Pat's confused cat

My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

Dan M wrote:
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.


Sending purrs for the poor soul. It sounds like he has had a hard life.
MLB

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

Poor old guy! Bless Pat's humongous heart for looking out for the old
soldier!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now
coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell
Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one
ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating
at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch
while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close
enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to
be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his
behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the
poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

Poor old guy! Bless Pat's humongous heart for looking out for the
old soldier!

Hugs,

CatNipped

If I know my old soldier cats, there is an army of young recruits in
the area that call him Pa or Granpa.

Jo

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

I read somewhere that cats have to *learn* to meow in a low enough register
for humans to hear as ferals communicate by meow with each other in a much
higher tone which we cannot hear.
This would explain why your old boy hasn't got it yet, and why I think KFC
cannot meow. She opens her mouth every time I look at her but no sound
comes out. She is obviously meowing but I can't hear it. She is quite able
to make other sounds - like when she was threatening another cat in the days
of her youth she had a loud voice with that mrow, mrow, mrow walking on
tiptoe very slowly to say you wanna fight? get this then.. ;-)
Then came the flying attack from a 4lb dervish. She had no fear of any cat,
no matter how much larger than her they were and they cowered and ran.
Boyfie was a bit lucky, I think ;-) Kitty was totally bowled over by his
charm.

Poor old Beat-to-hell. He's hissing because he has to, he's a bit afraid
of petting, but now he likes it a bit and is throwing the odd meowish noise
in to say "I can't help hissing yet but don't stop."
Kudos to your brother for feeding him.

Tweed

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now
coming by
his place regularly for food. ...

Is Pat a postman? In the UK we have a children's TV series,
"Postman Pat". The star of the show isn't Pat, it's his black and
white cat, Jess:

fx: music

"Postman Pat, Postman Pat,
Postman Pat, and his black an white cat, fx:meeow!
Early in the morning,
Just as day is dawning,
He picks up all the post bags
In his van..."

/music

--
MatSav

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

I read somewhere that cats have to *learn* to meow in a low enough
register for humans to hear as ferals communicate by meow with each other
in a much higher tone which we cannot hear.
This would explain why your old boy hasn't got it yet, and why I think KFC
cannot meow. She opens her mouth every time I look at her but no sound
comes out. She is obviously meowing but I can't hear it. She is quite
able to make other sounds - like when she was threatening another cat in
the days of her youth she had a loud voice with that mrow, mrow, mrow
walking on tiptoe very slowly to say you wanna fight? get this then.. ;-)
Then came the flying attack from a 4lb dervish. She had no fear of any
cat, no matter how much larger than her they were and they cowered and
ran.
Boyfie was a bit lucky, I think ;-) Kitty was totally bowled over by his
charm.

LOL! I think attitude wins more fights than prowess - and KFC certainly has
the attitude.

How is the old girl doing lately?

Hugs,

CatNipped


Poor old Beat-to-hell. He's hissing because he has to, he's a bit afraid
of petting, but now he likes it a bit and is throwing the odd meowish
noise in to say "I can't help hissing yet but don't stop."
Kudos to your brother for feeding him.

Tweed

On 27 Oct 2008 16:25:16 GMT, Dan M wrote:

My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

this sounds a lot like Rocky (RB). Rocky eventually stopped the
inappropriate hissing, but never developed a decent meow. He also had
a silent purr - but you could tell when he was purring by the drooling
;-)
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.


I've seen something very similar in another rescued feral Tom. He was
rescued by some cousins of mine, and gaining his trust was a long, slow,
difficult process. His name was Francis, by the way. He slowly became a
pettable indoor cat, but he always made funny, what we might consider
inappropriate noises, while being petted. He just didn't grow up with
people, and never learned how "people-cats" interact with them. He was
probably also fighting his gut instincts and distrust of people all the
time.


--
Theresa and Dante
drtmuirATearthlink.net

Stinky Forever: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
My brother Pat has quite an assortment of kitties that are now coming by
his place regularly for food. One of them, nicknamed "Beat-to-hell Cat",
is a tom who obviously lived a hard life. He's missing half one ear, has
scars all over his face, etc. For the first few weeks he was eating at
Pat's he would run off whenever he saw any human nearby. He finally
started calming down a bit, until he would eat on the front porch while
Pat was sitting nearby. About a month ago he started getting close
enough
for Pat to pet his head.

He is a strange cat. He rubs against Pat's legs and stands still to be
petted, but hisses the whole time. Last week he modified his behavior a
little. Now he still hisses while he's being petted, but throws an
occasional squeaky "meow" in between hisses. It sounds like the poor
thing never learned to meow properly.

I read somewhere that cats have to *learn* to meow in a low enough
register for humans to hear as ferals communicate by meow with each other
in a much higher tone which we cannot hear.
This would explain why your old boy hasn't got it yet, and why I think
KFC cannot meow. She opens her mouth every time I look at her but no
sound comes out. She is obviously meowing but I can't hear it. She is
quite able to make other sounds - like when she was threatening another
cat in the days of her youth she had a loud voice with that mrow, mrow,
mrow walking on tiptoe very slowly to say you wanna fight? get this
then.. ;-)
Then came the flying attack from a 4lb dervish. She had no fear of any
cat, no matter how much larger than her they were and they cowered and
ran.
Boyfie was a bit lucky, I think ;-) Kitty was totally bowled over by his
charm.

LOL! I think attitude wins more fights than prowess - and KFC certainly
has the attitude.

How is the old girl doing lately?

Declining in appetite again, unfortunately. There is only so much chicken
you can freshly roast to tempt.

Tweed