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Talking To Cats

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Anonymous

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There are some other related topics to this one out there but this is of a different nature.
My girlfriend and I seem to be able to communicate (in a fashion) with our cat. Sonny (after James Caan in "The Godfather") is a ginger Maine Coon, 8 years old and almost as lazy as I am. We noticed that whenever he wanted feeding, saw us come into the room where he was lazing, came and sat on the bed (etc. etc.) he would perform a variety of blinks or winks at us. We began to try and communicate with him and whilst we haven't picked out the meaning of different length blinks or anything, he definitely responds to us when we do.
Anyone else noticed this? Is there any history/ background on this sort of thing?
If you can tell us how to let him know how to sweep up the cat litter he flicks everywhere we'd be most grateful!!
 
spudboy said:
If you can tell us how to let him know how to sweep up the cat litter he flicks everywhere we'd be most grateful!!

He is hinting that he wants a bigger litter tray. My folks 2 cats did this and I mad the same suggestion. They got a bigger tray and the cat litter stayed put.

As for talking to them, there was a lady on the telly (American I believe) that mieow'd back to them and claimed to be able to converse but I think she was a little bonkers myself.
 
Re: Re: Talking to Cats

Chriswsm said:
As for talking to them, there was a lady on the telly (American I believe) that mieow'd back to them and claimed to be able to converse but I think she was a little bonkers myself.
There was a book as well, but I learned later it was a spoof.
 
Hi there fellow cat owners (or maybe the cats own us)

I have 3 cats, and since having them, have learnt a lot about them - If, whilst looking at you, they close both eyes slowly then open them slowly again in that cute sort of way, it, apparantly, means they regard you as a parent type figure and they accept you as being above them in pecking order. All 3 of my cats do this, but I'm not sure what other combinations of winks and blinks mean - fascinating though!

When cats and humans are close, they generally have a mutually understood communication. For example, a little old lady who I know, will sometimes say, oh, the cat wants a cheesy. I'll say 'how do you know?' and she'll say, 'oh, by the way he twitched his left whisker!' or something along those lines! It's the little things you pick up on. I always know when my eldest cat wants to be stroked, by the sound of her meow. Her 'I'm hungry' meow is slightly different.

For all those that can speak cat, I have a little message:

meow mew meowwww meow
 
Cats

I also have three cats -millie-leah-nessie...each has a different way of communicating (their ages are-2-13-15-respectively) I seem to know what they want with-out really thinking about it. of course the blinking is ???I've seen that also and the previous explanation is what I have heard before..so ?
 
dreamer said:
For all those that can speak cat, I have a little message:

meow mew meowwww meow

There's no need to be rude!

:miaow:
 
I think I read somewhere that if cats are slowly blinking their eyes, or looking at you and sort of languidly making those mushy-lovey faces (sorry, can't think how else to put it), that means they are relaxed. The contrast would be a wide-eyed intent glare, as if at a threat, or prey.

Anyway, one of my cats understands a couple of words so we don't mess with any of that non-verbal crap. She just makes demands and I do what she says. It's easier for everybody that way.
 
I find rattling a box of kitty treats does wonders for communication :)

lol if my cat Arkham wants fed he wanders into the room and sticks a paw over my lips (y'know where we eat) then wants off, stops and looks back, looking all cute until I am led tot he food bowl.
 
Since moving out of home my parents have bought a cat from my cousin. It is nothing like my own cat was when I was younger, I can actually feel its hostility towards me sometimes. Often I'm not even paying attention to it and just chatting with my Mum, or whatever, and I can feel someone staring at me and when I turn round the cat is glaring at me from the doorway.
I once tried to 'stare it out' and got quite freaked as it did not look away and carried on staring, making me feel like it knew what I was thinking..... Its eyes looked 'all knowing'.

I love cats usually, but Trifle is pure evil............


Mr. Tiddles: "Evil does not wear a bonnet"
 
Don't let them fool you!

All cats are evil, they are just really clever at pretending to love you.

Their affection is a ruse.

How can anything with retractable claws be lovely. "It wasn't me, honestly - look I have lovely ickle soft paws, purr,purr"

Bah Humbug! you're not fooling everyone you know!

Mumble, mumble.......
 
I thought the slow blinking thing is like smiling. I do it to them and it always goes down well. In fact, that's the explanation, apparently, of why cats often go and sit on the one person in the room who doesn't like cats, because a human sign of hostility is narrowing of the eyes, and the cats think it's a come on.
I've found a great way to get one of mine to do what I want. I sprinkle cat nip powder into his basket and he tidies himself away into it and lets me sleep. For a while.
 
