How much do you talk to your cat?

"ceb" wrote in message
...
"Brandy Alexandre" wrote in
news:1104626398.2741a5a59535b71c5e866025fe3a201b@t eranews:

Slimpickins wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav:

Anyone else dare admit that they sing?



I sing, but not to my cat. In fact, she leaves the room when I
start singing.


I sing little made up songs, such as the highly prized "New Can Day Song."
Rosalie doesn't seem to mind a song. Madeline really didn't like singing.
Nickleby enjoyed both a song and a dance -- I would kind of waltz him
around the room, with him purring loudly.

--Catherine
& Rosalie the calicohead

**Oh my Gosh! So you used to waltz around with your cat too? I thought I was
the only one?! Have you been reading my mail ;-)? I used to waltz around to
music while cradling/ holding Blue in my arms when he was younger and I* was
younger. I hardly dance much anymore or listen to music, at least not like I
once did. I certainly haven't had much 'spring to my step' these days.

My 'waltzing' music back then was an eclectic mix ranging anywhere from
classical to the Pet Shop Boys, Van Morrison, Pretenders, etc, etc. And yes,
like nickleby, Blue seemed to love the swaying movement. I won't admit to
the cheesy old songs that I used to change the lyrics on and sing off key to
him :-). Yes, Blue was such a special, extremely gentle boy, and He will
alwaaays have first place in my heart. I thank God for allowing me to have
him as long as I did. He will always be missed, God bless him.

ML

Mary wrote:
(...)
Or, when they are looking up at you while you are preparing to feed
them, in a little kitty falsetto: "WHY do you starve us like you do?

Heh. You may - or may not - recall a computer game of a few years back,
called Black & White. In the game, if your little computer people were
hungry, they would bawl 'We need food. We MUST have food!' or, in
extremis, 'FOOD!'.

I shout this at my cats when they hassle me for chow. It amuses me,
anyway.

S.

Slimpickins wrote:
Brandy,

(...)

Anyone else dare admit that they sing?

I do, but considering I like modern jazz, electronica, and Norwegian
avant garde, there aren't that many opportunities to singalong.
Fortunately. Anyway, any singing just consists of replacing random
words with 'cat' or a cat name, or when listening to the Mad Capsule
Markets, simply bawling 'yaaaaaaaag' at the nearest feline. They look
suitable unimpressed.

I don't speak in fluffy talk to les chats at all, and lots of my
cat-conversations consist of 'oy, stop jumping on my head', and
'aaaaHHHHHH****', most recently spoken when the Small Frantic Cat
missed the chicken niblet and punctured my finger instead. Much
bleeding, little conversation.

I say lots of comments in passing though, such as 'hello big kat' to
The Big Cat. Although he is big, he isn't fat, but I often call him
'Big Fat Cat' anyway, because I am An Evil Human. This cat often jumps
on my ******** of a morning, to which I often announce 'oooOOOOOF'. We
have an understanding, you see.

Both cats do understand commands (e.g., sit, stay, katsnack, jump,
spin, etc.) and they will even obey them, from time to time. Hurrah!

"Steve G" wrote in message
oups.com...

Mary wrote:
(...)
Or, when they are looking up at you while you are preparing to feed
them, in a little kitty falsetto: "WHY do you starve us like you do?

Heh. You may - or may not - recall a computer game of a few years back,
called Black & White. In the game, if your little computer people were
hungry, they would bawl 'We need food. We MUST have food!' or, in
extremis, 'FOOD!'.

I shout this at my cats when they hassle me for chow. It amuses me,
anyway.


I missed this game! But I do recall those little electronic things my nieces
and nephews had that cried and then died if you didn't "feed" them etc.
Anyway, as long as we are amused, we are doing something right.

On 2005-01-01, Brandy**Alexandre penned:
I was curious just how much everyone actually talks to their cat. Kami is
Siamese (half) and pretty vocal, except for these later years (her "meower"
seems to be defective. She only makes sound about half the time and it's
kind of a blessing), but I haven't actually talked to her a lot. Much of
our communication is through looks, gestures, and touches. She usually
comes when I call, and I often smooch with her in our quiet time and tell
her she's a good girl, but we don't "talk," except for "hi" when she
suddenly appears. She knows I love her and I know she loves me. What's
left to say (unless she's chewing string or power cords)?

So there's my big question for the new year: what does your communication
with your cat entail?

Well, Oscar will (often) come when called, but for the most part our
communication is me talking to her and her ignoring me. It's sort of directed
at her, but not really, kind of a running commentary that I happen to direct
at her so that I'm not so obvious about talking to myself.

I also talk to her in soothing tones a lot, as she's really jumpy. I'll shift
in bed, she'll freak out, and I'll speak to her in calm tones to try to get
her to come back to bed. Sometimes it even works.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

Anyone else dare admit that they sing?

I don't think even my cat would like my singing much. I'll spare him.

Dick

"Slimpickins" wrote in
:

**Oh my Gosh! So you used to waltz around with your cat too? I thought
I was the only one?! Have you been reading my mail ;-)? I used to
waltz around to music while cradling/ holding Blue in my arms when he
was younger and I* was younger. I hardly dance much anymore or listen
to music, at least not like I once did. I certainly haven't had much
'spring to my step' these days.


Nickleby also liked being carried around in a canvas book bag. We had an
elaborate routine worked out where I would pretend to have returned from
the market with a 10-pound kitty roast. Where else could I admit these
things except on this newsgroup???

--Catherine
& Rosalie the calicohead, who doesn't permit herself to be carried around

"Dick Peavey" wrote in message
...

Anyone else dare admit that they sing?

I don't think even my cat would like my singing much. I'll spare him.


I sing to them all the way to the vets and back. Off-key about half of the
time. They're cats, they don't know good singing from a foghorn! (I
do get some strange looks from other drivers as I sing away, occasionally
looking at the "empty" seat beside me. But if I sing they stop howling.
I'm not sure if it comforts them but I do know that their howling
unnerves me because it sounds like "you're KILLLLLLLLLING
meeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Mary" wrote in message
m...

"Dick Peavey" wrote in message
...

Anyone else dare admit that they sing?

I don't think even my cat would like my singing much. I'll spare him.


I sing to them all the way to the vets and back. Off-key about half of
the
time. They're cats, they don't know good singing from a foghorn! (I
do get some strange looks from other drivers as I sing away,
occasionally
looking at the "empty" seat beside me. But if I sing they stop
howling.
I'm not sure if it comforts them but I do know that their howling
unnerves me because it sounds like "you're KILLLLLLLLLING
meeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Now that is a suggestion. I'll try it. At least you are on key half the
time. I once tried the simplest mode plainsong which is chanting on a
single note. I couldn't manage that on key. Sigh. What is worse, I can
hear I'm off, I just can't figure out what to do about it.

I put a folded towel in the carrier. It quiets Squeaky. The bare plastic
must be uncomfortable for him.

Dick

On 2005-01-07, Meghan Noecker penned:

I do chat directly with them a lot too. And when I get into the godo
compliments, they know it and purr.

Okay, I'll admit that I'll ask Oscar, "How's my good girl?" or say, "How's my
pretty kitty?" or something like that, always in a sing-song voice that would
drive me nuts if someone else were doing it =P

Sometimes, if Oscar meows, I'll meow back at her. She usually just looks at
me funny. I suspect I've just said something like, "Could you please assist
me in dunking my shoes in the toilet?" in cat-language. Sometimes we meow
back and forth for a while, which I imagine is her trying to rephrase her
request, over and over, in hopes I'll finally get it through my thick skull.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*