Do you and your cats understand each other? (speak cat?)

FazeFour

FazeFour

Member
By most people's standards, I live in a really small house. Still, my two cats follow me through nearly every inch of it. Seriously, the only place I can go where they're not following within inches is the bath tub. My son said "It looks like there's a magnetic field or something between you guys. To get any closer, you'd have to make shoes out of them."

Anyway, every time I look down, they're there, looking back at me with an expression of expectancy...as though they are saying "Now?"

In fact, I often answer with, "What??"

Of course, that changes nothing. The look on their fur-faces stays constant, and they don't point or anything.

I know when Buddy just wants to be petted, or have his back scratched. He makes an aggressive sort of quacking sound..."Waaack," followed by another "Waaack" a few seconds later if I don't get right on it. Finn lets me know when he wants fresh water or kibble; he'll walk over to his bowls and throw his head back a little and make his sad face. Buddy is more of a clock-watcher when it comes to feed and water. He goes into the kitchen at about 2pm every day. It's the only time he's not glued to my aura, or whatever. He just sits there in the middle of the kitchen, staring ahead, knowing that I change their bowls at around 2pm.

I have had several cats over a lot of years, but unlike dogs, their language eludes me. Or at least it takes a very long time for me to "get". And none of them have communicated in quite the same way. The two I have now, Buddy (with me for about 6 yrs) and Finnian (for about 4 yrs), are not very vocal. Buddy quacks kinda like a duck, and Finnian coos kinda like a dove, but only when they want something.

"What??"
:p

Are your cats good communicators (weird, mysterious, or otherwise)? And do they understand you?
 

Kitty quacking is something new to me but it sounds cute:) I've read that cats actually don't do a full meow very often, especially when communicating with each other. We have five and they have chirps. When you walk in the room it's like a purr chirp. Between each other it seems to be gestures. If you want to lay with another cat you groom them.

If they accept that you can lay down. If you get hissed or swatted at you need to move along. Even the food dish empty they don't make a sound. They just perch around the closest human like vultures. The only mouthy cat is Levon. If he wants the door open his MEOWRRR reverbs the whole house.
 
My husband says the cats talk to him. He does the feeding mostly,so I`m not about to argue with him.
 

fureverywhere said:
Kitty quacking is something new to me but it sounds cute:) I've read that cats actually don't do a full meow very often, especially when communicating with each other. We have five and they have chirps. When you walk in the room it's like a purr chirp. Between each other it seems to be gestures. If you want to lay with another cat you groom them.

If they accept that you can lay down. If you get hissed or swatted at you need to move along. Even the food dish empty they don't make a sound. They just perch around the closest human like vultures. The only mouthy cat is Levon. If he wants the door open his MEOWRRR reverbs the whole house.
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If I laid on the floor with them, I'd have a hell of a time getting up again. Finnian gets all excited when he knows I'm heading to bed, and usually flies through the door ahead of me, and jumps onto the bed, curling his happy tail this way and that. Not because he likes my company so much as he knows I'll rub his tiny noggin until I fall asleep. If I stop, he will actually check my eyes to see if they're closed, getting so close I can feel his whiskers and his little kitty breaths. It's easy to fake him out, though.

Poor Buddy likes to be on the bed, too, but Finn won't have it. I've tried to get Finn to leave Buds alone at night, so he can sleep there too, but to no avail. Oddly, Buddy is quite a bit larger and also older than Finnian. Should be no contest, but, somehow, Finn holds sway.
 
If my cat wants in my lap while I'm sitting at my desktop, she will jump up on the table behind me and tap me on the back. If she's in my lap and wants me to rub her neck, she grabs me by the wrist and will not let me go until she's had enough rubbing. I also can't go anywhere without her. She follows me around everywhere I go. Around 3 pm if I'm sitting at my computer, she is there waiting on me to feed her.
 
The grabbing thing is funny annoying. Stumpy will prance up while I'm eating and wrap paws around my hand trying to steal a bite...until she gets tossed back down. Ninja will pace your legs to be petted, if you stop too soon and walk away, he'll grab your ankle.
 
