*****KatKwery! - August 10*****

Cocoa Cream used average (and other) and marianjela used other. Nobody used coincidence, mistake, or somebody.

Today's KatKwiz was about Hisses, growls and screams, chirps and chatters (in addition to purrs and meows).

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

Cocoa Cream used average (and other) and marianjela used other. Nobody used coincidence, mistake, or somebody.

Today's KatKwiz was about Hisses, growls and screams, chirps and chatters (in addition to purrs and meows).

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Click to expand...

My cat always makes that mrrp sound. Sometimes he squeaks too. Those are both my favorite, it's cute. I talk baby talk to my cat a lot. Once I was eating some ice cream and he meowed and it sounded like "I want it" Since my cat and I are very close I believe we sometimes communticate through thought and feeling.

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

Cocoa Cream used average (and other) and marianjela used other. Nobody used coincidence, mistake, or somebody.

Today's KatKwiz was about Hisses, growls and screams, chirps and chatters (in addition to purrs and meows).

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Click to expand...

My girls are far different in the ways they communicate. Rusty is the most vocal of the two. She meows all the time. She will chirp when she is in the window or by the screen door when she sees a bug. If I am outside and she sees me out the window she will chirp or chatter. Dusty, on the other hand has a squeaky almost nonexistent meow. Sometimes she will open her mouth but nothing comes out. She also will chirp and chatter while in the window or in front of the screen door. The only time she meowed very loud is when she and her sister went to the vet to be spayed. She cried so loud that time that her and her sister woke up our neighbor!

Dusty is also our best purrer. She will come up on the bed during the night and put her nose in my ear and wake me up with her purrs. She is demanding to be petted. It doesn't matter that it is 2:30 in the morning, she wants to be petted NOW! Rusty will just jump on the bed and start meowing.

Dusty is the most lovable of the two. When she comes for petting, she will use nonvocal means to get her point across. She will jump up to where DH is setting on the sofa, and put her paws on his leg. Then she will look up at him with the most adoring look. She is telling him that she loves him! It is sooo cute. She does that to me at 2:30 in the morning or if I am sitting on the sofa too.

I have never heard my girls hiss or growl unless it is when they are playing. They are happy girls. We always talk to them in English and I will sometimes meow at them. Rusty will get the most comical look on her face, tilting her head sideways as if to say " What the heck?"

Katina is rather quiet actually She rarely ever growls, not even at the cat who stays outside. That one hisses and growls all the time at her though. Katina makes this sort of purr, but it's not like a normal purr. She does it really quick if I call her over or she jumps up on the bed to head-butt us. It's just a quick purr-like sound in her throat, but higher pitched.

I always speak to the kitties in English. Sometimes I think they can understand me, even if they really cant. It's not hard to believe they know exactly what I'm saying, yet pretend they dont She's never made a sound that came across as a word before - she's just quiet all over! She purrs a lot, and that, along with the purr-like noise she makes, are the only sounds that come outta her!

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Click to expand...

I have heard my kittens mew, purr, hiss, growl, chatter, and possibly chirp. I say "possibly" because I'm not totally sure what a chirp really is for most cats. Molly does not mew much, but I have sometimes heard her make a very short, high-pitched sound that is more chirp-like than anything else. Max loves to talk to us, so he mews all the time. He also makes this funny sound when he is playing that sounds like he is mewing and purring at the same time, really fast, with raised intonation at the end, like he's asking a question. I don't know what that would be called, but it's cute. Maggie is the first one I ever heard growl, but it wasn't at me! She had a favorite toy in her mouth, and Max and Molly were watching her play with it when she suddenly decided to growl at them both. It was kind of funny, even though I know she was being very serious and saying, "This is my toy...nobody touch it!" I've also heard Maggie and Max make that little chattering, clicking noise when hunting a fly that had gotten in the house. They couldn't reach it, but they wanted to catch it so badly!

My favorite sound to here is Max asking for more cuddle time. He purrs so loud and mews at the same time, then bunts me on the chin or licks the tip of my nose. It's like he is saying, "Meowmy, I love you! Please pet me some more!"

Of course I speak English to my cats all the time! I love talking to them. Since we don't have any kids, I know I treat them like my babies. And why wouldn't I talk to them...they understand me perfectly, right?

Originally Posted by luvmycat1

My cat always makes that mrrp sound.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the sound Max makes, I guess...only maybe it's more of a prrt!

