Saturday's Question of the Day - July 5

For those of you in the States, hope you had a super fun 4th celebration!

Today's is about kitties. What are your cats' code for "feed me!"? What do they do to let you know they're hungry?

Mine does it in several stages. In Stage 1, he trots over to where I am sitting and sits and just stares at me, unblinking. If I am not sitting, he'll rub against my leg lightly.

If it doesn't result in food in his bowl, he'll go on to Stage 2. At this stage, he will balance on his hind legs and put his paws on either my lap, the edge of my desk, or the arm of the chair. If I'm not sitting, it'll be the wall nearby. Some cheek rubbing may accompany this. Usually by this time, I give in because who can resist that face.

In Stage 3, he'll do pitiful meows and follow me extremely closely, the kind that makes you have to stare at the floor while walking so you don't trip over him. If it's not the kitchen, he'll herd me to the kitchen. If I'm sitting, he'll meow and start sitting on my mouse, keyboard, etc.

If it ever gets to Stage 4, he starts nipping my arm, or leg. Usually I "NO" him, he runs away, and then I feel really bad about it, and I drop whatever I'm doing and go feed him. So he's probably confused at what the NO meant, but thought, "hey, I get food anyway, so whatever right?"

Mogli first tries to lure me into the kitchen by initiating play, then running in there. The next step is to repeatedly bang the door to the cabinet where his food and bowls are kept. He's not what you'd call subtle!

Cassie doesn't beg for food- she lets Monet do the job, and he does it well.

Usually I am watching TV. He'd stare- then he'd start to meow.. if I don't budge, he'll resort to jumping on me. He'd climb on the back of the couch, jump on me and run off- repeat until I get annoyed and get up finally.

Same thing in the mornings.. I am trying to slee, and he'd walk back and forth over me, then if I don't move, he'd jump on me. So annoying!

Kismet doesn't beg for food either, but when it comes bedtime and she sees me getting my mug ready (I use a travel mug at night since I never finish the water in it, and now I live with Mo who would drink out of my normal mug if given the chance overnight), she just gets super excited and follows me around until we stop in the kitchen. She already knows it's snack time.

Mo will howl. Just like when he's bored or lonely or just wants to hear himself. If I'm coming home from work or school and it's meal time or past meal time, he'll be super affectionate when I get home, rubbing all over my legs and following me. In the morning, he bugs my boyfriend most, licking his arms and shoulders and back, kneading all over him, trying to get under the covers, roaming around the apartment meowing. After he finally gets fed breakfast, his routine now has been to run around the apartment post-meal meowing.  

BooBoo will do anything to catch my eye; once he has me, then he stares and stares. If that fails, he knows he can just start yelling in the kitchen. That boy has a bottomless tail and paws and he's ready for a snack about every two hours. He will come looking for me, find me, and then begin to meow.

The rest of the gang will simply meow and they have no qualms about meowing loudly. Muffin will follow me everywhere I go, especially when I walk toward the kitchen. Then she beat me into the kitchen and meow. 

Meowing works the best.

So many noisy kitties in this thread! 

They will meow and try to herd me towards the kitchen anytime I get up.  Mason and Gadget will sometimes up the ante and tap me or run across me (that hurts!) which does nothing but make me extend their meal time even longer.  I love my kitties but geez, *I* run this house, not them! 

Angel will sit near me, staring at me, or he will go sit in the kitchen in front of the cabinet where his food is, or where his bowl usually sits when he eats. If I ignore him, he will get closer staring at me, until he is sitting next to me on the floor (me on the couch) staring at me like, "uh em, time for din, din."  

If it's in the morning, either he will sit in my doorway, or on the floor next to my bed meowing until I get up, or he will come up & give me the tap, taps on the nose, cheek, or chin, what ever is in his reach. 

"Get up mommy!" ... "I is hungry!"  

Morgana has a couple methods.
 

-In the morning, she will bat my face with her paw. If I move or try and hide under the covers, she will just find another spot to bat or smack me. If I peek my face out again, there goes the paw. She won't stop until I get up.
 

-When it is Din Din time, or if she just wants a treat, she will sit in her feeding area like a statue and stare. I could be just sitting in the living room, and then there are this stare from the kitchen    it tends to freak people out. Even if you try and move around, her eyes and head will slowly follow you while her body remains perfectly still. Makes me want to place her in a haunted house! She won't stop until she gets something. And even if she gets something, she might want more and proceed. Who needs force or talking when you can look like you are about to steal someone's soul?

And when the food or snacks are arriving, only then she does a happy little "Roo! Roo!" noise.

(Of course, there are other instances where she just went ahead and broke into things to get the food she wanted, as one may recall from the bad kitties section of the picture forum...)

Camelot is a bit less creative, more vocal and blunt. He will just meow REALLY loudly. It's like "OMG I HAVEN'T HAD FOOD IN THREE HOURS. I'M DYYYINNGG, I'M DYYYINNG!" and hang around the kitchen.
 

Ahh, Cats 

Autumn will come and find me where ever I am and start her yakking.  I told you she was a talker and she certainly does when she is out of or low on food.  When I get up from what I'm doing, she leads me into the kitchen where her food bowl is.  Smart kitty she is, too smart if you ask me

Tophel opens the cabinet door where the food is kept, then lets it bang shut. He repeats as necessary.

mornings, snick will meow loudly every so often starting when it starts getting light outside. i turn over and go back to sleep until it's our normal breakfast time. the thing is that snick usually has some of her wet food left and the last bits of her dry mixed with freeze dried protein treats in her food dishes. but she knows it's getting close to breakfast time.

during the rest of the daytime hours, i usually bring snick her "snacks" (meals), though if she comes and sits near me i know she's getting hungry and will make her a snack.

in the evening hours snick is much more vocal about being hungry. she has a bed and a lounger in the kitchen, and she likes to relax on one of those in the evenings. when snick feels hungry she'll meow loudly to let me know, and i make her a snack.

Noodles; the resident grumpy cat, gets sweet and affectionate and talkative.  Especially if you are in or headed to the kitchen.  Mooch follows her and adds in some chirps and trills.  Noodles is pretty quiet otherwise; but about 3 hours before dinner; she's putting on a little show to let me know how hungry she is.  Mooch talks for just about any reason though; so it seems like she really is the follower when it comes to dinner requests.

If I'm late; they sit there silently giving me "the stare." 

Abby rarely meows, so we get the staredown instead. :lol3:

We usually feed breakfast around 6 a.m.  Jake knows this, but starts howling around 5:30 a.m. to make sure we know the time is getting close. The other cats are pretty patient--well, until about 6:01.  If we're still in bed, they just jump up and then head-butt, knead or walk on us until they're sure we're awake and making moves to get up.  

In the late afternoon, they know they get fed when I get home from work so when I open the front door, they just run to the kitchen and sit in front of their bowls.  The guilt of seeing those sad and obviously starving  little faces in front of empty bowls is usually enough to make me drop my stuff and take care of them FIRST.

I've just seen this...

My two chase each other around the house, usually knocking things over.  Guaranteed to work.