Vocal Cat

[Goinghomesoon]

We have a very Siamese-looking cat like this <a href="http://basilisk.co.uk/siamese/copper.html" target="_blank">http://basilisk.co.uk/siamese/copper.html</a> about 10 months old that we have had since she was a tiny kitten. Like many Asian cats she has been very vocal and until recently "talked" all the time. This was not the in-heat-yowling but miaows of different tones and strengths depending on what she wanted. If you were not paying enough attention to her she would nip your ankle gently and vocalise. When I was working on the computer her favourite trick was to sit on the keyboard and "talk" into my face so I couldn't ignore her. She talked to her toys and talked to the TV. She routinely lay in front of the door and scolded any of us that tried to go out without her. She's a real character

Three weeks ago we had her neutered and now our cat seems to have forgotten how to talk. She does all the same activities but literally not a squeak from her. She had a full medical check-up when she was discharge from the clinic and was given a clean bill of health.

Would the trauma of surgery do this to an animal?

Edited October 31, 2007 by Goinghomesoon

[Patsycat]

I dont think that she will have lost her voice through surgery. It may come back. I have a twelve year old female cat who will not stop talking and am interested in what she is saying....

[Sheryl]

Sounds like her "talking"was in fact mostly about how horny she was. That problem gone, she has less to say.

But I expec t that if her meals are delayed, you'll hear from her on it!

[Patsycat]

The funny thing is that my cat looks me straight in the eyes and then miaows at me - like as if i have to understand her. So we stare each other out... then she goes off in a sulk... as if to say bugger that one for a lark Have you googled cat voices?

Edited November 8, 2007 by Patsycat

[sbk]

You are making me miss my kitty

She was a very vocal cat, didn't start out so vocal but got more so as she aged. Kind of like a complaining old person

And yes, same thing patsy, she'd look me straight in the eye and meow as if to say "You must be able to understand something you stupid human"

[Sheryl]

A bit off the subject, but dio you know about cat eye kisses?

From a distance, a cat will make eye contact and then very slowly close and open its eyes, like a slow blink. This is the same as blowing you a kiss, it is a sign of affection. Try doing this to your cat. She'll do it back (provided she loves you and is in a good mood!).

And you should reciprocate anytime she does it to you. Otherwise you're being aloof and unfriendly.

If you haven't been doing this your already, it may take a few tries to get your cat to respond as she may have given up on you, but with patience she'll start to communicate with you as she realizes that finally you can speak a bit of cat language..........

[eek]

I always knew the "cat kisses",as sheryl puts it, to be a sign of affection also and that if you stare at a cat unblinkingly it is viewed as a sign of aggression/hostility/caution. Cats 'blink blink' when they feel comfortable and relaxed, but will stare when they are frightened, angry, or aggressive/protective. When I had my kitties and would 'blink blink' at them, they used to roll onto their backs and show their bellies or run up to me and give me kisses with their face. So cute.

I love vocal cats too, and sorry to hear that your kitty isnt as chatty. It may well be that she was just feeling "horny" ..lol. Maybe try talking to her more yourself? Maybe she will reciprocate. My cats knew certain words like "dinner" and if i said it even whilst still sitting down they would go bananas meowing and running around and getting excited.

Not sure how to help sorry. Hope she decides to be chatty again. Good luck.

[londonthai]

cats learn to talk more with people, because we talk - in the wild their are much less vocal (as not to scare their pray and also not to become a meal for some other predators).

most probably you cat need some attention, petting, grooming to go back to the previous habit - talk to her more

[Mosha]

We have a few cats, I read somewhere that the average cat has about 42 different vocalisations. Behind a closed door I know which of our cats is caling. 3 of our adult females have been spayed now. 2 for medical reasons when a pregnancy went bad. Fortunately at the time we had kittens around that they adopted, much to the true mothers confusion. It's funny to mind them waiting outside the bedroom door on a morning. All I have to say is "What do you want?" for the chat to start.

[AlexLah]

One of my cats (Kitten) showed great interest when me going online.

I had six but only this one was watching me.

She pressed the key board and came up with some very interesting messages.

