Cat Making Strange Purr Noise - What it means?

reesespbc

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Hello, I'm new to this board. I'll give alittle bit of background on my cat first.

Her name is Reeses (hence my name, Reeses Peanut Butter Cat)
She's a Calico that we got from a high school friend of my wife. She's about 14/15 months old and in good health. She just had a visit and everything was great, we just need to take her back and get her spayed.

We got her on Thursday and over the weekend she started making this sort of vocal purr noise, not an internal purr like cats usually make. She does it quite a bit, and they're very short. Last night while I was trying to fall asleep she would make this noise and sometimes follow it up with a meow that had the tone going up at the end like a "Meooow?"

She's a very friendly cat and we play with her for atleast an hour daily so I can't imagine that she feels starved for attention. Although before we got her she did live with 3 other cats, so I thought maybe she's homesick or missing them? She will do this noise even during play too like when she's stalking her favorite toy or even when she lands as she jumps off of something. I don't think she's in heat because she's not rubbing against anything (aside from normal cat behavior), not presenting herself, and not for the lack of a better word "humping" anything. She is following me around more this morning, when usually she doesn't. I have crutches and she's still a bit put off by them. I figure that behavior is because it's my wife's first day back to work since we got her and she might miss her, so she's attaching to me for the day.

Anyway, I tried my best to record the noise that Reeses is making. The recording is very loud because the noise was hard to pick up but you can hear it at the beginning and end of the clip.

http://www.handidrummed.com/catnoise.mp3

Any ideas?

Thanks! - Rob
 

mooficat

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oh well..............it sounded like a purr to me
probably just a settling in complaint
.........they can purr when ill or stressed.
But unless you notice any other weird stuff..........like not eating, cat-lit box issues.....etc then I would think its just the settling in process.......

Good luck and keep us posted


PS: oh...........and when you get time, do post some photos of her
we just love photos here
 

gingersmom

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When my Ginger wants to play with the laser pointer, she makes this very specific sound: "Brrrrrrrrrrrr-meOW?"

Your kitty might just be saying, "Play with me, please?"
 
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reesespbc

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I just don't know because like I said she does it no matter what. During, play, randomly, even just know when I squirted her with the water bottle for being on a desk she's not supposed to be on
Ok just a second ago I heard her playing with something, heard her make the noise and then let out a series of moany growly meows and then one big one.

I keep thinking that maybe she's in heat but like I said she isn't exhibiting any physical signs of being in heat aside from being really affectionate today, and she does have her periods where I don't hear anything from her and she does her own thing.

Here are some pics:



 

gingersmom

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She's probably just a talker. Too bad we haven't mastered cat language!


She's got personality for sure - look at those poses!!!
 
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reesespbc

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Mmm, could be just in her nature. I just ultimately want to make sure that there is nothing wrong that we can fix and that she's not on the verge of being in heat or something


I'm still trying to get good video of how high she jumps during play. We have one of those toys with the rod and the feather and bell on the end of the elastic which she loves. She gets a good 4 feet off the ground sometimes with some 180 degree twist backflips too
 

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She's a pretty baby.
I agree with GingersMom she's probably just a talker.
My Gracie talks all the time and she doesn't actually meow, she sort of chirps like a bird!
 
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reesespbc

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Originally Posted by Graciecat

She's a pretty baby.
I agree with GingersMom she's probably just a talker.
My Gracie talks all the time and she doesn't actually meow, she sort of chirps like a bird!
Oh really? Does she do it alot? I'll have to tell my wife this because I guess it would make sense if she's not showing that she's in heat, stressed, and should be lonely with how much we spoil her
 

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Do you have an appointment for her to be spayed yet? You really should get her in as soon as possible.
 
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reesespbc

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Originally Posted by GingersMom

Do you have an appointment for her to be spayed yet? You really should get her in as soon as possible.
No not yet, I'm waiting for my wife to get back to me about if she wants me to call today. Our vet has a price range with 3 optional services we could pay for (each about $30)

1) Microchip (which I like to call a Kitty Lo-Jack)
She's not going outside so we don't see the point in spending for this.

2) I/V Catheter. We'll probably get this because it sounds important, but we just wonder if it is, why is it optional?