One, two, three, four sounds - maybe more. I have three resident cats and they are basically quiet. Of course they purr and meow, but thier hisses and growls are definitely kept to a minimum. When we bring in fosters their feathers are always ruffled for a few days and we witness more growling then. The foster mom's make some interesting sounds, chirping and calling to their kittens. I had an orphan kitten once that I couldnt find - turned out it was hiding in the arm of our couch, and I went on YouTube and played some video of cats meowing tout to other cats. My cats go crazy when they hear the audio, running to the computer and trying to find the phantom cat. They orphan kitten was eventually lured out, so I guess it worked, even if it stressed out everyone else.
My sister-in-law had a female cat that wasnt spayed and she make some awful noises when she went into heat. And you could always find some male cats lurking around outside, who you can be sure were not neutered. I love so many of the sounds they make, but purring has to be my favorite. Oh - Willow, who is now my mother's cat, makes some beautiful melodious songs. Really, she sometimes sounds like she's singing. The first time I heard her make the sound I was floored, she was sitting in the widow. I had never heard a cat make such a gurgle. I read something about certain breeds being prone to particular behaviors and sound. I believe the Siberian is one of them, which is coincidental because with her fur she could've passed for one. So I suppose I prefer and adore that ballot too.

Of course I speak to my cats (and especially talk to my dog). Who hasnt called their cat by name? No one every really comes to it, but we try. I think a lot of it has to do with the tone of the voice. They respond to a sweetly called "kitty kitty" or clicks of the tongue, more than any tag or nickname I've ever tried. Or better yet, the sound of the can opener and their food dish!!!

My cats havent made any sounds that represented any language I'm familiar with, but I have seen some video on YouTube of cats "talking". One in particular was saying "hello". But I have gotten my cats to say "yes" or "no" by wagging a treat or toy in front of their face teasing them with it as they shake their head.

Normal communication between me and the kiddies usually includes physical contact. They love personal attention. And it is amusing how each cat has their own individual personality. I have a current lone foster right now that I might end up adopting because of how sweet she is. I think that she thinks I am her mother. She is this tiny little thing that I swear is not really growing, but she has a huge personality. She loves to cuddle with me, sits on my chest and sleeps, and will even come up and rub herself in my face. When she was learning to eat solid food she would come up to me and lick my face when she was hungry. This morning I was doing my morning rituals and she crawled in my pants - while I was STILL in them. As I type she is sleeping in the crook of my right arm. Good thing I am left-handed.

Roly also loves attention. But he isnt as needy as Annie (our orphan kitty). He is; however, more adamant about it. Jumping in my lap repeatedly or bunting my face or rubbing up against my legs, whatever to get my attention. Twix, a foster that we adopted after her kittens were weaned, has since mellowed out since she was spayed. She is not as affectionate as she was when she was pregnant or when her kittens were little. She basically keeps to herself. Sometimes I think she would choose to be an only cat if she had a choice. Maybe in a quiet home with no children. I've wrestled with myself whether we should place her back up for adoption for this reason. I dont think she is miserable by any means, but you know... So I decided to keep my eye open. If somebody comes around that I think could give her the perfect chance, I would consider letting her go and see if she blossoms as an only pet.

As for Squeaker, she used to be my cuddle bug, always sitting in my lap or soliciting rubs and ear scratches, but she has grown to enjoy laying in window sills and basking in the sun. Maybe as winter approaches she will come back to me

My mom has a cat that has learned that the family dog gets a treat every time it comes in from outside. So whenever she hears the back door and the click of the dogs feet on the linoleum, she will come running and wait for her treat right along side the dog. It's a hilarious site. Easiest treat she ever earned. The poor dog does all the work, she gets all the reward.

Oh and how can we forget dinnertime!? Roly is infamous for begging for supper. Dinner must be a universal language. It wouldnt matter it Roly was a deaf mute, he could communicate his hunger! Hungry boy has been known to wake me from my sleep to fill his dish, to dig his own holes in the food bag, and to dance on his back paws for a stray piece of fish or chicken during the human meals! I especially think it's funny how he struts through the house with his nose in the air when he smells something to his liking, waiting for someone to feed him.

PS - thanks for the points again Lee. But I see "osmosis" wasnt one of the words... so I guess I lose my bet from yesterday. Your points are in the mail

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

Cocoa Cream used average (and other) and marianjela used other. Nobody used coincidence, mistake, or somebody.

Today's KatKwiz was about Hisses, growls and screams, chirps and chatters (in addition to purrs and meows).

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Click to expand...

