Tuesday, May 18, 2021

In Conversation

I have known few cats in my life who have ‘meowed’. Tungsten did, and of those still with me, Tucker comes the closest. Renn whines, Neville mumbles and grumbles. Cammie growled and barked. Josie’s voice was like a rusty hinge on an old garage door. But Portia’s conversation is something to hear. She makes Josie sound like Sarah Brightman.


The longer she is with me, the more this calico girl talks, especially when she wants out of the library. She can throw a spate of verbiage at me, all of it sounding like giant granite boulders being pulled across rough, gravelly ground. I think this is a good sign, rather like a shy person becoming loquacious as she grows more comfortable with her surroundings, though Portia is very likely impatient with my periodic lack of comprehension.


But that’s all right. We’ll come to understand one another soon. And maybe she’ll start to moderate her speech, and use a language less harsh and strident, like Klingon.


15 comments:

  1. Well, it looks like Portia will have to work on her "indoor voice" a little. Either that or you will have to brush up on your Klingon. But that's a good thing. Kittens meow to their mothers, but cats usually do not meow to other cats - they save their comments for their human parents.
    So, John, congratulations! It looks like Portia has accepted you as her dad.

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  2. WE know Klingon here in this house. Everyone on the family. If I get a boy kitty, he will be Gowron. Or perhaps Kern. Portia...soon as you have things under control, come for a sleep over. My mom is a pushover...trust me.

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  3. I think that is a very good sign that she's started talking to you. Catspeak is a fascinating thing...although I often think it's fortunate for us that we don't know for sure what they're saying.

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  4. I still squee when Sweetie gives me a good tongue-lashing, after all of those years of silence.

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  5. A good chat goes a long way towards being happy!

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  6. One of our Angel Kitties had tons of things to say to us, the most when we came back into the house after being gone...for even a short time! Maybe it was a good thing we speak English and he spoke Meezer!

    Portia has found her voice! Now she isn't scared to let you know what she wants and that she is HERE! Another hurdle crossed.

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  7. I suspect that it's best not to know quite what she's saying, she seems to be feisty as it is, by times. I can imagine her using words that would put sailors to shame. Lol. However,I definitely agree that she is becoming more and more comfortable in your home.

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  8. It is good to hear that Portia is talking more to you, and despite the fact there are other beasts outside that door, she'd like to venture out and explore a bit more.

    I'd say things are going reasonably well, even if you're wearing ove-gloves.

    P.S. I had a good chuckle at your comment about the chair going for a run. :)

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  9. One positive thing at least John..
    Your not living in complete silence!
    Must be quite funny if ALL of them
    decide to voice an opinion, except
    for meal times of course..! :).

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  10. It sounds as if Portia has learned how to express herself. Every cat has such a different voice. And then it's up to us to learn what they're saying. Glad she's talking to you.

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  11. portia; just tell dad ta :

    lojmIt yIpoSmoH!

    ;) ☺☺♥♥

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  12. "Open that darn door man, the Cat wants Out!"

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  13. She sounds like Flynn. He had the loudest yell. I couldn't really call it a meow, and if you told him to keep it down he just got louder.

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  14. That's a good sign, Portia, peeps love a good conversation...MOL😸Pawkisses for a Happy Day🐾😽💞

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  15. All my cats have been talkative, but there have certainly been variations of degree. Maybe I talk to them SO much that they learn the habit in return.

    But it seems to come more naturally for some. I currently have a full Meezer, a 1/2 Meezer, and a male Calico. The Calico talks often enough but not constantly.

    But you would think the full Meezer would be the chatterbox. And she sure talks "a lot" (more than any previous cat).

    But the 1/2 Meezer almost never stops talking (to me - outside he is a very quiet mouser). But inside in my presence, OMC! He won't stop.

    I've read (and suspected by actions) that cats talk to us asking questions "can I go out, what's for dinner, can I go out, when is dinner, will you scratch me, can I go out", endlessly.

    So you don't want to just copy their meows. If there is any sense to their "meows" It's like repeating a question back. So I just speak gibberish back to them. Bits of songs, silly sentences, non-english words I make up a smatterring of spanish from high school.

    I suspect the important thing to them is that we recognize their presence and are engaging with them in some way.

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