By Elisa Black-Taylor
Why doesn’t my cat Coral meow? I ask myself that question every night as Coral jumps into my lap for some quality petting time. I’d like to tell her story, and then I hope some of you may have some answers for my non-vocal cat.
Coral has been with us for over two years now. She was rescued from Greenville County Animal Care Services back in 2011 at the same time we rescued a cat named Jane. One of my friends from New York who’s very involved with GCACS asked me if I could take both cats. Jane went on to find her own family, but Coral has decided to stay with us on a permanent basis.
Coral’s paperwork at the shelter listed her as a stray. My daughter and I believe she was a stray, mainly because of her ears. Her ears were full of ear mites. We took her to the vet and got the medicine to treat her. She passed her physical as far as being healthy, other than the infestation of the mites. It took a good month to get all the gunk cleaned out where she’d have pretty ears.
Laura and I often wonder why anyone would turn her into the shelter. She never meows, always uses the litter box and isn’t fussy about her cat food. In other words, Coral is the perfect cat. Except she’s quiet. We’ve heard a hiss or two out of her when one of the other cats try to intrude upon her petting time in Laura’s lap.
Coral was often called our cat with no personality. That was before she let us know how much she enjoys chasing a laser light. It’s the first toy she’s ever played with. And she loves to drink out of a faucet. I’m more likely to see her taking a drink from the tub faucet than from the water bowl.
Coral is also beautiful. Not that beautiful will keep a cat off of death row. You all may remember Coral from the comment I made on Michael’s article here about being able to pick your cat out of an I.D. parade.
I commented on confusing Furby with Coral all the time. From the rear, they look identical to me. Laura says Coral is a slightly lighter color. And if I pet her I can tell the difference. She’s our softest cat. Her name should have been Cashmere.
I wonder whether Coral could have been feral at one time, since feral cats are known for keeping silent. Her ears were certainly dirty enough for her to have lived outside for a long period of time. Perhaps someone who just enjoys trapping cats and turning them in to the shelter caught her. We’ll never know. And Coral refuses to give up secrets about her past.
We’ve only had one other cat who kept silent for a very long time. That was Sealy. We pretty much know he was a feral. He still has feral-like behavior, such as he enjoys prowling for food. It was close to eight months before he ever meowed, and that was when he wanted out of my bedroom and the door was closed. He’ll also jump on top of Laura and meow for his breakfast. For the record, Sealy has the LOUDEST meow of any of our cats. He just doesn’t “talk” very often.
Any ideas on why Coral doesn’t meow? She’s healthy and friendly otherwise. I’ve never had such a quiet cat.
May I join in with this forum? Monty’s Mom is just so non-judgemental and kind. Her comments are a joy to read, aren’t they?
I would just like to let you know, Ruth, in case you don’t already know, Garrison Keillor and Frederika von Stade created a wonderful cat CD yrs ago. One of many favorite songs on this cd is “Alaskan Cats.” I’ve given my copy away to the little neighbor girl, otherwise I could sing out the titles.
I think that your idea is wonderful!
What is interesting is you don’t come across as that sort of person.
Thanks, Michael. It’s easy to write when you write about what you know!
I’ve been thinking I should team up with someone who is a good composer and supply the lyrics for him. I actually have a couple of people in mind. I can write rhyming words to fit any meter or melody– I am getting better at that. It’s the harmony that I can’t write. I’m not a good pianist so I have trouble writing for piano. I write piano accompaniments like an organist who can’t play piano. I keep thinking that maybe there will be a market for that, since as an organist I struggle with choir anthem accompaniments. But the publishing companies don’t agree and they don’t want my organ stuff either, so I think it’s time to just hang it up. Or if I write just not share it with anyone until I somehow manage to prove Carl Schalk right, but by then I might be eighty. Even “Simon’s Song” and the other one about Herman the Police Dog which are posted on PoC are not good. I have friends who can write music, who really can write. They might not have even wanted to attempt those lyrics (when you get away from religious texts lyrics get 100 times harder) but they would have written a lot better music. I always struggled in music theory and composition classes. I was constantly asking for copies of other people’s little theory and composition exercises asking if they’d mind if I put some words to their tunes/harmonies. There’s a song my choir does around All Saint’s and it’s hauntingly beautiful, but only the words are mine. The tune and various harmonies/settings of that tune were this guy Craig’s homework.
I think that sounds perfect – I’d love to have time to hang with my cats all day and they’d love it too. They made a remix of that song called ‘girls just wanna have lunch’ – so maybe that fits in better since you do have to eat as you say 🙂
Nothing wrong with unfinished projects – I have about 20 incomplete bikes to be restored but it’s not about the result it’s about the process in my opinion so it’s good to have things open/unfinished, plus knowing when its finished is the hardest part anyway 🙂
Marc, that’s what Elisa keeps saying! But writing for a living is a grind and a lot of work. I lack the self discipline to do it. I started a book about Monty, but like all the embroidery projects I started as a kid, it just sits there. Except unlike those pillowcases, my mom’s not going to come along and finish my book for me. So it will never get done.
I only got good at playing the organ because the pay from that meant I could afford to eat every day. It’s a good thing I’m not independently wealthy or I’d be totally useless. If I don’t have that motivation of needing to eat (today it’s pay the mortgage) I just sit on my butt and play on the computer or watch the boob tube, play in the yard with Monty, or go hiking/swimming/skiing or skating. That song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is so me.
I remembered this later. I think Michael even posted one of those “meow choirs” on PoC once. So it’s already been done. I would like to see real meows added to the music. I think even the composing software I have would permit it. You could alter the meow sounds, but I think leaving them as they are would be best. It’s a very modern idea to use everyday sounds and put them together as music. It’s certainly been done. But has anyone done meows? Someone should. But it’s a big step from writing a few hymns to putting together something like that. I doubt I could pull it off. But I can imagine how cool it would be if someone did it. Maybe they already have and we just have to keep searching for it on the Internet.