Say What?

At the heart of this blog is communication. We will focus on several kinds: male and female, cat and human, cat and cat, Ecuadorian and American, and nonverbal. There are three languages spoken in our home: English, Spanish, and feline. As one might imagine, there are plenty of misunderstandings that occur due to these linguistic differences. I am fluent in English, but my Spanish no esta muy bueno. I have also been studying feline for many years. Latino is fluent in Spanish, speaks very good English, and is new to feline communication. He also occasionally pretends he is Italian. The cats understand but do not speak English, and they mostly just ignore the Spanish. They speak only feline and that is not Latino's or my first language; fortunately they are proficient in nonverbal communication.

A cat forcing its body under a foot, arm, or hand (even one belonging to a sleeping human) means, "Pet me." A twitching tail means, "I am on the edge....so help me I will attack you!" Huge pupils with ears slightly pursed back means, "The devil has just possessed me." A cat lying on its back with paws curled up is a dangerous proposition. It means, "Look at me; I am so cute! Touch me, however, and I will sink my teeth into your skin." Latino is still trying to learn the nonverbals. Cats are funny creatures.

Latino was once upset with Lucy for some reason and he told her she better find a way to apologize. Shortly thereafter, she went up to him, stood on her back paws and gently scratched his legs like she was sharpening her claws on a tree. Apparently this qualified as an apology in Latino's eyes, so in this house that behavior is considered an apology.