Communication

Isn't it a truly incredible thing that one can communicate without words? A point can be made by expressions and body language, and it can happen between different species. For the most part I can figure out what my cats are feeling or what they want. Ramona, who is actually pretty vocal, has different meows for different things. A meow for when she wants to be petted, a meow for food, and a meow when she's displeased, along with her growling and hissing. But with those meows are expressions and body language that add emphases to what she wants. She'll nudge to be petted, and for food she'll guide me to her bowl and then to the bag of food repeatedly until I fill her bowl with food. When she's not happy she'll give me an annoyed look with her eyes narrowed and ears pointed to the side, and if I'm holding her against her will she flicks her tail as a warning before full on attacking me, where then, of course, her message is fully received. When she wants to attack another cat, her growl and hissing happen with a determined look and her body low to the ground preparing for attack, and if I'm next to her she'll give me a look almost saying, "let me at 'em." Then also when she wants a door to be opened, either to go in or out, she'll stare at it then back at me and also tap on it with her paws. The four outdoor cats also do this to get my attention, they'll stand against the door and tap on it whenever I'm in view.
Last week I mentioned the cat kiss, which is a thing a cat does to to show affection, well I read more on it in "Cat Kisses" where the author writes that one must learn their cat and pay attention to the rest of the cat and the environment to truly assess what the cat is feeling. That makes sense when thinking about it, it's pretty much like people, while there's a general reaction for feelings, people are different and express things differently as well as react differently to things. The author also mentioned that cat's eyes reflect a lot on how a cat is feeling, also mentioning the narrowed eye thing of being unhappy, as Ramona does. The main thing is to get familiar with the cat and be aware of what's going on at the moment.
I found a few more things on "What Your Cat's Body Language Is Saying." They talk about other indications of a cat's emotions such as the pupil of a cat. Though their pupils do act with lighting, it can also indicate other things such as fear, when the pupils are large, or anger, when pupils are narrowed. I see it like demonstrating that eyes can never fully hide what truly is felt. Another thing is that their tail also plays a role in a cat's mood. Held high it shows confidence and when it curls around another animal it shows friendliness. There tail is equivalent to almost the posture of a person, the way someone might carry themselves, it's not quite a difficulty to identify those with confidence versus those who almost want to be invisible, same with animals as humans if you pay attention. This website also brings up the fact that cats don't actually meow much to each other but only to receive something, whether it be attention or food. Ramona meowing would really be her just trying harder to get what she wants from me. Before anything their expressions and actions will be used to demonstrate what is going on with them, then the meowing will come for more affect, yet humans look for vocal signals more to understand one another.
I find it quite fascinating that different species can express themselves with one another without sharing a language, there's just an international, interspecies form of communication. Humans are always caught up in trying to figure out what to say to be understood or the words used when trying to understand, when really there's much more. Pay attention to body language, the expression given, the look in one's eyes, and use all of yourself to make a point. It can be surprising how much can be commuted without words.

Works Cited

"Cat Kisses." Cat Behavior Associates. Don Wright Designs. n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

"What Your Cat's Body Language Is Saying." WebMD. N.p. n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

A Cat's Love

Little do people realize how loving cats can actually be. Are they independent? Yes? Does that mean they're heartless? No. OK, so cats aren't like dogs who wag their tails with joy, or jump up when they see their owner. Cats are a little more subtle with their love. And yes, if one needs love to like bam right in your face, it's possible this love can be missed. The "cat kiss" is a one way a cat can show affection. A "cat kiss" is just simply a slow blink a cat does to another animal or human who they like. It's such a simply gesture that one who doesn't know of it could let go by without realizing. To also demonstrate cats capability of loving, let me just talk about my cats. Cats also nudge ones head with theirs to be affectionate. Ramona does this a lot. Almost every night before I go to sleep she joins me on my bed and nudges at me to where I'll pet her and she'll purr for a good amount of time, then she goes to the foot of my bed and falls asleep right next to my legs. Cats also like to be around one, whether right next to or not, they might just be in the same room. My outdoor cats always come when they see me. I'll open that door and one by one they show up. Retro will even wait for me. She will sit by the door all day, and when she sees me she'll tap on the door with her paws. They might not even really like me petting them, because it's not something they're used to, but I feel they enjoy my presence as I enjoy theirs. Cats have big hearts, one must also learn to feel love rather then just see it.

