Talk to your cat: Interspecies conversations can be quite revealing

Do you get into serious conversations with your cats? If so, do you ever suspect that they actually do understand what you are saying to them?

I realize that some of our readers may think that these two questions I posed are completely preposterous. Nonetheless I was prompted to ask my fellow cat lovers if I have simply lost my mind, or if my recent interaction with Sir Hubble Pinkerton was completely normal.

The other morning while I was getting dressed I found myself in a rather animated discussion with Sir Hubble Pinkerton, our senior Blue-eyed white Oriental Shorthair kitty.

I was prattling on and on, asking him questions about whether he had enjoyed his breakfast, about any adventures he might be planning today to embark upon and that I was interested in how he felt about the latest episode of Jackson Galaxy’s “My Cat from Hell” which he had watched this past Saturday night. By now you may be thinking that I have really gone off the deep end.

Even though I assumed that I was having a one-way conversation with Sir Hubble, I was totally blown away when he started meowing back to me as if he were answering my questions and commenting on everything I was telling him. That was when I started believing that Sir Hubble understood my every word and it was obvious to me that he was responding.

I often say “hello” to Sir Hubble Pinkerton. I swear that he has learned to imitate that sound – and he now says “hello” back to me with a deep-throated “meow.”

There are plenty of folks who think it’s silly to talk to a cat since they don’t believe that their cat can understand what they are saying. However, cats actually do receive information from the tone of our voices and the manner in which we praise them or show our disapproval of their behavior. Cats not only are comforted by the words we use and the ways in which we communicate with them; our words can also bolster their confidence which makes them feel more secure.

In fact, the more we talk to our cats, the more they will “speak” back to us. These two-way conversations can help us learn more about what they are thinking and feeling. Cats have an uncanny way of building a rather extensive vocabulary.

For example, when I am getting ready to give Dr. Hush Puppy his senior vitamin chews, I say the word “treats” and immediately offer them to him. Within just a couple of days he would come running when he heard the word. Both cats have learned the words. “Dinner is served.”

Opening cat food cans with an electric can opener is basically no longer necessary. But these three words get them running to their food dishes just as quickly as that whirring sound.

Since our cats are senior catizens, play time is not as spirited as it was years ago. But since they still enjoy a few daily play sessions, both are eager to start the moment I say “play”; even interrupting their naps.

The majority of cats have easily learned their names and they will come if they are in the mood, or unless something more important has caught their interest. Cats do have a mind of their own!

But if we keep our minds open and can learn to interpret the wide variety of meows, chirps and other sounds our cats make, we will learn a lot about what our kitties are feeling. A “churtling” sound may translate into an expression of affection and want to be petted; while a loud yowling sound might mean that the cat is feeling insecure or may be physically hurting.

While talking to your cats may seem like a silly idea, connecting verbally with our kitties a lot fun and highly enjoyable for those of us who are open to inter-species communication.

Do you have conversations with your cats? Tell us about them in a comment.