[Patsycat]

My cats and I "eye kiss" too, but we also do the outstaring thing. And when they outstare each other its time to lock one in another room!! But usually they just chase and play - around 4 in the morning after they have had their 20 hour daily nap.

[Patsycat]

So yesterday i did the eye kiss experiment on the male and female.

The male eye kissed me back more often (who loves his mama?) but the female is getting there - perhaps with her shouting at me all the time she has forgotten to eye kiss!!!

[Mosha]

Just be glad you don't have one like this one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7092301.stm

[Goinghomesoon]

Well a little of her voice has come back but now she mainly communicates by biting, hard. Imagine a large farang with a small brown kitty wrapped around my lower leg biting down on the shin bone. Not a good look. She won't have a bar of her favourite soft toy and bed that went to the clinic with her, even though we have washed them. She's become one very stroppy little cat. Spending quality time with a cat whose main aim is to draw blood is kind of difficult.

[Sheryl]

What you are describing is a cat who is seriously upset with you. You need to work patiently to regain her trust and affection. Play with her a lot (using a toy that keeps you well clear of her teeth & claws), throw her frequent "ëye kisses"and talk to her in a soft tone, give her extra food treats, etc you get the idea.

Cats can hold a grudge for quite a while, especially unusually intelligent cats. But with patience she'll come to like and trust you again.

This does seem tho to be a a more severe raction than neutering or other vet procedures usually provokes, makes me wonder about the vet in question. You might want to consider a change.

[Goinghomesoon]

Thanks Sheryl, yes we think something happened in the recovery room at the clinic, she was sore but happy the first few days after the op (with 3 other post-op female cats for company). But for the last few days there was a yappy little dog in there as well. That seems to be when she got majorly p*ssed off.

This cat is very funny. This morning she pulled 9 year old's homework out of her backpack and shredded it. Then made a bed of paper *crumbs* and rolled round in it purring loudly. I swear she was grinning. First time we've seen her really happy since she came home. Poor daughter. I'm sure the teacher won't believe her excuse *the cat ate my homework* but she really did!

[Sheryl]

Good to heasr she is getting back to her old self.

I gather from what you say that she was a few days at the vet, which is odd. Usually they come home same day or at the most the next day, which greatly reduces the trauma for them...by the time they are fully awake, they're back in familiar surroundings and the whole experience was just a brief fright, a shot and sleep then home again as far as they're concerned. .

I don't know why your vet kept her there so long. The average Thai vets have you take them home right away, still gorked out, which granted is not ideal (altho I suspect a devoted owner will provide more attentive care than they would get in most vet's offices anyhow); the better animal hosps will keep them until they're alert enough that breathing is no longer a concern, but that's usually just a matter of hours to maximum a night.

If she was kept for a few days no wonder she's so traumatized. Poor thing...do change vets! And let us know when she's 100% herself again.

[sbk]

I saw this youtube video and thought of goinghomesoon's cat. Maybe she just didn't have someone to chat with!

[Patsycat]

And they look so comfy!!

[eek]

Omg..that is so cute!

..i often wonder if some cats actually had better Karma as humans in their last life. How can you top a life of living in a nice comfy house, being fed good food, and getting cuddles galore.

[Mosha]

Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

[Sheryl]

Cats are dieties, they have worshippers or disciples.

[Mosha]

Our eldest female is the only unneutered cat we have. Right from the 1st kitten, during their 1st week or 2 of life. She constantly comes and yells at me to go check out the kittens. Once I've gone and looked she is quiet for about 1 hour. Then she starts again.

[Goinghomesoon]

Right before Christmas when the tree and exciting shiny, dangling decorations went up Kitty found her voice again. The look on her face when she started talking again was hilarious, she would squeak a bit, look around in surprise as if to say *where did that noise come from?* and then promptly do it again.

She still loves shredding. Christmas morning she was in her element as we piled all the paper up in a nice crinkly pile and she rolled around in it for a good hour. By the time we came back from lunch it was totally decimated and she was asleep in the middle of a huge mess. This evening she came to see me and was covered in small pieces of various tropical flowers. She'd gotten into the arrangement on the dining room table and stripped the flowers, leaving little bare stalks on the table and floor....and I thought having children was hard.

[Patsycat]

Good to hear she's back to her old self!!