Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Den on May 10, 2010, 12:22:43 PM

Title: Cat language
Post by: Den on May 10, 2010, 12:22:43 PM
Ok so bear with me on this.  I know what I mean, but it's hard to explain  :evillaugh:

Does anyone have an idea of what cat sounds mean, and what the cat is trying to communicate with their slaves. This is something I've always pondered since becoming a cat owner.

Memphis does not shut up. He always has something to say. I just have to look at him and he will talk to me, but I can't work out what he is trying to say to me  :scared:

I always assumed cats meow, purr or yowl. I also always assumed there was one type of meow, the standard meow. After all that's what I heard before. Then along came Memphis  :scared: .....

He does not have that 'normal' meow, ever. But I cannot begin to explain in a written form how it sounds. He just has a huge variation of what I can only describe as sounding quite whiny. They do vary in length and pitch, but I can never work out if it's happy/sad/demanding/something else. He has been told numerous times that he's going to have to learn English, until then I'm trying to figure out what he's saying, but it's really hard  :scared:

Is my cat broken because he doesn't 'meow' or are their others  :scared:

Oh I should add that I have one of those books on cat body language. According to the book Memphis is ridiculously happy and content, a bit too happy  :scared:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Sabrina (Auferstehen) on May 10, 2010, 12:55:46 PM
4 cats in our house and they all have their own way of talking.

Gizmo & Penguin like to keep a running commentry. Smoke only meows when she wants something and Lirael... well she's burmese and a bit mental.

Lirael likes to tell you off when you sneeze. I'm not sure if it's the noise or what but she will meow every time.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Feline Costumier on May 10, 2010, 13:23:54 PM
Dave is a whiner and I can't figure out why either. He generally wanders off into the hall and proceeds to whine and moan away to himself, interspersed with quieter whiney muttering. No idea what he wants or why he does it but generally telling him to shut up does the trick! :evillaugh:

He also chirrups quite a lot but this is usually when I make the mistake of looking at him when he thinks it may be getting close to feeding time (he's generally out by at least 3 hours) and will then proceed to make a nuisance of himself while purring until food is forthcoming.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: maryas on May 10, 2010, 13:41:22 PM
Den I'm pretty sure someone on here has explained about cats not meowing before but I can't remember for the life of me who or when.  You don't have a broken cat  :hug:

Bonnie doesn't always meow when her dish is empty - she just walks to the kitchen and back to me and rubs against my legs and looks towards the kitchen  :rofl:

When I'm on my pc late at night she will come into the spare bedroom and meow and rub mylegs until I go to bed with her  :rofl: :Luv2:

She's an indorr cat and she meows at the front or back door to let me know she wants some grass bringing in from the garden.  :Luv2: :hug:

Mary
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Kirst on May 10, 2010, 13:46:30 PM
Beavis is a howler , Jerry and Giz are chirrupers and Stevie , bless him , sounds like he needs a strepsil or two! :evillaugh:


Fredcat only meows when he really really wants something!
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: clarenmax on May 10, 2010, 13:48:03 PM
Poot is just the same, I have no idea what he's on about most of the time  :rofl:

He does have a food meow, thats about the only time you hear a proper cat type noise coming out of him, the rest of time he walks around humming to himself, little chirrup noises, prmffs, all sorts of things, and some where he really does sound like he grumbling at me, its all I can do to stop myself laughing as they are just so cute and funny.  He seems happy enough though  :evillaugh: :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Den on May 10, 2010, 13:51:49 PM
Is there a thing that has all the different types of sounds a cat makes? I've been around google and whilst it has this words like meow, trill, chirp I don't actually know what they are supposed to sound like. Just so I can figure out if what I describe as a whine is actually a whine and if it sounds like Dave.

I love talking to Memphs. When he brings his kitty kopter to me he makes this noise and I always reply with "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat" It kind of mimics his sound. I *think* it appears that Dave and Memphis really are long lost twins (you know Dave actually looks like one of Memphys litter mates  :shify:)

Sabrina your house sounds like a fab one. Never a dull and quiet moment at yours  :hug: Lirael reacting to ever sneeze is just so cute. Maybe it's her way of saying "bless you"  :evillaugh:

Den I'm pretty sure someone on here has explained about cats not meowing before but I can't remember for the life of me who or when.