My cats make all of those noices! Its really cute actually! They chirp and chatter when they see a bird or something out the window, or even when they are outside, they hiss at the dog when they are playing with him, they grown when they get upset or angry, and they scream when they want me to let them outside! Jax actually screams because he DOESNT want to go outside, which I dont blame him since he was a rescue baby, so inside he stays forever! My cats say Mom, I dont care what everyone else says, they say mom! My cats have other ways of communicating with me, for one they will follow around me and and climb my leg when they are hungry, if they run out of water, they chase me into the bathroom to fill up the sink, if they need extra cuddles they jump on my lap and Eek will nurse on my blanket to try to get me to pay more baby attention to him! I can normally always tell what they need! When BooBoo gets a UTI or sick, he will pee directly on something important like clean laundry to let me know whats up! Also, they move their tails in ways that let me know what they're up to and how they are feeling emotionally, they swish side to side when they are content, if they sit quietly wagging their tails back and forth they are normally concentrating on something, normally something thats moving thats going to get a full out attack! If theres another cat out the window that they want to get too (normally Eek doing this) he makes teh caterwauling thing... which sucks! I hate that noise, worse than fingernails on a chalkboard! Jax pupils will get bigger when he's hungry, which Ive only ever noticed on him... maybe he's a weirdo but I bought a new book to help me along with some of their weird moods and stuff! My kitties also pretty well know when the weather is going to take a turn for the worse, Jax will climb into a drawer and pull it shut, and then I pretty well know its time to move the kids to the basement and wait out the storm, he's never been wrong yet but he's under a year old too! Alright, thats all I got, sorry I missed the past couple days, Ive been sicker than a dog and sitter at the computer would litterally make me too sick to sit... I hope to be back now!

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

Cocoa Cream used average (and other) and marianjela used other. Nobody used coincidence, mistake, or somebody.

Today's KatKwiz was about Hisses, growls and screams, chirps and chatters (in addition to purrs and meows).

How many of these vocal sounds does your cat(s) make? Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever speak English to your cat(s)? Has your cat ever made a vocal sound that you swear was an English word? What other types of communication exists between you and your cat(s)?

Click to expand...

Oh, I've missed the last few KatKwery's (sure a family reunion is worth that?? ), hope I'm in time for today's!!

Evie is quite the little talker, and I just ADORE that! Let's see... She certainly does the purrs and meows. At the moment, her purring is 10 times louder and non stop, because she is happy I'm back! Her meows come out more like "mow" and "rouw", but maybe that's the normal "meow" sound. She's my only kitty so I'm not sure how she compares! She definitely hisses when she feels it's necessary, but that's only when she's really scared, like when we introduced her to our dogs (we did follow procedure and did it correctly, but she still hissed at times!), and when she snuck in our foster room, she hissed at the kittens.

She growls, too. Every day when the mail man comes and drops the mail through the door, she growls at him then tears up the stairs to go hide under the bed! I probably shouldn't, but I laugh at her. She's so silly! You'd think a year later she'd be used to it. She also growls at us when we come home! She can see us come to the glass back door, but since she can't smell us, she doesn't know who we are, so if we catch her by surprise, she'll growl. I laugh at her for that, too! Oh, and can't forget her play growl! When she goes to "crazy kitty" mode, she growls ferociously. That one I definitely laugh at, 'cause she's so cute! She growls and tears around the house and pounces all these invisible things...

She does chirp and chatter, too. I love my talkative kitty! She likes to chirp at birds outside and bugs inside... Oh, and the hair ties! She's getting back in to them now, and talks to them as I do my hair. And any toy she's about to play with or playing with, she chirps and chatters to it, unless she's being ferocious, then she has this quiet little rumbly growl...

Hmm... I don't think I can pick a favorite! I love all her noises. If I had to, though, it'd probaby be her purr, because that means she is a happy girl. Or, if you meant favorites besides the purrs and meows, it'd have to be her chirp, because it's so cute AND it means she's happy.

Oh yes, I talk back to Evie a lot! All the time, I like to encourage her talking. I speak to her in English and Japanese, and I also try to speak to her in "cat", but she tells me I should give up because I'm butchering her language.

No, I don't really think she's ever made any English sounds. I mean, sometimes her "mows" sound like "ow", which I guess is English... She definitely has intonations that sound like she's talking- making statements or asking questions- but not really in what sounds like English words.

Other types of communication would be body language, mainly. We talk to each other verbally and visually. Eye blinks, head tilts, she flicks her tail, I move my hands... You know!

Very cute questions today!