Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
Have you met Cyril? If you don’t, you’re missing out! He’s the squishiest, most chilled-out, laid-back cat I’ve ever met, and he often gives me lifestyle envy. He also lives a larger life, which is something we’ll cover in a later post. Right now, I want to tell you about another of his quirks – his reaction to certain sounds.
In 2021, I got a little virus; you may have heard of it. Covid something? Anyway, I had a bit of a cough, which seemed unsatisfying He who can’t miss breakfast. Whenever I muster up the courage to clear my throat or attempt to vent while in Cyril’s general vicinity, I get an angry little chatter in return.
How do I know it’s anger? Well, the truth is, I don’t; that’s just the vibe he gives off. No hissing or snarling, no wagging tails or gnashing of teeth, just the chattering sounds cats make when they see a bird, mouse, or in my ginger cat Alex, a hotdog. And there was an attitude. If you live with cats, you’ll know what I’m talking about. That air of superiority that lets you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are, and always will be, inferior to the feline species. And that’s fine, I know my place in the household hierarchy, but Cyril is not usually arrogant. I’m perfectly comfortable being judged by a cat, but being judged by Cyril is like being judged by a sweet, kind old man, like Morgan Freeman or Tim Walz. The look in his eyes seemed to say “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.”
Cough Paranoia
It’s hard enough to deal with wary looks and suspicious stares when allergies or an inhaled drink trigger a cough during Covid, but now I’m also faced with coughing-barrassment at home. Is no one safe?!
Even more disturbing is that Cyril only laughs when I cough, never when my wife or anyone else does. It’s kind of hard not to take it personally. I had almost convinced myself that it was all because of Cyril’s love and concern for my health when he started babbling among other noises.
First, it was the sneeze, but now the crunching of an empty soda can has joined the secret cough on the list of sounds to make only when I’ve established I’m in a Cyril-free zone. I couldn’t stand the idea of interrupting his snooze time; the poor cat only manages 18, maybe 20 hours of sleep a day.
Why the Strange Reaction to Sounds?
As an indoor cat, one might think that Cyril’s chatter is nothing more than errant hunting sounds, but he will also make these vocalizations to birds spying on nearby rooftops.
I need more information.
When researching the topic of cat chatter, I found many different explanations for the sound, none of which were particularly surprising:
- impersonating the victim
- longing
- anticipation of biting prey
and one that confirms my worst fears:
- expressing disappointment in their people.
Like the quintessential meow, cats are rarely seen chattering to other cats, meaning it’s a sound reserved for specific occasions: hunting and telling people to shut up.
The Cat’s Meow
Cat-to-cat communication usually consists of chirps, hisses, growls, or yowls. It appears that the meow was developed as a way of trying to mimic the nonsensical sounds they hear coming from our mouths. Because during my extensive history of meowing at cats, I don’t seem to have caused any offense, my guess is that cat meowing is as much a language for them as it is for us, so no. We think we’re being cute when we return their meows, when in fact, cats make us laugh by parroting our sounds.
Is that why Cyril is annoyed by my coughing, or is he just confused by it? Was it a sign of his love and devotion to me that he persisted in trying to communicate, even as my language changed from coherent patterns to the choked scream of a crushed Coke can? Are we destined to remain locked in a cycle of indecipherable vocalizations until one of us gets bored and walks away (or in Cyril’s case, falls asleep)?
I think the answer is yes. Unless I manage to teach Cyril (and myself) morse code…
This article is part of a series by Dr. Karyn with her five funny cats.