Retro

Picture I took of Retro

Retro is art. She's a white canvas with black and an orangey color splattered on her. Then to top it all off, a light green jewel that is her eye. Around the time that she was one, she was attacked and lost her right eye. By what she was attacked, no one will ever know, but it's something that haunts me every day. Now there's just one eye to look at, That one eye always sucks me in and once I get captured in it, it's pretty much impossible to escape. That eye holds so much emotion and it's almost like she passes it down to me, because I start hurting. There's pain, fear, and a strong desire. Then there's her meow. It sounds almost defeated. In her meow there's hopeful hopelessness that makes you want to try, that makes you want to fall to your knees and surrender. She wants to be heard and seen, but doesn't know how to react to attention. She wants to be loved, but doesn't know how to be.

        SUEÑO DE GATOS

Qué bonito duerme un gato,
duerme con patas y peso,
duerme con sus crueles uñas,
y con su sangre sanguinaria,
duerme con todos los anillos
que como círculos quemados
construyeron la geología
de una cola color de arena.

Quisiera dormir como un gato
con todos los pelos del tiempo,
con la lengua del pedernal,
con el sexo seco del fuego
y después de no hablar con nadie,
tenderme sobre todo el mundo,
sobre las tejas y la tierra
intensamente dirigido
a cazar las ratas del sueño.

He visto cómo ondulaba,
durmiendo, el gato: corría
la noche en él como agua oscura,
y a veces se iba a caer,
se iba tal vez a despeñar
en los desnudos ventisqueros,
tal vez creció tanto durmiendo
como un bisabuelo de tigre
y saltaría en las tinieblas
tejados, nubes y volcanes.
Duerme, duerme, gato nocturno
con tus ceremonias de obispo,
y tu bigote de piedra:
ordena todos nuestros sueños,
dirige la oscuridad
de nuestras dormidas proezas
con tu corazón sanguinario
y el largo cuello de tu cola.

Poem by Pablo Neruda

     Cat's Dream

How neatly a cat sleeps,
sleeps with its paws and its posture,
sleeps with its wicked claws,
and with its unfeeling blood,
sleeps with all the rings--
a series of burnt circles--
which have formed the odd geology
of its sand-colored tail.

I should like to sleep like a cat,
with all the fur of time,
with a tongue rough as flint,
with the dry sex of fire;
and after speaking to no one,
stretch myself over the world,
over roofs and landscapes,
with a passionate desire
to hunt the rats in my dreams.

I have seen how the cat asleep
would undulate, how the night
flowed through it like dark water;
and at times, it was going to fall
or possibly plunge into 
the bare deserted snowdrifts.
Sometimes it grew so much in sleep
like a tiger's great-grandfather,
and would leap in the darkness over
rooftops, clouds and volcanoes.

Sleep, sleep cat of the night,
with episcopal ceremony
and your stone-carved moustache.
Take care of all our dreams;
control the obscurity
of our slumbering prowess
with your relentless heart
and the great ruff of your tail.

Translation by Alastair Reid


You can never go wrong with a poem by Pablo Neruda, so here's a poem by him about, of course, cats. I put in the Spanish version because those who can read Spanish should experience it in that language since it is the way it was originally written, and there's nothing like reading something the way the writer made it. For those who can't read Spanish, I'm sorry. But that is why I put the English translation for it, and it is a good translation, so I'm sure it can still be enjoyed. Cats sleep for about seventy percent of their lives, so of course if one writes a poem about a cat it makes sense to write about it sleeping. I think this poem does a beautiful job in capturing the nature of cats. It shows even as it sleeps these animals are still these beasts with no fear of killing. Neruda says, "sleeps with its wicked claws and its unfeeling blood." Even at rest, it will not separate from its weapons and instinct. I'm a believer that cats dream, and kind of like Neruda describes, I think they dream of being powerful. "Sometimes it grew so much in sleep like a tiger's great-grandfather, and would leap in the darkness over rooftops, clouds, and volcanoes." I think in time of sleep, cats truly don't stop being ruthless, tough, predators, nor do they need to stop. I think one of the best things about a cat sleeping is that although they are these beasts in there minds while sleeping, they can still look so peaceful and innocent. There's such calmness in them that contrasts the intensity of hunting, and I strangely find beauty in that.