Mrs. Robinson said:
Me. He does on the rare occasion but most of the time it`s me. We only have one indoor cat though-the other 15 are all outdoor cats. We have three large Igloos on the front porch where they all sleep.
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I much prefer the igloo pet houses over any other. The entry keeps out wind and rain and the round shape is very heat-efficient. My cats are strictly indoor pets. I had a neighbor who was new to the area when her toy poodle got carried off by an owl. There are hawks here that would have done the same. She keeps her new Pomeranian inside. People here who own cats and other small pets often build "catios" and kennels so their furry friends can enjoy the outdoors without worry of prey animals.

And, since you clean the litter box, I think you're at least due a kitty-style "thank you" ...but I suppose they take no notice. :)
 
AprilSun said:
If my cat wants in my lap while I'm sitting at my desktop, she will jump up on the table behind me and tap me on the back. If she's in my lap and wants me to rub her neck, she grabs me by the wrist and will not let me go until she's had enough rubbing. I also can't go anywhere without her. She follows me around everywhere I go. Around 3 pm if I'm sitting at my computer, she is there waiting on me to feed her.
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Sounds like you guys are tuned into each other pretty well...as well as the cat would like, probably.

My Finnian will bite me on the hand or elbow if I ignore his petting demands. He doesn't bite hard, but I don't like that way of asking, and have told him so. He occasionally forgets, and bites, then gets this "oops" expression. That's when he will meow. Not sure if it's an apology or change of tactics, but I know it's one or the other, and I give him the appreciation he's due.
 
Mao our indoor cat is a rescued stray. I think that's to blame for some of his bad habits, but we're slowly teaching him.

He made a game out of grabbing and biting my roommate's leg. He'd stalk her, laying low and wiggling his butt with his ears pulled back. She'd yell "NO!" and try to walk past, but always got attacked. He's slowed down now that he's gotten smacked (lightly) with a newspaper or been sprayed with water, but she still has to watch him.

Oddly, he's never done that with me.

Just like his numerous escape attempts - he REALLY wants to get outside. He's an unaltered male, so I have some empathy with him, but still ... when roommate goes to the door to check for mail he's right behind her, poking his head between her legs and trying to push his way out the door. This accounts for most of his quick escapes, as her reflexes aren't the fastest.

With me he's learned to sit down 10' or so from the door and just watch. Maybe it's the "war face" or the "command voice" I use with him at these times, or the fact that I've swooped down and picked him up (he hates that) in mid-escape numerous times.

No, he doesn't like being picked up. At first he would scratch and bite, but now he just complains - loudly.

About his meow - he is a VERY verbal cat. He's got the standard repertoire of "Hello", "I'm hungry" and "Leave me alone!", but at other times it seems he's in love with his own voice and will just trill away. It seems amazing to non-cat people but yes, I understand each of his vocalizations. I think he understands mine as well.

Like most cats he's also big on non-verbal communications - tail positions, rubbing, doing that weird sucky-thing LOL. Sometimes he wants to be a lap cat and will ask permission both verbally and non- - other times he just ignores us and goes about his private cat business.

I think somewhere along the line he got some Siamese in him, because his more strident yowls will make you think there's a human baby crying somewhere.
 
They all have such different personalities. The dogs are pretty predictable. Sophie is a nutcase and Callie a tank, but the same basic dog stuff. Submissive with family, growl at people at the door, whine and drool when it's dinner time, and avoid the cats that checkerboard your nose. The cats are all unique. Boo is a tiny scaredy cat, Ninja is huge and fearless, Mr. Foote is huge but rather timid, Stumpy is everybody's best friend...especially if there's food involved, Levon is the Godfather cat. He's small but he rules, mighty hunter and even the dogs are afraid of him. But he loves, loves, loves human attention.
 
>Fur: They all have such different personalities. The dogs are pretty predictable.<

I find that to be the case as well. Most obvious when you toss a ball to your cat; some will pounce, others will just watch it pass by...or not even. A dog will go for it every time, at least until s/he gets distracted.

Sifu - My cat Buddy was more vocal when my mother lived with us. In fact, he greeted us each with a distinctly different meow. It was "Mow-Mow" for my mother, and "Mah-Mah" for me. I assume that he now feels it isn't necessary to use his voice, as I'm the only human here. When he does make a sound, it isn't hyphenated anymore. Just a single "Waack!" followed by a pause and another "Waack!"
 
My cat is a Manx, and he's very sweet and affectionate to me. He's very dog-like, comes when called and will travel in the truck and go camping with us and roam freely at our campsite in the wilderness. He a big purrer, and will softly mew back and forth with me at times when he wants affection or food. We often make eye-contact throughout the day, and I usually know exactly what he wants.

