their paws and hold them at the top of the bib on the overalls. It became a habit for me to put my hand on the top of the bib, and now when they start to knead the put their paws under my hand so that they don't go to high. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html It does seem very strange to me that Wilson, who likes to fight my arm, and is aggressive in that sort of playing although not actually hurting me too much, will sit very quietly for me when I cut his nails he seems to know that this is serious business, he doesn't even like being held, yet he sits absolutely still while I'm clipping. As for talking, he doesn't say much, he has a really quiet meow and purr, I rhought he was mute when I first got him, but as he's got older I found he can talk when he likes however if he wants to play,or wants me to follow him somewhere, such as the bedroom he will come and paw my kneeso gently or sometimes my arm, as though to say 'come on come with me' and walks a few steps, then turns to see if i'm following.Cats, they never fail to amaze me. Jean.P. > >> I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the > >> day. If I try to detach her from my sweater she wowls and growls. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > Adrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) > A house is not a home, without a cat. Sorry. Although it IS an ageing cat thing (the flexor & extensor muscles get stiffer so to speak) the solution is to clip the claws. A good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend plus a large towel for total enwrapment and various sets of gardening or furnace gloves, leather tanners' aprons and ear protectors, plus the claw-trimmers, should be all that's required. But don't turn your back for a few days afterwards. WRT KFC's behaviour, she's just establishing the (distant) boundaries of her dominance over you. And doing a fine job too. Purrs Gordon & the TT SignatureFeline family viewable at: http://community.webshots.com/user/exocat > I'm finding quite the opposite. Kitty gets more bad-mannered by the day. > CLAW CLIPPING: There is no way > in the world I could do it on my own, I'd have to get a brave friend over. > Please tell me it's an old cat thing, and not that I have to clip her claws > <swoon> > I might have to get serious help, if so! > the solution is to clip the claws. A > good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend LOL - also, the friend should be someone you don't mind losing, should he/she decide never to speak to you again after that. ;) > plus a large towel for total enwrapment and various sets of gardening or > furnace gloves, leather tanners' aprons and ear protectors, plus the > claw-trimmers, should be all that's required. This sounds expensive! :) Joyce > > the solution is to clip the claws. A > > good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend > > LOL - also, the friend should be someone you don't mind losing, should > he/she decide never to speak to you again after that. ;) I LOLed at this, too. I was expecting 'good, strong.... clippers'. > > plus a large towel for total enwrapment and various sets of gardening or > > furnace gloves, leather tanners' aprons and ear protectors, plus the > > claw-trimmers, should be all that's required. > > This sounds expensive! :) But you can use them again and again. Unless the cat shredded them all the first time, of course (I don't mean to scare Tweed in the least...). SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> > the solution is to clip the claws. A >> > good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >But you can use them again and again. Unless the cat shredded them all >the first time, of course (I don't mean to scare Tweed in the least...). Don't forget the Kevlar vest! :P Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com >> > the solution is to clip the claws. A >> > good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > But you can use them again and again. Unless the cat shredded them all the > first time, of course (I don't mean to scare Tweed in the least...). I'm not scared <teeth chattering> I'm going to call for help from my friend June. She can handle anything. Huge stallions at stud. Any dog you like, however nasty. She once helped a whippet bitch of mine whelp, and through a misunderstanding (the bitch thought she was going to take away a newborn pup) got bitten in the face. She didn't hold it against me, even though she was judging at a show the next day and had a black eye. She knows Kitty. Kitty will be a breeze for her. So much smaller than a stallion that weighs half a ton out of his mind after a mare. ;-) She can hold her in the towel (I ain't stupid), press her paws and I will clip.. I'll let you know how we get on. Tweed > Sorry. Although it IS an ageing cat thing (the flexor & extensor > muscles get stiffer so to speak) the solution is to clip the claws. A [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Gordon & the TT Coincidence is weird. Jessie was "in Bandit's face" again last night and I rushed over to see if Bandit was OK. At first glance it looked like two of her back claws had been completely ripped off and were hanging by a thread. I totally freaked out and started yelling my head off for DH to get dressed so we could bring her to the kitty ER. On closer inspection we saw that it was two claw "sheaths" that had not come entirely off the claws so we would have to intervene to remove them for her. OK, you all know about Bandit, so DH and I just looked at each