Kitty Communication

Do you have a talkative cat? Or does your kitty mostly speak when she wants to give you a command? Our feline pals have very cute and charming vocalizations. A local Ellicott City, MD vet delves into the cat’s meow in this article.

Kitty Translations

We’ve been trying to translate Fluffy’s cute vocalizations for some time. However, Grimaldi definitely deserves recognition for his efforts in cracking the kitty code. In an 1895 article, the professor went so far as to write out the meanings of different feline vocalizations. A few examples? ‘Aelio’ means food, which may be the most important word in the kitty language. Mi-ouw means ‘Beware,’ while ‘Mieouw’ means ‘Here.’

Purrplexing Accounts

Despite Grimaldi’s valiant efforts, a lot of kitty vocalizations remain a mystery. A 2003 study revealed that cats don’t speak to try to get their humans’ attention. (We remain skeptical of this claim.) The study also showed that people do much better at understanding their own pets than they do strange kitties. We’ll just assume that the jury is still out on this one.

Talking To Fluffy

Talking to your feline buddy is actually a great way to bond with her, and make her feel safe and loved. Even if Fluffy doesn’t talk back, she may still respond: she may flick her tail or blink when you speak to her.

Nonverbal Communication

Here’s an interesting fact: cats rarely speak to each other, once they’ve grown past kittenhood. Our furry buddies usually get their points across to one another by using facial expressions, body language, and occasionally, violence.

Hi-Tech Translation

Did you know that there are now apps that ‘translate’ Fluffy’s meows into words? The Meowtalk one can turn your furball’s chatter into words. There are also similar devices for dogs. With these, the pup steps on a pad that’s associated with a specific word. (Fido was of course delighted to realize that he could literally order a treat by stepping on a button. Fluffy remains unimpressed.)

Cat Language

We will probably never figure out exactly how much language our feline overlords understand, though it’s probably safe to assume that Fluffy knows what ‘Get out of there’ means. The most important thing is really the tone of your voice. Always address kitties in a friendly tone! Do you have questions about your cat’s health or care? Contact us, your Ellicott City, MD animal clinic, today!