He loves the new puppy and was very closely bonded to our old dog before he passed. His quiet purrs vary in sound, some deeper and growly and some high reaching a pleasant trill. He snuggles by my pillow for a couple of hours every night, putting his 'arm' around my neck, nuzzling and purring till he drifts of into sleep.

We have a deep connection and understand each other very well, he's my baby and I love him dearly. Have had good relations with my cats in the past too, but currently only have one.
 
I forgot about poor Chii. We took her on as a kitten. The poor woman who brought her over was in tears. Moving and she couldn't have a cat. I didn't realize at the time that Chii is a purebred Munchkin. This woman had pages and pages of what she eats, her favorite toys, when she sleeps, when she uses the litter box. Chii is still a lover but because of her breeding she can't run. She had a litter of kittens many years ago. All stillborn except Mr. Foote. I wish I had known from breeds a long time ago.
 
Just want all to know how much I loved this thread!! It takes a cat lover to REALLY understand! My cat Ervin sat on my lap and looked at the monitor most of the time I was reading this! ;) I'm sure he was thinking "Wow, these people are really OK!!"
 
Mao sits on my lap when I'm typing responses on the laptop (!) and is constantly editing and re-writing what I write, so if any of my responses seem a bit strange it's because Mao gf74hr;a fhi847

*sigh*
 
SeaBreeze said:
My cat is a Manx, and he's very sweet and affectionate to me. He's very dog-like, comes when called and will travel in the truck and go camping with us and roam freely at our campsite in the wilderness. He a big purrer, and will softly mew back and forth with me at times when he wants affection or food. We often make eye-contact throughout the day, and I usually know exactly what he wants.

He loves the new puppy and was very closely bonded to our old dog before he passed. His quiet purrs vary in sound, some deeper and growly and some high reaching a pleasant trill. He snuggles by my pillow for a couple of hours every night, putting his 'arm' around my neck, nuzzling and purring till he drifts of into sleep.

We have a deep connection and understand each other very well, he's my baby and I love him dearly. Have had good relations with my cats in the past too, but currently only have one.
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I get all stressed out when I have to take Buddy anywhere. He cries really loud through the whole trip. I thought at first it might be his carrier he didn't like, so I took him to the pet supply store without it once...once, and we didn't make it all the way there. He still cried, plus he cowered under my feet! I had to turn around after going just a couple of blocks.

My first cat was and still is my favorite. Daisy was sweet and quiet, and seemed to understand every word I said. I got her from a little girl with a box of kittens outside our local grocery store. I pet them all, but chose Daisy because she made eye contact with me and grabbed hold of my hand when I pet her. I taught her all the no-no's with a spray bottle. But very soon, I could talk to her as though I was talking to a person - Daisy, get off the table, please; Bring me your squeaker-mouse; You want to go outside? - and she'd respond instantly. And she always came when I called her. She would bring me gifts, too; dead mice and lizards, a raggedy old washcloth and other found objects. I loved that. I miss Daisy very much, and think of her often.
 
SifuPhil said:
Mao sits on my lap when I'm typing responses on the laptop (!) and is constantly editing and re-writing what I write, so if any of my responses seem a bit strange it's because Mao gf74hr;a fhi847

*sigh*
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Finnian occasionally jumps into my lap while I'm at the computer. As I type, he'll stick his head up under my hand, or push his way under my armpit and whip my face with his tail. He plays deaf-cat when I say "Not now, Finn!"
 
Of course I speak cat, and all the cats I had knew how to communicate with me and my son and with each other.
 
My older cat Pippin, 24 lbs of ginger and white puss understands Greek, in fact you have to tell him in Greek what you want him to do. From do you want to go outside, to are you hungry he will acknowledge and answer when spoken to. I believe he also understands English but he uses his cattitude to get you to speak Greek..Oh he also loves it when you vacuum him which comes in handy given the shedding.. lol My other cat Honey was a 1.5 years when I got her from a shelter. She is a tortie and very opinionated, she talks back when you scold her, call her, or she wants love and wants it now. No, is not in her vocabulary and she does not know a lick of Greek.. lol. She and Pippin tolerate each other but are not best friends. Pippin was 5 when I got Honey, so it took a long introduction and patience to get them to be civil lol.. They are my babies now my other babies have grown up and married.
 
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