other in dread for a few minutes, then it was off to find the heavy workman's gloves, a pair of clippers, and lots and lots of iodine and bandages for the inevitable shredded arms and legs. Then it was, "OK, I'll hold her while you clip." "No, *I'LL* hold her while *YOU* clip." "No way, you aren't strong enough to hold her so she won't get lose and tear me up." "Yes I can, just be quick about it." "Superman isn't that quick, I'll hold her - I promise I won't let her go." And so on for about 15 minutes before I decided to call my son over to the house to come help. "Hello?" "Hi baby, can you come do mom a favor?" "Sure, what's up?" "We need to clip Bandit's claws and we need some help holding her." Silence... more silence. "Sweetie, are you there?" "Um, mom, I'd really love to help, but I was just on my way out the door to a very important meeting." (This was at 9:00PM) "I gotta go, I'm late already, love you!" Click. OK, we don't know anybody who doesn't also know Bandit, so calling for help wasn't going to work. "Get a towel and we'll wrap her upper body in that." DH suggested. Ooookaaaay. I grabbed a towel and handed it to DH, "Here, you do it." DH gave me a dirty look, but gamely grabbed the towel and wrapped it around Bandit's upper body. Bandit immediately flipped over and went into kamikaze kat mode. As I was helping DH pick up the pieces of shredded towel I noticed a claw sheath lodged in one of the pieces. I looked again at Bandit back claws and saw that the claw sheaths had come off in her struggles. DH and I both breathed a big sigh of relief - problem solved, cost: no blood spilled, one shredded towel, one son who would be avoiding us for the near future until we let him know Bandit's problem had been fixed. Hugs, CatNipped >> Sorry. Although it IS an ageing cat thing (the flexor & extensor >> muscles get stiffer so to speak) the solution is to clip the claws. A [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > > CatNipped Snoopy has been known to leave her claw sheaths embedded in my leg if something like the doorbell, startles her when she's on my lap. She is the most nervous cat I've ever known. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. > Sorry. Although it IS an ageing cat thing (the flexor & extensor > muscles get stiffer so to speak) the solution is to clip the claws. A > good strong (preferably not too bright or over-sensitive) friend plus > a large towel for total enwrapment and various sets of gardening or > furnace gloves, leather tanners' aprons and ear protectors, plus the > claw-trimmers, should be all that's required. I have big towels, I have several sets of big leather gloves, I have several sorts of claw trimmers left over from my dog days and I have ear plugs. I don't have the leather apron ;-) > But don't turn your back > for a few days afterwards. LOL! > WRT KFC's behaviour, she's just establishing the (distant) boundaries > of her dominance over you. And doing a fine job too. I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of the acceptable. She is in danger of losing any manners she ever had because I'm spoiling her, and allowing her to rule the roost. So from now on she is going to do as I say. So there. If she is on my chair and I want to sit there, I shall move her to sit on the arm of it. If I dare to move while she is perched on my chest and she growls her disapproval, I shall detach her and make her get down. There is *no* way at all I would have allowed any of my dogs to get such power. I shall try this approach for two weeks and see what happens. She might be transformed into a delightful cat - and then I'll clip her claws. <g> On the other hand... Tweed > I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of the > acceptable. She is in danger of losing any manners she ever had because I'm [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Tweed ROTFLMAO! Yeah Tweed, let us know how *that* goes!!! Hugs, CatNipped >> I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of > the [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > CatNipped Nope. I've decided. This very tiny tuxedo girl has been allowed too much free rein. She has to learn to behave and do as she's told. But I am on my computer chair and she is sprawled on my armchair. Perhaps I'll just leave it for now..I wanted to go to bed anyway. Tweed >>> I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of >> the [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >> manners. When TuTu occupies either my computer chair or my TV chair.I > go to her and say "sweetly" "May Mommie have her chair now?" She gets up like the polite cat she is and gives it to me -- then she jumps up and occupies my lap! As for cutting nails -- forget it!. Good luck. MLB >>>> I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of >>> the [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > up like the polite cat she is and gives it to me -- then she jumps up and > occupies my lap! As for cutting nails -- forget it!. Good luck. MLB I am always very polite with Kitty. I've learnt it's the best way. "Can I have my chair, Kitty?" "No, it's mine, get lost." There is nothing polite about her. If I then try to remove her, she will slash. She's going to have her nails cut soon, though! That'll teach her. Tweed >>>>> I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds of >>>> the [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > Tweed It's easy to tell who is the boss!MLB , >>>>>Here's a thought: If you want her to learn manners, you need to show >>>>> manners. When