Thanks for stopping by! Get The Way of Cats, delivered, by asking for my RSS feed. Get my free cat advice newsletter by signing up here and get the FREE eBook, Ten Cat Tricks (Every Human Should Know.)Cats talk to us. Some breeds, such as the Siamese, are known talkers, while the Maine Coon has a distinctive, delightful, chirp. While all cats are capable of being talkers, some like it more than others.
What is fascinating about cat vocalizations is that cats talk to us because we talk to them.
It’s true! Scientists who study feral cats, the closest we can come to figuring out domestic cats in “the wild,” have concluded that, while cats do vocalize with each other in distinct situations, such as mother cats locating their kittens, feral cats do not vocalize nearly as much as domestic cats do. The hidden factor seems to be… us.
In addition, studies seem to indicate that each cat comes up with their own vocalization pattern, depending on their own characteristics, who they speak with, and the response they get in return.
This past November, a Japanese company released a new toy that seeks to interpret your pet’s meows. While I find this an interesting concept, I wonder how accurate it could be, since cats tailor their response to their own voice and needs.
Mr. Bond takes his mealtime supervision seriously, but he has different “words” when he reminds me about it. There’s the pre-meal We are going to eat soon, right? murmur, the Are you serious? Of course! full throated agreement, and when it’s past the right time, he switches to piteous glances and a constant presence in my peripheral vision. While RJ, normally so vocal about inviting us to share his enthusiasms, does not get vocal at all about dinner; this is terribly serious business best conveyed by thrusting his hungry face into mine. And Puffy, who is very non-vocal, lets the other cats initiate, and concentrates on showing up at the right time.
I don’t know how well this gadget would handle these nuances. But perhaps science has found some common denominator in cat expression that will let the device work.
We don’t need an electronic device to understand our cats, though. By listening to what they say at certain times, and recognizing their different “words,” we can enjoy communication with them. We encourage the cat to speak to us when we speak to them.
Talking to our cats is enhanced when we put a lot of expression and emotion in our voice. If we have been having low key chats with the cat, see what happens when we put happiness and excitement in our voices. They should perk up and pay even more attention.
They love it when we talk to them. Why else would they answer back?
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