Ask A Scientist© Veterinary Topics Archive

name        Andi L.
status       other
age          50s

Question -   Our family has always had house cats
as pets...so in
numbers over the years there have been many.
Our latest cats (3) that we rescued from the road
are now a year old.  We
have observed something a little different from
these three cats that we
don't believe we had ever noticed before.  They
have their little cat
language.....nothing like a meow....just like
little grunts....a bit like
what you would expect from jumping and hitting the
ground with
moan...grunt...whatever.  They walk around and seem
to be communicating?  What is this?  Are we just now
observing something that is common?
----------------- 
Hi Andi
my answer will not be one of a veterinerian or a 
zoologist,that i am not, but of a cat-lover! If it
helps the long experience... I always had cats ,and
all together must have been, lets say, more than 50...
from new born kitties to old age (more than 20 years
old cats).
Surely they communicate not only between themselves
but also i(and many people) can say we "understand"
their "talking" and what they mean to "say".
In a more scientific view some zoologists have
studied cats "meaows" and it is said to be more than
20 different sounds with different meanings each one. 
Observe and  hear yourself.
Please i am not saying that there are a cat vocabulary
with the same meaning always, for every one. There are
no scientific evidence for that. 
What as an animal observer and lover  i say is that
all animals communicate within their species with
sounds, eyes, gestures, etc.
They show feelings and desires.They are sad and happy
due to different situations. They follow their owner
feelings, sorrow and joy. That is truth.It is my truth
anyway. 
Mabel
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