3) Pre-Anesthesia Analysis - We got a pamphlet on this we have to look at. We'll probably do it because I'd like to know if there is any chance of complications due to the anesthesia which is what this would check for I'm assuming.
 

larke

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Hi, I've never heard of using an IV (catheter) on a cat for spaying, but you should be asking the vet what's it about. I would use #3 as it's routine and worthwhile. The microchip is certainly optional ... if you're very sure she's 100% unlikely ever to get outside for any reason.
 
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reesespbc

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Originally Posted by Larke

Hi, I've never heard of using an IV (catheter) on a cat for spaying, but you should be asking the vet what's it about. I would use #3 as it's routine and worthwhile. The microchip is certainly optional ... if you're very sure she's 100% unlikely ever to get outside for any reason.
Yeah that's probably what we'll do. We did ask about the catheter and I'm trying to remember what she said. I think it was just to clean out her system or something along thoses lines. I'm 100% sure she'll never get outside. The only way she'd get outside is if she snuck out when we open the door to go outside but she gets scared when we open the door and leave or come in the house so I don't see that happening
 

graciecat

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Originally Posted by ReesesPBC

Oh really? Does she do it alot? I'll have to tell my wife this because I guess it would make sense if she's not showing that she's in heat, stressed, and should be lonely with how much we spoil her
Yes, she does it all the time in fact it's out of the ordinary to hear her meow like you'd expect a cat to meow.
In fact her nickname is Chicken


On a side note, her sister Lizzie has probably only meowed a handful of times in her whole life and they are 6 years old.
The Vet said neither one was anything to worry about.
 

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If you don't microchip her, keep a collar on her... If she gets very scared and darts out the door, she might just run randomly rather than coming back inside, and a cat displaced is a cat lost... You want the neighbors to see her collar and bring her to you when/if that happens, instead of having to pick her up from the pound for a $50 (or whatever) fee.

And anyway, a collar looks nice on a cat. Stylish.
I'd suggest a brown collar for your girl, with a safety catch if she ever gets it caught somewhere.
 
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reesespbc

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Well it's official, Reeses is in heat. I didn't think so this morning when I wrote this post but as of right now I'm 100% sure of it. She will not stop the purring noise, is meowing more, and is walking lower to the ground with her butt raised. I read here too that I were to put my hand at the base of her tail and she raises her butt and stamps her feet, she's in heat. I did and she did. *sigh*

I know it's not a big deal, but I 1) want sleep and 2) don't want my house to get sprayed. I made an appt. to have her spayed in a month when she gets her 2nd distemper shot, I guess I'm going to have to reschedule it for ASAP. What are the odds we'd get her and then a few days later she'd start this?


In the meantime how do I deal with her constant noise?
 

callista

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Oh, she should be out of heat in a month easily; it doesn't last longer than a week; and she can be spayed then... don't worry about changing the appointment.

She may or may not spray--this is probably her first heat anyhow. Tomcats are much worse about spraying. If she does spray, you may unfortunately have to confine her in an easily cleaned room like a bathroom until her heat is over... There should be some breeders around here who keep unspayed females who can advise you on that.

Most important thing right now: Keep her inside. If she's never been an escape artist, she'll turn into one the second she sees, smells, or even thinks about a tom. You don't want her pregnant, or lost, or getting some disease or other from a stray... She can still be spayed if she's in the first half of pregnancy or so, but all the other stuff is a real threat.

The noise? Two ideas: Confinement on the other end of the house, if your house is big; or else earplugs.

Heat doesn't last forever...
 
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reesespbc

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I'm going to go look for earplugs as we speak


I'd prefer to just get it over with so we can have peace
I know there are slight risks with spaying a cat in heat, but I know too it still can be done, the vet just needs to know and it might cost a bit more. I'm not even sure if the vet will do it now. I'll call tomorrow.

*edit* She's 14 months or so I don't think this is her first one.
 

lorina

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Oh, she should be out of heat in a month easily; it doesn't last longer than a week;
In a month's time, she could be out and back in again.


When I took in Gypsy, the vet wasn't sure if he felt a spay scar, so he wanted to wait until she went into heat to schedule her. So we did. Three days before her appointment, she came down with a bad URI and needed to be hospitalized. So her surgery had to be postponed about a month. Wouldn't you know it, in that one month's time, she went into heat two more times?!
 
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