I think I have asked the question in the past  :shy: It's just only now after 2.5 years I'm really getting used to the ways of cats. Memphis is teaching me sooooooooooooo much and he's a great little teacher. I'm just trying to figure out his little quirks and understand him. I can safely say that I can read him like a dirty old book  :evillaugh: He can totally understand me and what I'm saying. So I just want to see if I can learn what he's saying. Also, my mum keeps pestering me to give him the 'talk' and ask him when his voice is going to break  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: She's never heard him meow before. Even I've only heard him meow twice.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: maryas on May 10, 2010, 13:58:08 PM
I think you'll be in a state of shock when he does meow  :rofl: :Luv2: :hug:

When I'm in my back garden my neighbour's cat pops over and he constantly meows and wants stroking all the time - he drives me crazy  :rofl:

Mary
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Den on May 10, 2010, 14:01:32 PM
Poot is just the same, I have no idea what he's on about most of the time  :rofl:

He does have a food meow, thats about the only time you hear a proper cat type noise coming out of him, the rest of time he walks around humming to himself, little chirrup noises, prmffs, all sorts of things,
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Yup, that sounds like Memphis. At least he's "Purrs in our Hearts" normal. The only "normal" cat sound he seems to have is his Purr. Which is legendary! He is SO loud. Earplugs are a must. As for his snoring ..........
Beavis is a howler , Jerry and Giz are chirrupers and Stevie , bless him , sounds like he needs a strepsil or two! :evillaugh:


Fredcat only meows when he really really wants something!

Now I just want to meet your boys even more  :Luv: Stevie sounds great  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Den on May 10, 2010, 14:06:01 PM
I think you'll be in a state of shock when he does meow  :rofl: :Luv2: :hug:

I was Mary. Both times he's meowed he was in a car on the way to the vets. He was SO noisy I thought I had the wrong cat, Alison was a witness  :evillaugh: Then in the vet all he does is growl  :-:

These felines are truly complicated and amusing little creatures when you pay attention to them.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on May 10, 2010, 15:07:05 PM
Misa walks around talking to himself and he goes mememememe or moi moi moi and so many sounds, he usew to be a quiet cat  :rofl: :rofl:

He laso tells me when I should be somewhere else and will walk round me and the to where he wants me and will repaet over and obver till I move LOL

The birmans are howlers ands must be a birman thing, Sasa squeaks but if I listen careffully is a tiny little meow  ;D
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: nickynoo93 on May 10, 2010, 15:20:42 PM
Charlie talks all the time, to me or to himself, but he has a particular sound that he does in the hallway that means, follow me I want a fuss on my own. ;D
Poppy talks more now and she does sound very similar to Charlie.
I never knew thay made so many different noises. They are so sweet sounding.
Nicky
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Mark on May 10, 2010, 16:33:01 PM
Willow used to have a perfect version of FU if she was told off for being a nuisance  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Feline Costumier on May 10, 2010, 17:00:07 PM
Yup, that sounds like Memphis. At least he's "Purrs in our Hearts" normal. The only "normal" cat sound he seems to have is his Purr. Which is legendary! He is SO loud. Earplugs are a must. As for his snoring ..........

Seriously, I think we need DNA tests done, Dave purrs so loud I can hear him from the floor at the end of my bed (when he's molesting a dressing gown or something else I have forgotten to put away that he likes to suck on) and as for the snoring........................
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Den on May 10, 2010, 17:28:32 PM
Yup, that sounds like Memphis. At least he's "Purrs in our Hearts" normal. The only "normal" cat sound he seems to have is his Purr. Which is legendary! He is SO loud. Earplugs are a must. As for his snoring ..........

Seriously, I think we need DNA tests done, Dave purrs so loud I can hear him from the floor at the end of my bed (when he's molesting a dressing gown or something else I have forgotten to put away that he likes to suck on) and as for the snoring........................

 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Snap with the end of the bed.

How old is Mr Dave?  :shify:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Feline Costumier on May 10, 2010, 18:04:54 PM
Dave has just turned 2 :shify:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on May 11, 2010, 08:32:49 AM
Jaffa is a whiner (attention seeker) and Mosi just likes the sound of his own voice.  He used to use a variety of sounds but now he just goes straight for the ear piercing shout.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Claire_smc on May 11, 2010, 16:19:16 PM
I love that cats have their own way of talking to you, I'm only just starting to understand Pepsi's different noises, she has a distinctive meow when she wants food, a chirp when she's laying on me and wants me to fuss her, a disgruntled meow when she's being told off, a growl/whine when she's been picked up and wants to be put down again. Sometimes though she'll meow at me and I have no idea what she wants, maybe she just wants a chat?  :Luv:
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Fire Fox on May 17, 2010, 00:27:58 AM
Noah has lots of different noises, I don't think he did when he first arrived but I talk to him a lot and he is very chatty back now.  :-[  He has play yowling which is often from the kitchen, I want food miaowing, hello or grumbling brrrpppp ... Then he has another miaow that he does from the other room which I don't know what it means - sometimes I think where are you, but then he does it when he has only just gone???  :-: I have come to the conclusion that some noises have meanings - not all of which I understand - and some are probably just like small talk, bonding by using our language.
Title: Re: Cat language
Post by: Mark on May 17, 2010, 07:41:33 AM
Anyone remember this from last year?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17455-hungry-cats-trick-owners-with-baby-cry-mimicry.html