“Meo-o-ow.” “MEo-o-W.” “meoa-a-a.” “mm-m-m-w.” “meeow-ow-ow.” “MEOW!”
“The more you talk to your cat the more she will try to communicate and talk to you.” I read that somewhere and thought I would try it.
After three years, I can say it works. Muffy communicates constantly. I am told when it is time to get up with the pitiful meow of a poor, starving purrson—if that fails, a did you hear me yell. She uses her look-at-me meow when I’m slow to notice her doing something worthy of a treat. A be careful meow warns when she comes up behind me working in the kitchen. I hear a decidedly irritated meow when I work too long on the computer. If she stands in a doorway and no one notices, her well … meow gets her the proper welcome before she enters the room. Every once in awhile she will come running and talking and talking—as though trying to explain something. Then she needs to be petted and talked to and I have to listen to her story all over again. Kittymares? When she wants to play she plants herself in one spot—the only place where her play yell will echo thoughout the whole house.
The communication in our house has definitely become bi-lingual! As with any language, it takes a lot of practice time to really understand each other. Muffy has been very patient with my slowness in learning. She keeps at it. And I’m doing better. She can recognize a number of the things I say to her, too.
I wonder if the same holds true for people. If we talked to each other more, would we talk to each other more?
I’ve heard it said that in this age of sound bites discussion is a lost art. I wonder if we can bring it back. All trends have to begin somewhere—why not with us?