cat language

Milo chirps to say "Hello! Look at me!" Then he'll talk away with me.

Grooming between my cats always initiates wrestling/playtime.

There are several different meows for each cat:

Max's loud Mrrrrrrrrr = I don't like this, put me down.

Max's whiney Mroowrow = I want to go outside.

Max's high-pitched "Mlrrowlrow" = I'm having fun.

Max's and Milo's long, loud, repeated "Meeeeooooow" = Where are you? I can't find you. Come here.

Milo's Mrrrip! (often accompannied by poking me with a paw) = Get up Mom, your alarm clock is going off and I'm hungry!

Milo's Mlllleee = Come here I want to show you something or Play with this toy with me.

With Max, hissing means he's scared. With Milo, it's "Leave me alone NOW! That HURTS".

Also, Milo has never purred. Only Max purrs.

Tail language:

Erect, with a little curl on top, occasionally lolling around = I'm happy and content

Straight back = I'm hunting. This may be accompanied by slight tip twitching.

Curled between legs = That really REALLY scared/startled me!

High up and swishing = I'm excited and want to play

Low and swishing = I am NOT happy. I am rather annoyed.

Laying on ground with tip lifting and dropping = I'm relaaaaaaaxed. I think I'll nap now.

Originally Posted by shmoo

How does the sound of the "bad purr" compare to the sound of the "good purr"? Would I know the difference if I ever heard it?

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I don't know that you would other than to observe the body language. One of mine purrs at the vets. I know he's not happy to be there.

peaches mrrps to get my attention so i will pet her, i'd call it a chirp. She mews if she wants me to stop doing something and she makes a wierd meow/growling noise when there's a bird or squirrel really close to her on the other side of the window or door.

Originally Posted by Middletown

Licking:
Oneself: to clean or stress relief
Other cats: indicate dominance or submissiveness as well as social greetings.
Humans: stress relief as well as affectoin and greeting.

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What about licking leather, duffel bags, etc? My boyfriend's cat incessantly licks these items. It is very loud and a bit annoying... especially when trying to sleep.

Does this feel good on their tongue or is it nervous behavior?

Ripley does a very deep throated strange sounding mmmmrowwwl when she is going to jump up on something high.

Originally Posted by stellacakes

What about a sort of whining sound? My kitten does this. She doesn't meow very often, but she always makes these kind of whiny mmmm sounds (that's the only way I can think to describe them! They are adorable). She does it a lot when she's sniffing out new things, when she wants food, or when she's sleepy and comfortable, like a stretching. Does anyone else's cats/kittens make these sounds?

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My kitten does this. His meowing doesn't sound like it's developed yet. He used to make a lot of whining sounds or a meowing sound with his mouth closed. He usually does this when he wants attention or when he's annoyed - like when we accidently wake him up or we pick him up when he doesn't want to be picked up. Sometimes he'll walk up to me and make that whining sound, which usually means that he wants some lovin' or he wants to play.

Xena has a high pitched call sort of "Uh- oh" with the first sylable a higher pitch then the second that she uses only when she is playing with little round crinkly balls. She hunts them al over the house and carries them in her mouth. I've heard about mama cats using a hunting call to call the babies to them and I think that may be what she's doing.

My Misty - Xena's real half sister (shared father, mothers were full sisters) was an oriental shorthair. She only weighted 8 lbs but she had the full siamese voice. If I stayed up too late she would walk the hallway between the two bedrooms and yowl raucously. "Go to bed mom! I want dinner!" (I always fed them right before bedtime so that they would sleep when I did.) She also cried at night time in the hotel on trips. We traveled every 6 months as I was consultant. She was a real character but she died at 7 1/2 years of congestive heart failure.

these are great. I think Ive heard most of these at different times from my cats. Let me add one. My cats will chirp, chat or chatter, or even kind of "click" with their mouth when they see birds outside the window. Since it is such a unique sound I really wonder what it means to them. It is almost like they are talking to the bird itself

CHIRPING - when seeing a pray in close proximity, prey call if you will

Originally Posted by lucidblue

What about licking leather, duffel bags, etc? My boyfriend's cat incessantly licks these items. It is very loud and a bit annoying... especially when trying to sleep.

Does this feel good on their tongue or is it nervous behavior?

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I had a cat that licked photographs. I was told it's something in the chemicals that tastes good, believe it or not. My current cat, Lucky, licks plastic bags. For some reason, plastic things taste good.

Sam makes a mournful meowrr sound, that gets more intense, faster, and louder and then shows up with a.....glove. This happens a few times a week or maybe not at all for a few weeks. It's been going on for a few years. It's his glove now. We find it in bed a lot of times. I don't know what the glove/sock represents exactly but the first time I heard Sam, I thought he was in distress, only to have him come to me and drop the glove in my vicinity.

I guess I have weird cats, but they don't meow like normal cats.

Pete has this Rrrowwwlll sound he makes when he is talking to me. Makes me think of a lion just quieter. He usually is just visiting or wanting attention at these times.

Snow growls a lot! I think he is just a grumpy puss because of the girls that have started coming indoors this year.

Angel doesn't meow either. She kind of has a raspy squeak. Sort of like wind blowing through broken glass. Makes it very hard to find her when she is in the back yard.

Leia has this soft little husky mew. Very dainty like her.

Milo is very vocal and insistant. Muueeou! Usually just wants food and a little attention.

Comet is very quiet still but purrs like an evinrude, even when he was near death's door after being squished in the middle of the highway. But not his normal, "I'm gonna rub my scent all over you and you are gonna smell so good" sort of purring and loving. The "Hurt Purr" seems different to me than the "Lovin' Purr", but it could be hard to tell if you haven't experienced it.

I have noticed that Oits either whines or growls when he is annoyed with me. Like it seems as if he's saying, get me something or whatever. Im not really sure if that is right, but i noticed that he whines when im not moving fast enoguh for him, or he wants attention.