How Cats Think and Communicate

It's easier than you think to teach your cat to talk. Feline friends are known for being distant from their human counterparts, but did you know they are highly social creatures with their own verbal communication style?

Cats in a Gathering

Cats are group-oriented, which means they will absorb the family personality and interact with their own group of feline friends as well as the pet owner's household. Several cats congregating on someone's lawn or in an alley is not uncommon during my early morning walks.Because most of the people in my neighborhood are daytime workers, pets are usually let out to potty between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.These pets become social with one another and will gather and hang out together. I frequently see several cats sitting in a circle, watching the sun rise!


When I am quiet, I can hear them making gentle churring noises when they are hunting a bug or discovering something else of interest. When investigating objects of interest, the cats appear to exhibit social etiquette. The person who finds the prize will make soft noises like chuffing and churring.


The others soon arrive to see what is going on, but they tend to wait their turn, acting as observers. They will investigate as soon as the first cat backs away or pauses. Each cat usually takes its turn.Typically, the cats become more vocal in their communication throughout the process.




Choose a short sentence or phrase that you know the cat will remember. To begin with, "Time to eat" is a great one. Food is very important to your cat, and any mention of it will capture and hold his attention.


Use the phrase or sentence consistently, doing the same thing every time. Cats place a high value on outcomes. If you say, "Time to eat," but don't follow through with providing some food, the cat will lose interest quickly and will most likely ignore you the next time you say that sentence.


Feed the cat at the same time every day, and repeat the phrase each time.


For a week, repeat steps one through three, being careful to be consistent.


After seven days, assess your cat's vocabulary and knowledge. Delay feeding for an hour or two. During that time, pay attention to your cat. Most cats who are interested in verbal communication will start pestering you, and when that fails, they will use the words you taught them. Pay close attention to your cat's syllables and tone. Most cats will repeat the syllables quickly and attempt to mimic your tone of voice.


Reward the cat right away. The goal here is to ensure that you show the cat a link between the words they just said and doing something good that will result in a reward. With a scratch, say your verbal reward, such as "good job." Then repeat what the cat said, "it's time to eat," and go straight to the food to feed the cat. After a few repetitions, your cat will never again allow you to delay their feeding without informing you of the time.