I love the idea, as Patrick Moore states, that humans cannot talk cat. I mean I hate the idea, but love the recognition of the fact that we can’t truly make the final connection with our cat through cat communication – vocal, olfactory and body language. We might have a perfect relationship with our cat. We should be able to communicated pretty well with our cat but we can’t talk cat. Only a cat can talk cat. This is a very good reason why we should keep two cats. They can talk to each other. This, however, is dependent on them liking each other. And it is certainly not obligatory. There are many very contented single cats with their human companion but if suitable a two cat household is best, isn’t it?
Can two cats who are strangers to each other immediately decide that they like each the moment they see each other? Yes, is the answer. It could be a No, though. You won’t be able to tell until you put the two together before adapting a newcomer.
You have a cat. You decide to get another for the sake of your cat’s welfare and well being. You obtain the agreement of a person, who has a cat that needs to be adopted, that you can see if he or she gets along with you, your cat and feels at home in your home, before adopting her. I feel this is the professional way to do things. It is very cat-centric.
Then you find that she immediately gets along with your existing cat. Your existing cat nettles up to the newcomer on first sight. Immediately, they are relaxed and content in each other’s company. How about that? You won’t get any better. And then you know that you have created the perfect home for a domestic cat.
This method of proceeding is what we mean when we say that it is not about us choosing a cat but about a cat choosing his or her associates and companions, which includes people and other cats.
I would wish that every household let their cats choose their companions rather than assuming that cats “are only cats” and will get on in due course. That attitude is nowhere near as refined as the former. A lot of hidden stress can build up if cats that are incompatible are forced to live their whole lives together. Cats will adapt but it can’t be as good as cats nestling up to each other the moment they see each other. If you want a near guaranteed happy family, let cats do the choosing.
Cat Talk of various renditions of Meow & adding the Human word Now!
Well I have a wonderful experience. My cat Knodl (Black with Green eyes Domestic Cat) Says “Now” when he wants to eat! It’s not just me hearing it either. If friends are visiting & it’s his feeding time he comes right to me & starts tapping me with his paw, if I ignore him, Knodl very loudly, insistently repeats over & over NOW. The guests will look at each other & then say to me “Your cat just said “Now”!” To which I answer Yes I know that he says Now, but I’m so glad that someone else heard it. This gets better when Knodl says NOW I answer what you want to eat Right Now. After saying that to him daily he has added Right to his human vocabulary. Last week for the first time in 5 yrs. Kiva joined Knodl in loudly saying “NOW” when they wanted to be fed.
Five years ago I brought home a 5 month old female Bengal, I was really worried that they might not get along. But I was hopeful cause my Knodl is so sweet but shy. He hides when the doorbell rings. I know that Kiva my new little Bengal was use to being around 12 to 20 cats at the Breeders. Her breeder let all the cats have free roam of her home, so they grew up with a dog, lots of other Bengals & constant visitors. The very first night when I feed them Kiva was greedy & wanted all the food, Knodl sensed this & moved away from the food. When she finished he ate. Then he lay down next to Kiva & started to clean her, when he finished Kiva started to clean Knodl. That night Knodle curled himself around Kiva as they went to sleep. They play together, chase each other, clean each other every day.
“If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat”
I had forgotten that gorgeous quote. It certainly supports my other comment that if we could talk to cats perhaps it would be bad for cats. We (humans) might taint them with our horrible ways. Cats are pure, people are not.
As you know I agree wholeheartedly with you that more needs to be done in cat caretaking to make sure cats get a chance to choose their own companions if possible. It is like an arranged marriage at the moment. We know cats choose their own “associates” (companions). We should respect that. Sir Patrick Moore did. He was a very wise, gentle and generous man.
“If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat”
Mark Twain
I’ve often wondered why living beings all make different sounds and why we humans should, because of being able to speak, have power over all other species.
It’s well known that cats don’t often meow to each other, so really they are far cleverer than us as they can communicate with their own species without speech.
I wonder what they think when we clumsily try to imitate their meow, they would never try to imitate our speech although we like to think some cats sound as if they are saying words we use.
Yes it would be nice for cats to choose their own companions to live with but fate decrees otherwise, for example all the cats we have had have come to us in desperate need of a home and the resident cats had to accept sharing with them.
Cats have to decide to get along, tolerate each other, or ignore each other, because they have no choice.
Imagine if we had to live like that, no say who we shared our home with! Many humans don’t like sharing the world and their possessions, let alone living together.
This is something else we have taken from cats by domesticating them. In the wild they could choose their mates/companions/colonies, but now they have to accept what we choose for them.
It’s not a perfect situation but all we can do is ensure that we get to know each cat individually, their likes and dislikes, make sure that they have their own private space and that we give them equal love and attention.
I can see that – cats who are friends with each other in a house. The human would be a gooseberry (cut out of the loop). If you could talk cat you could chat up the lady cat and get to know her better 😉
There would be competition between male humans and male cats for the best looking female cats.
Think of the stress….Arguing with your girlfriend or wife and your female cat girlfriend.
It would add a whole new dimension to domestic strife. Lovely though.
I agree, the benefits would be wonderful. I have a huge desire to know what my cat feels and thinks. I can guess and sort of work it out but I can’t ask him.
It would make us much better cat caretakers if we could talk cat.
And think what would happen if a cat was ill. He would be able to tell us where he felt pain etc.
And he would be able to select his veterinarian! The cat truly would be the vet’s client and not the cat’s owner.
It would transform veterinary care and procedures. They would have to re-write the vet’s manual.
It would start: “The cat is the client….. 🙂 At last…some sanity.