I remember somthing about this on Fortean Tv once. A woman claimed he could alk to her cats. Aparently somthing like "Hoow bra ma" was supposed to be do you love your mummy or somthing. I did actually try it on some friends cats and got a puur back lol. If I remember rightly she also read her cats a paticulaly disturbing sotry in cat about one cat eating anothers testicles :confused: very strange
 
Does this mean that Caroles avatar is just a big come-on? What a brazen hussy she is! :D
 
Yup Beakboo ... think you are right on target with the smiling thing.
:miaow:
 
beakboo said:
I thought the slow blinking thing is like smiling. I do it to them and it always goes down well. In fact, that's the explanation, apparently, of why cats often go and sit on the one person in the room who doesn't like cats, because a human sign of hostility is narrowing of the eyes, and the cats think it's a come on.

I read that too, beak, they look lovely when they do that. We call it 'squinging' (pronounced skwinjing) in our house.

Carole
 
My cats sit on the shed roof opposite my bedroom and as soon as they hear the snoring stop they start miaowing for food.

The term for it chez escargot is 'Kitty katty food! Kitty katty fooooooooooood!' in a high-pitched voice. As soon as they hear this they start pacing up and down the roof miaowing noisily.

All is quiet now: I have just fed them and they are lounging about looking stuffed.
 
Mmmm!!!!

Sounds like herself's three new ones......

I get a whine from behind my chair. I look round & find Toby sitting, with he other two behind him!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems, that he has been elected shop steward by the other two & their first demand: "Feed us you b****r!!!!!!!!!!!:miaow: :miaow: :miaow:
 
I used to have a cat called Sooty, who when you let him out if you said "you be back by 10", would come scratching at the door at exactly 10 o'clock, I thought this was hilarious and would tell him a different time every night- quarter past, twenty to, you name it, every time he got it right and was scratching at the door! I saw the woman who could speak feline on TV, I tried it out on my current cat Sammi, but she just drew me a dirty look and walked away :) when Sammi walks past you if you say "hi Sammi" she flicks her tail up almost like she's flipping you "the finger"
 
Our Oliver is half Siamese, therefore very vocal. When you talk to him he replies with a loud miaow at the appropriate point. James, on the other hand, has a quieter 'voice'. When he wants something like food or a stroke, he usually makes his request with a little 'mrrrrp' sound.

Carole
 
Sammi usually says "brrrrrrrrp" when you let her in, but that's as far as her vocal talents go, she's not a very noisy cat, when she was younger [she's 16 now] she used to jump up and scratch which ever bit of you she could reach when she wanted to be fed! We had another cat called Tinker years ago who used to hide under any furniture that had legs, and jump out when you walked past, inflicting scratches and bites! [none serious]
 
Hello Lobelia, what a lovely name! Is it a Hobbit name?
(You're going to tell me it's your actual name now, and I'll be really embarassed)
 
beakboo said:
Hello Lobelia, what a lovely name! Is it a Hobbit name?
(You're going to tell me it's your actual name now, and I'll be really embarassed)

Well done you for actually noticing!! It is indeed my hobbit name, Lobelia Overhill of Nobottle to be presise, I thought it made for a great internet handle!
 
Uh, OK, but this is only my second time visiting the boards ... I'll get me coat
 
I'd strongly recommend the book by Desmond Morris:

Illustrated Catwatching

for all those cat fans out there interested in this subject.

The whole blinking thing is to show non-aggression as when two cats face each other up aggressively, the first thing they do is stare at each other.

pointedly looking away from a cat at the same time as blinking can enhance the effect of making it happy:)
 
I've always found cats bottoms to be more expressive than the front end and have spent many a rewarding hour conversing with Cat Nation in this manner.

you will require...

a pair of welding gloves
the ability to purse your lips and make a range of farting noises

ppppppppppprrp pprpt ppppprrrrrrrrrpt means "Would you prefer Cat Nuts or Whale Meat Again for your breakfast?"

ppppprrptch ppppprrrrrttp pppppppppptpprt poot means "Unhand me you lout or I shall ambush your feet outside the bathroom".

pppppppprrtttp ppppttrrrrrrrrup pooytpppppppprp means "Is nutering an art or a science?"

pppppppootrupp pttttrrrroop pppppptomely means "Guess what I have just done in your shoe?"

next week, the Secret Language of Goldfish
 
Binks (half Siamese) is also extremely vocal. everything she does is LOUD!!! when i take her to the vet, she must realise he's drop-dead gorgeous because she purrs constantly and really loudly, so that he can't even listen to her heart properly!!!!

she also has conversations with us (replying at exactly the right time), and tells us off if we're doing something wrong (by a very loud and short MEW!!!!
 
i jus thourt of somthink(shok horror gasp) how bout a poll to see how meny members have catsand how meny and is haveing cats directionaly proportionately to how fortean we are?

i would set one up but i dont computers

so i nominate mr "sailor ;) " rynner to set one up

do i hear a second?
 
Another one:

1618857007325.png
 
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