Can Cats Talk?

Interesting question. For a professional, scientific, detailed discussion look at a Cornell University web site: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/May02/cat_talk.hrs.html. To sum it up, cats probably can’t talk but have ways to get what they want and they’re very good at it. They express themselves with their meows. The website gives you an opportunity to hear cat meows and asks you to try and tell what emotion the cat is expressing. What do cats want? Really just the basics: food, shelter, and a little TLC – human affection. To quote from the author "Cats are domesticated animals that have learned what levers to push, what sounds to make to manage our emotions. And when we respond, we too are domesticated animals." Can we compare this to a newborn human who tries to fulfill his or her needs?

Can Cats Talk? Another View.

Check out http://pets.yahoo.com/cats/behavior-and-training/32/cat-talk. This website refers to studies by Mildred Moelk that conclude that cats can talk. She claims that cats murmur, vary intonation levels, and trill. In this way they can produce nine consonant sounds, five vowel sounds, and two diphthongs. You may think a cat is mumbling, but these are really the soundings of thousands of words. As a kitten develops into a cat, it learns different meows: one to greet humans, another to warn other cats, an so on. However, it is the purr that we humans crave. "When cats purr, all is right with their world. And they want to share that with you."

When to See the Vet

In spite of the high medical cost, there are situations when you should seriously consider taking your pet to the vet. A short article in Parade Magazine (11/2/08) lists three of these situations. First: vomiting. Not a disease, but it is a symptom that something else may be going on. If your pet can't keep anything down, has abdominal pain or fever, go to the vet. Second, diarrhea. This "can be a symptom of anything from cancer to a change in diet." If it is bloody, go to the vet. Third: limping. If your pet can't put any weight on a leg, is in great pain, or has a fever, go to the vet. There are other situations and warning signs that should be of concern, but they are too numerous to mention in this post.