TuTu occupies either my computer chair or my TV chair.I [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > It's easy to tell who is the boss!MLB Yep, it's me. :-P Tweed > , >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Yep, it's me. > :-P Hey Tweed! Kitty's using your computer again. ;-) SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. >> , >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Hey Tweed! Kitty's using your computer again. ;-) I told you she was out of control! > I have now decided that Kitty's behaviour is going beyond the bounds > of the acceptable. > So from now on she is going to do as I say. So there. "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". C U There! Purrs Gordon & the TT >LB is the most >talkative, but she has a very soft voice. Mainly she talks about dirty >litterboxes and when she wants outside. It's pretty amusing that you can tell what subjects she mostly talks about. :) I think the only time I know what Betty is saying is when she says, "Someone help! Save me from scary psycho daddy and that vacuum monster he's using!" >>LB is the most >>talkative, but she has a very soft voice. Mainly she talks about dirty [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >"Someone help! Save me from scary psycho daddy and that vacuum >monster he's using!" She makes it pretty plain what she's talking about. We have two litterboxes - probably should have more but no where else to put them in this small 1 bedroom apartment. When she's complaining about the litterbox being dirty she walks back and forth between them, meowing all the way. If I don't get up and clean them, sometimes she just sits in the doorway halfway between the two boxes and chews me out, other times she picks the cleanest box, does her business, then comes and chews me out. It'd be different if I let it go for a couple days without cleaning, but as far as she's concerned the box should be cleaned after each deposit is made. When she wants to go outside she sits by the door, looks at me, and meows. For those times when I don't want to go out with her she'll come jump up in my lap, meow a couple times, then go back to the door and meow some more. I imagine she's reminding me that she used to go out on her own all the time, and if I don't want to go out she ought to be able to go by herself. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html Mischief is the talker here. But most of the time I know what she's saying "Meeeeeearrr!!!" "MEEEEE, it's all about MEEEEEEE. Hey, you need to pay attention to MEEEEEEE instead of that stoopid compewter. I am the QUEEN and everything should be about MEEEEEEEE" Then are her short meows, like a "Meorf!" It's so cute and has so much attitude behind it. Meorf!!! "Fine, be that way!!" "Stoopid Hoomin!" Kristi I think it's a "howdy" or "Hey dude, I'm here." Our Roxie is the most vocal and will announce herself walking into a room or passing by us when we're watching the idiot box. Except she doesn't meow so much as trill. The trill is her primary means of communication and I'm still getting used to it. My RB Fritzie was part Burmese and was a vary mouthy kid. Stosh, after 10 months with him, is just starting to take part in two-way verbal communication; the past few days he's been pretty meowy but he's quiet, not a loudmouth like his predecessor. Brandy's getting more into speech as well. It's as if both are picking up from Roxie. Brandy and Stosh have plenty to say to each other. They're fond of wrestling one another, so they pass threats and insults between themselves. They fight very fairly though, so it seems okay. One crazy thing though; Brandy, who was raised in her shelter's foster-home with a dog, growls. Blessed be, Baha > We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, > or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Do you think that our cat is simply saying "Hi there"? (snip) >Anyway, sometimes our cats will just come over and meow at us, for no >apparent reason. Naturally Siamese will speak volumes, whole [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Do you think that our cat is simply saying "Hi there"? Stinky is very vocal, too. If he sees me after not seeing me for awhile (e.g. 10 minutes), he will chirp or meow. I've described here how he walks around in the evening in roaring lion mode. :) He will meow at me, too, when it isn't apparent that he wants anything in particular. My mother always thought that since this is a house where people talk a lot, Stinky just figured when he was a kitten that the best thing to do is join in. ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Kreisleriana <kreisleriana2@yahoo.com> had some very interesting things to say about Re: What is our cat saying to us?: >My mother always thought that since this is a house where people talk >a lot, Stinky just figured when he was a kitten that the best thing to >do is join in. ;) I've heard that vocalizing is actually juvenile behavior in wild cats, and that domestic cats in that way stay kittens, because they're dealing with humans and communicating with us is easier if they vocalize. :-) Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL > We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, > or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. Bandit is our most talkative, but she mostly yowls and growls at everybody. I can be petting or brushing her and she'll be purring up a storm and then she'll see another one of the girls and start growling (while still purring). Well, at the (equivalent) age of 72 I guess she's due a fair amount of bit*hing! ;> Hugs, CatNipped >We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, >or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >Do you think that our cat is simply saying "Hi there"? I think sometimes that's it. Sometimes it's other things. We have two major talkers, Brando and Merlyn. Their range of sounds is simply astounding. I can carry on a conversation, especially with Merlyn; I'll meow and mrp at her and she'll respond. I *really* hope the FBI doesn't have my home bugged! They surely would be scratching their heads ;-) Merlyn will tell me about everything from "I hate that new kitten!" to "I love the cool!" (from the air conditioner). Brando tells me when the litterbox is dirty, when he wants on my lap, when he wants furball meds, and when another cat is annoying him. Well, at least that's *my* interpretations of their various and sundry sounds. Maybe they're just saying "You stupid human. Jeesh!" lol. Ginger-lyn >>We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, >>or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > > Ginger-lyn IMHO - what they mostly say is "I'm sending a message, so read my mind!" > We have two major talkers, Brando and Merlyn. Their range of sounds > is simply astounding. I can carry on a conversation, especially with [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Well, at least that's *my* interpretations of their various and sundry > sounds. Maybe they're just saying "You stupid human. Jeesh!" lol. LOL! I once read somewhere about a woman who had researched the sounds cat made. She had recorded the sounds of several cats and categorized them. There was an amazing range of sounds, I don't remember the number of different sounds, but they were certainly more than in the alphabet (even the Scandinavian alphabet, which has three more letters than the English one). I wish I remembered her name or where I read about this. It was fascinating. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki <SNIP> > We have two major talkers, Brando and Merlyn. Their range of sounds > is simply astounding. I can carry on a conversation, especially with > Merlyn; I'll meow and mrp at her and she'll respond. I *really* hope > the FBI doesn't have my home bugged! They surely would be scratching > their heads ;-) No it's not the FBI that have your home bugged, it's the CIA, and they have their best brains trying to work out the code. ;-) <SNIP> > Ginger-lyn SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. Does anyone else's cat talk to them right after they wake up? When Betty is napping in my lap, she'll sometimes wake up with a little start, make some distressed sounds, look at me, talk a little more, and then settle down and break into a purr. She did that to me just now. She woke up, looked at me and said, "Ooga-ack", whatever that means. :) >Does anyone else's cat talk to them right after they wake up? When >Betty is napping in my lap, she'll sometimes wake up with a little [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >She did that to me just now. She woke up, looked at me and said, >"Ooga-ack", whatever that means. :) Stinky talks anytime. He does something similar to that-- he wakes from a nap, looks up at me with unutterable cuteness, says "Wak!" squirms around adorably, and goes back to sleep. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > Does anyone else's cat talk to them right after they wake up? When > Betty is napping in my lap, she'll sometimes wake up with a little [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > She did that to me just now. She woke up, looked at me and said, > "Ooga-ack", whatever that means. :) Yes, my RJ also 'talks' to me when he wakes up. He'll simply say "mrrpp" and that's sufficient. I guess it's simply a friendly "hello". There is this delightful message that's not related to their asking for anything -- "let me out" or "feed me" or whatever -- we all know this sort of stuff. But those times that there is nothing needed, and they still chat with us, that makes me the happiest. >We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, >or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >Do you think that our cat is simply saying "Hi there"? We often speak baby talk to cats; maybe they are saying the equivalent to us! Sheba will lead me to the kitchen to feed her and if i pause or turn the wrong way she will come back for me and lead me the right way again, nagging all the way. When Djoser wants something, he will come to me and rub all over me and when I get up, he will head for the food dish. If I am not fast enough, he will come back for me and wrap his tail around me to guide me. And he talks the whole time. -- CATherine > >We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, > >or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > dish. If I am not fast enough, he will come back for me and wrap his > tail around me to guide me. And he talks the whole time. "Sheba will lead me to the kitchen to feed her and if i pause or turn the wrong way she will come back for me and lead me the right way again, nagging all the way." Sigh. We humans are soooo slow witted! >> >We all get harangued by our cats when they want food or to go outside, >> >or often when their cat boxes need cleaning. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > >Sigh. We humans are soooo slow witted! Especially first thing of a morning before coffee! -- CATherine
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