Communication Styles...

Hey Everyone!! :-)

There's a lot going on right now in this country that ranges from infuriating to terrifying. There are constant attacks against women's autonomy, the fact that Julian Assange has been taken as a political prisoner and the associated existential threats to free speech and freedom of the press, the apparent determination in the current administration to provoke a war with Iran, and so much more that I just don't have the mental energy to get into right now. But, as important as all these things are to consider and combat, I need a break to regroup today. Sometimes it's necessary to step back, take a breath, and remind ourselves about what's good in life. Towards that end, here's a little bit of inside baseball about my furry brigade. ;-)


Differences in Communication Styles:

My oldest cat, aka The Squeak, is a noodge. He's absolutely relentless. If he wants something, like attention, and doesn't feel he's receiving it in the amount or with the urgency he feels is appropriate, he'll get up on top of things, or into things, and start knocking things over and pulling things apart. And when he's scolded for being a jerk, he'll turn big gold eyes on you and squeak out his dissatisfaction. At length.

My second oldest cat, aka The Original Sin, is a Diva with a capital D. When life doesn't meet her exacting standards, she trills and squawks out her dissatisfaction at the top of her lungs. But if we get into a direct disagreement, and her natural bluster isn't enough to settle the matter, she'll go sit facing a wall and explain her case to it, in detail, while refusing to acknowledge anyone else's presence in the room.

My second youngest cat, aka The Small, mainly communicates through interpretive dance. When he has something on his mind, he runs frantically back and forth through the house, stopping occasionally to perform complicated choreography that includes back flips, high jumps, and climbing on the furniture. It's not terribly effective at getting his point across, but it is definitely entertaining, and he seems to feel better once he's done.

My youngest cat, aka The Homicidal Muffin With Legs or The Muffin for short, prefers a direct method of gaining attention. He squeals. Repeatedly. At high volume. And if that isn't sufficient to get him his way, he pats me. For emphasis in truly urgent matters, he climbs up to squeal right into my face while simultaneously enthusiastically patting me. I must admit, his fish breath is an effective punctuation for his message.