Speaking Cat - Part II

    Now that we understand some of what our cats are communicating to us, let's look a little deeper at how they view some of our body language and learn their vocal communications.

    Cats view humans that they know & trust as big kitties. Other humans that they don't know are potential predators and may be viewed as a threat. So if you are approaching a cat that doesn't know you, you may want to come down to his level. That way you don't appear to be a huge threatening predator. Additionally, anytime you make a loud noise, it will create some amount of fear in your cat. Slow, quiet movements will calm some fears when relating to a cat, or almost any animal.

    On the other hand, your pat on the head to say hello is an appropriate gesture for a cat that knows and trusts you. Touching noses would be even better. My cat Van will touch noses and then check out my breath to see what I had for dinner. At least that's what I assume he's doing! Conversely, a mother cat will gently place her paw determinably square on her kitten's forehead to tell him "Time out!". The kitten isn't being punished, just corrected. I've found that my own cats still remember what it means.

    Since we have no tails for cats to observe our feelings, cats will rely on many other senses to gauge our emotional state. Cats will show affection in a variety of ways. In some ways, their facial expressions are similar to ours and other mammals. One sense that both cats and humans appreciate is sound, so cats can and do communicate via oral "speech".

    Cats can easily hear 2 full octaves higher than humans can, and that's an octave higher than dogs can hear. Higher pitched sounds, like some female voices, are attractive to cats since it's easier for them to hear. Their own voices vary, just like human voices do. Short meows with vowel sounds are usually "I want..." (usually food/attention). "Trills", that half-purrrr, half-mew (sounds to me like "Prrrrrh?") are a greeting. So, the next time you walk in your front door after a long day at work and hear "Prrrrrh?" accompanied by a rub from little Fluffy, she's definitely welcoming you home.

    Most any sound without vowels and in a questioning style voice is usually a greeting. Van will often just blurt out "Mrrrheor?" "Ree-orh?" for no more reason than to get attention. He'll continue his conversation even if he's walked out of the room.

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