Has my Cat learned English or should I be worried?

(c) 2015 Douglas W Davis
@DWDavis (25812)
Pikeville, North Carolina
July 20, 2017 12:32pm CST
Once upon a time my son had a cat. Then my son went off to college and I inherited his cat. Tiger and I never talked much when my son was home. When my son first left, Tiger would come find me and I'd talk to him but he pretty much ignored me. After a while, he began answering me with meows. Before long I started to think I could understand his meows. Now my wife even thinks I understand Tiger's meows. If I start to hear Tiger answer me in English, is that a problem? This morning I could have sworn I heard him say, "Treats, please."
27 people like this
27 responses
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
20 Jul 17
That's probably exactly what he said . Now you're both bilingual!
7 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
I wonder if there's work for a guy who speaks cat.
4 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
@MALUSE Some people say cats only go to people who don't like cats, but I disagree. I think cats sense who will be kind to them and will gravitate toward those people.
3 people like this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
20 Jul 17
@DWDavis I'm not a guy but I also know cat speak, even the international variety. Wherever I call a cat, it comes running to me.
3 people like this
• United States
20 Jul 17
No doubt that is what you heard DW.
5 people like this
• United States
20 Jul 17
@DWDavis I believe it too DW. He is a cutie and I have no trouble believing he understands and can answer you.
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
I do believe he's learned to mimic some sounds. When I tell him good-night, he meows back in two syllables. When I say I love you, he meows back in three syllables.
4 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
20 Jul 17
@DWDavis the cat I have now I will tell hi to say ma ma he will do the mew mew.
2 people like this
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Jul 17
I have no doubt Tiger said that! My dog says Momma when she wants to get out of her crate. My kids think it's so funny because I will sometimes say (to the kids) if I hear momma one more time today! Then the dog will start whining and say Momma-they bust out laughing!
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
I can picture the scene, and am laughing along with your kids.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
20 Jul 17
I once noticed that a German woman talked to her dog in French although they were in Germany. I asked her why she did that and she said that she had lived for some years in France. What a strange explanation. She could have talked German to her dog there knowing that they'd return to Germany. I'm sure the dog wouldn't have minded.
4 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
That is odd. Perhaps she'd had someone else train the dog and the trainer spoke French.
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
@MALUSE Most peculiar, then.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
20 Jul 17
@DWDavis No, she did it herself.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 Jul 17
Our cat, Fin, and I are getting pretty good at mimicking each other.
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
If Tiger meows politely and I don't respond, his next meow is more forceful. He doesn't like being ignored.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
20 Jul 17
Is Fin a goth kitty?
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 Jul 17
@JohnRoberts - Yes, but hehe's silverish grey, so he's kind of undercover.
1 person likes this
@spaceseed (2843)
• India
20 Jul 17
"tiger the wonder cat" enjoy her company
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
He can carry on a conversation, unlike my dog, Ace. All he wants me to do is toss his squeaky toys and give him treats.
2 people like this
@spaceseed (2843)
• India
20 Jul 17
@DWDavis there has to be some difference between dog and cat
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
@spaceseed I've often heard said the dogs have masters, cats have staff.
@youless (112113)
• Guangzhou, China
21 Jul 17
I think he said "More treats, please."
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
He will jump up on my bed, look at his treat jar on the dresser, and make a sound like "My treats"
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111180)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Jul 17
Oh no, that wouldn't be your cat talking, when mine wants something there is no please, it's "gimme treats NOW"
2 people like this
@rebelann (111180)
• El Paso, Texas
21 Jul 17
Gentlemen don't always say please @DWDavis
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
Tiger grew up with my son and they both learned to be gentlemen.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
26 Jul 17
@rebelann If he does not, then perhaps he's not quite the gentleman he purports to be.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
21 Jul 17
When we adopted Rose my cat, she ignores me. After few days, I noticed that she is bilingual. I talk to her in Filipino and English; she meows when feeling thirsty or hungry.
2 people like this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
22 Jul 17
@DWDavis Hahaha I agree. Rose is multilingual.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
Rose knows three languages, Filipino, English, and Cat.
1 person likes this
@Jackalyn (7559)
• Oxford, England
21 Jul 17
I meow at Freya the Catblog Cat and she answers, so one of us must know what we are on about. Yes, the cat is a clever creature who has the human lingo all worked out if it happens to mean they get what they want. Funny how so many cats get inherited the way yours and mine were. Freya was my son's cat till he went to college.....
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
We have both my son's cat and his dog. Tiger's been with us since the end of kindergarten, a little over 15 years ago. Ginger the Brittany has been with us 9 years. My wife inherited her, though.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325793)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jul 17
I think that cat is much shrewder than you give him credit for!!
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
I have learned not to underestimate Tiger.
2 people like this
@Plethos (13560)
• United States
21 Jul 17
I had a cat who used to reply to me when ever i spoke to her. She was bilingual, english and spanish.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
Tiger will respond to me if I use English or if I meow at him. If he were younger, I might try teaching him French.
1 person likes this
@Plethos (13560)
• United States
22 Jul 17
@DWDavis - i also used to have a deaf cat , he was great at charades
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129470)
• Israel
21 Jul 17
That is no problem at all. I think that is cool. I would talk to my cats in English or Hebrew and sometimes meow at them. If they had something to say they would talk to me in cat language. I believe when I talked to them when they would listen that they understood me. Maybe Tiger heard so much in English that he learned to say a few words..You have a smart cat.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
I know he understands several words. My dog Ace is the same way. He understands short sentences and the difference between Mommy's Chair, Daddy's Chair, and The Couch.
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
26 Jul 17
@Hannihar We try to be consistent when referring to places in the house do the dogs learn where a certain sound means. Ace also learned when we play with his squeaky squirrels. I'll toss one on the couch and say, "It's on the couch, Ace," etc.
@Hannihar (129470)
• Israel
23 Jul 17
@DWDavis That is so cool. Did you repeat those to them all the time that they understood them or how do they understand them? I believe when I talk to my cat she understands me. Yesterday I told her to go sit on the chair on our porch and she climbed up on it.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34369)
20 Jul 17
Cats do seem to understand certain sounds. I know when I repeated the same phrase over and over my cat knew from the tone of my voice what I was talking about. Smart creatures they are!
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
They are pretty smart and have very distinctive personalities, too.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34369)
21 Jul 17
@DWDavis Totally agree
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169966)
• United States
20 Jul 17
I bet he was sooo trying to say it! Some cats are vocal and some are not. Mine is usually a quiet fellow, but last night I said "Are you ready for bed?" I got a corresponding meow..Like, I know exactly what you said,,,and I am!
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
20 Jul 17
My Joe Cat was never very vocal. Tiger was with my son, but now he has transferred it to me. Lately, he's also started talking to my wife.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
20 Jul 17
My cats talk to me. I'm not entirely sure it's English, but ...
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
We kept a Siamese cat for a friend when I was a kid and that cat would talk your ear off. Sandy was why my mother swore she'd never get a Siamese.
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
20 Jul 17
Maybe, just like JJ's Scar :D
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
21 Jul 17
Tiger is not as assertive as Scar but may be nearly as smart.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
20 Jul 17
Not a problem I had one cat that I said, "hello" to every time he came and meowing at the door till he would meow in "hello" that tripped my sister out
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (53679)
20 Jul 17
Probably imagined.
2 people like this
@David96 (165)
• Guwahati, India
21 Jul 17
Wow....they can understand us
2 people like this