Off-leash blog: What to do when your kitty roars

Ben Swan | The New Mexican

10/11/2008 - 10/12/08

It's true that Zach and I play a little game called "Where's the kitty?" I pretend there's a cat under my shirt, and I make what I think are pretty effective cat sounds.

Zach's crazy about the game, barking and scratching at my shirt until I throw up my arms and show him, indeed, that no cat is hiding there. And then I might do it again, just for fun, to show him how easily he's fooled. Or is he fooling me?

That said, I love cats. I'm the only one in my family who adopted cats and took care of them with affection equal to what I gave our family dogs. Sure, the cats had to be pretty independent in our hardscrabble household, but they got along fine amid the family feuds inside and wild beasts outside.

And when Squeaky was ill with feline leukemia, I made a pact with God that I'd be really good if only he'd let her live. She died, and what can I say? A deal's a deal.

But it has been years since I've lived day-in and day-out with cats. Last summer, a houseguest brought her cat, and the poor thing never left her self-imposed closet prison. (It might have been that kitty game I taught Zach, although it's hard to say.) Once she tried to explore the house, but a scrambling on the tile floor and some rearranging of furniture told me that Zach preferred separate-but-equal status.

It might not have been his fault. She was just one of those cats that would as soon swipe at you as look at you, first drawing you in with a welcoming purr and then drawing back with a hiss and a lunge. Two of my other dogs, now deceased, quickly learned that cats don't just want to have fun. Beta was once chased out of a friend's house by an aggressive feline, while poor Krista learned her lesson with a bloodied nose. It was like a scene out of Chinatown.

What's up with those crazy cats?

Just like dogs, cats are pretty clear about what they are trying to communicate. It takes a bit of paying attention to the code, according to cat experts. My neighbor recently lent me her Translation Guide — a 20-year-old manual about understanding both cats and dogs — and since we're all about bonding here in Scoopland, I thought I'd share.

Cats are trying to share three kinds of messages with their meows. The "I am frightened" meow is more of a throaty yowl that can descend into a spit and a hiss. Mainly cats just dart away silently when frightened, but when cornered, expect to hear this sound. The low noise is often the trick to send larger tormentors on their way.

The "I want attention" meow originates from the mewing sound of tiny kittens wanting their mothers. Domestic cats remain mentally kittenlike as adults and continue to "talk" to their humans as they would their mothers. They refine the mewing to communicate want of food, to be let outside or to get comfort.

The "Come with me" meow is a chirruping noise that has been described as a rising trill. Some cats use the same sound as a greeting.

A purr, something both my dogs do, does not always signal a contented cat. It's more of a signal of a friendly social mood, but injured or dying cats also purr. A purr to a vet or owner might signal a thank you for help.

Cats also give clear body language. A cat rubbing up against you is exchanging its scent. This makes a cat feel more at home with its human companions. And when a cat jumps on your lap, slowly catching its paws on your legs or other body parts, it's trying to offer a warm, loving moment. It's the same movement done to stimulate milk from a mother cat.

And what about biting the hand that strokes it? Apparently that's common with cats that have had bad past experience with humans. The desire to be stroked initially outweighs the fear factor, but eventually, as the stroke-need lessens, the memory returns and the cat gives a warning. The manual doesn't offer any tips on how to cure this behavior, but it does say the danger signal is when the cat's ears flatten backward. Watch out.

Maybe I should have been a little more forgiving with my friend's cat. But I didn't have the manual then.

There's plenty more to discuss about cats' behaviors. Share your tips and observations as our conversation continues at www.santafescoop.com.