What do your cats do to tell you when they want something?
Discussion
We've only got one at the moment (and he doesn't want to share, although we have a couple of neighbour cats who would move in today if we let them). He has a range of 'requests'. When he wants something to eat, or to go out (he has an indoor box), level one is for him to go and lie on the floor near the kitchen door (closed due to the cold weather) and just sit and look at me. He will do this for half an hour or so. Then there will be the miaowing, increasing in frequency. If that doesn't work then he willcome closer and start bumping against our legs. Level four used to be to jump up on the table and interpose between me and whatever I was reading (too old for that now) and level 5 would be to, having made sure he was in the line of vision, to roll on the flooor and make appealing faces.
He also likes to be picked up and placed on my lap, and have his chin scratched, sometimes. This request is subtly different, and involves him sitting on the floor near my chair (usually just out of reach), and not looking at me directly. Then, when I stretch over to get him, he will try to walk away. If I can manage to grab him then we have a ten minute session on my lap, if not, he wanders off and then returns five minutes later, and the process repeats.
Years ago we had another cat who would often be on the garden wall as I went out the back door to go to work. This wall was something like 8 feet high. He would make eye contact and miaow, and then I would reach up and lift him down, but I never did figure out whether that was what he wanted or not, or whether he was just being friendly.
He also likes to be picked up and placed on my lap, and have his chin scratched, sometimes. This request is subtly different, and involves him sitting on the floor near my chair (usually just out of reach), and not looking at me directly. Then, when I stretch over to get him, he will try to walk away. If I can manage to grab him then we have a ten minute session on my lap, if not, he wanders off and then returns five minutes later, and the process repeats.
Years ago we had another cat who would often be on the garden wall as I went out the back door to go to work. This wall was something like 8 feet high. He would make eye contact and miaow, and then I would reach up and lift him down, but I never did figure out whether that was what he wanted or not, or whether he was just being friendly.
Ours has us well trained, in the last couple of years he has got really noisy, shouting for us at the top of the stairs until we acknowledge him and make it clear where we are. If he wants food he'll walk into the room and if we catch his eye he'll miaow loudly, ignoring him only results in him sitting by the couch and staring at us, scratching the couch or our legs until we get fed up of telling him off and feed him.
Our two Burmese will walk over and headbutt you and then start brushing themselves against you. If that fails to get your attention then will stretch up and tap you on the side with their paws. Then they will start meowing. If that fails to get a response you will get bitten toes/kneecap
Ava, when it's time for food (as determined by her, not by the clock), will sit by the kitchen door and mew pathetically for about ten minutes. Then she'll wander over to the coffee table, jump up and start pushing things off onto the floor. When this fails she'll wander over to the gerbil tanks and start to claw at them until we get fed up and break out the squirty gun. She'll then get a soaking, take the hump a bit and hide in her bed until it's 9pm.
If she wants a stroke she'll just jump onto either me or the wife and roll about until she get the appropriate body area tickled.
If she wants a stroke she'll just jump onto either me or the wife and roll about until she get the appropriate body area tickled.
The only time they hassle me is first thing in the morning to be fed.
If I'm lying in bed Ben will happily curl up on the bed next to me and wait patiently, purring away.
Neko on the other hand will jump on and off the bed, onto the bedside table to push things off, then finally if I still don't get up she will bat me on the nose.
If I'm lying in bed Ben will happily curl up on the bed next to me and wait patiently, purring away.
Neko on the other hand will jump on and off the bed, onto the bedside table to push things off, then finally if I still don't get up she will bat me on the nose.
Edited by Marf on Monday 24th January 15:34
When I first met my wife she had two cats. One, the female, would sit beside her as she was eating, and would reach up and touch her leg to indicate that she was a)there, and b)wanted some of whatever my wife was eating. The male's technique was to simply sit somewhere where he could be seen, and wait for his tidbits to arrive, which they always did. In the morning, when he wanted my wife to wake up, he would walk around her head. Not on it, just around it. The problem for my wife was that she had long hair at the time, so this inevitable meant that she would wake up to the pleasant sensation of having her hair pulled.
singlecoil said:
When I first met my wife she had two cats. One, the female, would sit beside her as she was eating, and would reach up and touch her leg to indicate that she was a)there, and b)wanted some of whatever my wife was eating. The male's technique was to simply sit somewhere where he could be seen, and wait for his tidbits to arrive, which they always did. In the morning, when he wanted my wife to wake up, he would walk around her head.
Same with my two. Ben will sit quietly giving it the "look at me, aren't I handsome" whereas Neko will put her front paws on my knee and look longingly at the food, and occasionally try and bat stuff off my plate.Marf said:
singlecoil said:
When I first met my wife she had two cats. One, the female, would sit beside her as she was eating, and would reach up and touch her leg to indicate that she was a)there, and b)wanted some of whatever my wife was eating. The male's technique was to simply sit somewhere where he could be seen, and wait for his tidbits to arrive, which they always did. In the morning, when he wanted my wife to wake up, he would walk around her head.
Same with my two. Ben will sit quietly giving it the "look at me, aren't I handsome" whereas Neko will put her front paws on my knee and look longingly at the food, and occasionally try and bat stuff off my plate.Two of our three have their own ways of getting stuff, Peep, the new one, hasn't been around long enough.
Guzzi (the first one) will scratch on the wardrobe door to wake us up, then will either go to the bathroom window if he wants to go out (we live in a bungalow) or go into the kitchen if he wants food. He will also wake us up if he's not hungry but one of the others is. He'll wait in the hall. If he wants to go out while we're watching telly, he'll go to the door and meow loudly.
If he wants tuna, he'll rub against our legs quite hard, and head-butt the tin when we show him. General food he'll sit and wait for whatever we give him.
Black Cat will sit, looking earnestly at you if he wants food, and will mooch about near the door if he wants to go out. If you try to give him something he didn't fancy, he'll sniff it and walk away, then turn round, sit down and stare at you.
Guzzi (the first one) will scratch on the wardrobe door to wake us up, then will either go to the bathroom window if he wants to go out (we live in a bungalow) or go into the kitchen if he wants food. He will also wake us up if he's not hungry but one of the others is. He'll wait in the hall. If he wants to go out while we're watching telly, he'll go to the door and meow loudly.
If he wants tuna, he'll rub against our legs quite hard, and head-butt the tin when we show him. General food he'll sit and wait for whatever we give him.
Black Cat will sit, looking earnestly at you if he wants food, and will mooch about near the door if he wants to go out. If you try to give him something he didn't fancy, he'll sniff it and walk away, then turn round, sit down and stare at you.
MG CHRIS said:
blueg33 said:
Brilliant like my cat, especially the one in the bed, just waiting for my cat to get a bat.
and then proceeds to Nudge and walk across our laptop key boards until someone feeds him....... this would be ok with a 'normal' weight cat but ours weigh in at 23lb Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff