Those who have never had a cat with some genes from the oriental breeds may not have heard it, but that particular strain of cats tends towards talkativeness.
When Rannie is around a person whose attention she is attempting to cultivate, there is a constant, subvocalized stream of chirps and chortles and purrs. It was welcome last night to have her taking advantage of the open catlock door, and cycling back and forth between Bobbi and I with her litany of "Interrogative? Exclamation! Selfsatisfiedcontentmentselfsatisfiedcontentmentselfsatisfiedcontentment... Interrogative? Lick... lick... lick... nibble. Exclamation!" and then she'd hop down and be off.
That was very, very welcome.
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Our first cat was a Persian; he never meowed, but chirped & chortled constantly, his whole life.
I'm glad yours helped.
Maine Coons have similar vocalizations -- little chirps and trills. It's really comforting.
Oh, I am more than familiar with a talkative cat. The kitty I referenced last night in comments about Tommy, I neglected to mention our Nanny not only will come out and rub all over our repsective legs, heads, hands, or other exposed extremities, she will also very loudly proclaim what she wants us to do by howling, mewing, yowing, and chortling. She's also been known to coo like a pigeon, woof like a dog, and moo like a cow. There are times I think we've got a minot (sp?) bird in cats clothing.
She's also one of only two cats I've ever held a conversation with. Kitty talk to kitty talk that is.
Love it! Yes! Our Belle talks like W.C. Fields -- constantly, sotto-voce, and VERY VERY sarcastic. And of course, the triplets -- all Siamese to some degree or other -- are as mouthy as they come. It's a treat to get them in the front windowsill with the curtain closed and listen to them kibbitz at the birds. And a hummer in the feeder? Look out!
M
Yeah, how do cats know about question marks?
Being fully Siamese, Zydeco is a conversationalist and a heckler, among other things.
I've had Siamese my whole life and I don't think I could stand a cat that didn't want to keep up a running dialogue with me.
My cat just runs around the house saying "mrrrrp".
Adrian,
Translated back into cat, Rannie sounds like "Chirp? Woo! Chortlechortlechortle... Chirp? Lick... lick... lick... nibble. Woo!" ;)
My Maine Coon Gizmo was one hell of a talker, warbling and goobling all day long. He also fetched stuff thrown around the house with a sense of urgency. He was one of the best "dogs" I ever had, until he was taken away from us by Feline Infectious Peritonitis. :-(
My cousin had a Siamese who was relatively silent as long as you were petting it. Stop however, and he would immediately start yowling again.
Since I'm not a cat person, I'd never known that, thanks! Glad it perked y'all up!
Your cat may be part Daktaklakpak. Or HK-47.
I was the personal property of a Maine Coon for five years. And I can testify to the talkativeness.
My daughter found Bits in a motel parking lot, with the umbilical cord still attached. I bottle fed her until she could reach over the food bowl. Six months later, she weighed 32 pounds, and was the toughest dog in the neighborhood.
I miss that cat.
Stranger
I've got two domestic shorthair kittens who just learned to talk smack a couple of days ago. I've been keeping them out of the basement until I could get my reloading bench as kitten-proofed as possible. Well, they got past the baby gate the previous residents permanently attached in the doorjamb to the basement. It worked for a while as a mental obstacle, but the boys finally figured out that climbing down the other side is a simple task.
So, the first time they do this they get the usual "NO" treatment. Then while my back is turned, Willie, my tabby, leaps over the fence and lands on the steps to the basement. As I catch up to him, the last thing I see is of his little kitten butt and tail swaying to his little singsong taunt of "Meowmeow MEOWMEOW meowmeow MEOWMEOW."
So, now the baby gate's open and both Willie and his runty brother Ozzie now have free rein to play in the basement. Oddly, they understand to stay away from daddy's reloading supplies.
It took about an hour down at the animal shelter to figure out which kitten spoke the same dialect as me. My patience was rewarded when The Little Bitch woke up from a nap, came to the front of the cage and said, "Take me." I did. Been having a conversation ever since.
Our orange cat Coontail was particularly vocal too- most of the time, looking for attention. Yeah, cat therapy is probably good for you.
ohhh talky cats.
i have a Balinese, which is essentially a long-haired meezer. he talks. a lot.
I had a tortoiseshell once who we got from a pet store at the local mall for the cost of her shots. She was sound asleep in her cage, and still managed to grab me from outside the storefront shouting "Take me home now!".
Other than I don't remember Ursula vocalizing at all, and my mother called her my feral indoor cat.
We have two kitties now who can be quite loud when they want to, a large grey tabby with siamese crossed eyes and voice, and an ancient, arthritic, blind, half deaf, russian blue. However neither is very chatty. Most of the background noise in the house these days is the burbling from the guinea pigs.
None of our cats weere vocal. Loving, cuddling, showing affection in every possible way, but quiet. And extremely good mannered--except for our gray American Shorthair who discovered a love for Ritz crackers--the ex- would stretch out on the bed with a handful of Ritz, and Boots would steal as many as she could get away with...
cap'n chumbucket
I think I have the most taciturn Siamese ever. This cat meows perhaps once a week, if that.
Translated back into cat, Rannie sounds like "Chirp? Woo! Chortlechortlechortle... Chirp? Lick... lick... lick... nibble. Woo!" ;)
That's either Catspeak, or a really good Saturday night.
My kitty mostly yells and nags, interspersed with chirps and nibbles (and outright nips when she's hungry or wants attention, which is most of the time). She purrs a lot, but it's inaudible (esp. since I have a little lower-range hearing loss). Her official name is Cecily Gwendolyn, but I mostly call her "hi kitty" and "OW STOP THAT".
The Bengals now in my company are just about unbelievable. The male *howls* all night long: he sounds like someone putting a six month-old human to death with knitting needles would have to sound like. I think it's hilarious. It wakes me up now & then but I roll right over, laughing.
Good you girls. I'm glad you have one talkin' at ya.
One of my cats, Vasquez quite clearly says "NOW" when he wants things, normally to go out the back. His brother chirps all the time, I've never heard him give out a proper Meow though.
you have never been yelled at till you've been yelled at by a pissed off Siamese....I've always had a talky cat in the house, I tell people I have a cat who talks back to me why would I want a 2yr old child!
My last cat was a talker. Face looked like a Siamese, but was grey and white, with gold eyes. Someone abandoned her at our corner. Heard her crying on the front steps. Maybe 4-6 mos old. Started talking as soon as she crossed the threshold. Starving. Inhaled a package of sliced turkey. She toned down her talking eventually , possibly due to being less stressed out.
She was somehow trained to stay off furniture unless invited up, and would get down when you left.
Someone pointed out that she would copy my position when I would lay down. If I laid on my back on the couch, she would snuggle up to me in the same position. She didn't like women, would ignore them with absolute disdain.
Named her "D.C."(Dumb Cat), but called her "Babe". She loved Spaghetti Sauce. I'd put down a bowl of warm meatballs covered in sauce, and she would lick them dry, and walk off. I miss her.
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