Communicating

 

   In the movie "Singing in the Rain", there is a great deal of excitement at Monumental Pictures. Warner Brothers Studio has just released a talking movie. (Until then movies were silent with just music in the background.) The public loves it and movie theatres are installing sound equipment. R.F. Simpson, the head of the Monumental announces that they will make a talking picture featuring their most famous stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont. "Lockwood and Lamont, they talk!" declares Simpson.

   "Of course we talk, don't ivrybody?" replies Lina Lamont. 

   The heads of all the men in the room swivel to Lina. They realize that her screechy voice and strong accent do not match the beautiful sophisticated image that people see. This begins the movie.

   One of the things I have discovered in my 13 plus years of living with Scamp is that he can talk. Not in English words as I have often portrayed him and not always in sounds.

   Several times I have scoffed at the idea of animals communicating with humans. I know that animals can communicate with those of their species, but the whole idea of animals talking/communicating with humans was not something I thought possible.

   I'm not sure when I started to understand Scamp's form of communication. It seems to have evolved over time.

   Some of it is based on experience. I have learned that Scamp howls in a certain way right before he throws up. If I happen to hear him I go to him right away and move him to a flat surface so it is easier to clean up whatever mess happens. 

   Scamp also howls and cries when he wants to get into a room with a closed door or when he wants attention. Lately he has done this just as we are about to sit down to dinner. It's a struggle for me as I want to go see what he wants and settle him down so he will be quiet. During the first few months after Colby died, Scamp would cry and wail at night. It was heartbreaking to hear. We're pretty sure Scamp knew that his best friend was gone and was mourning in his own way. 

   Scamp has a wonderful deep purr when he is happy. Sometimes he also chirps a bit when he purrs. It's a very soothing sound. Every morning Scamp lays on my lap and I brush and comb him. My cue to stop grooming him is when he stops purring.

   At mealtime, Scamp will sometimes take a couple bites of his food, back a step or two away from his food dish and stay there. That means that he doesn't like what has been served. It's my signal to put some tuna flakes or dehydrated chicken on his food so he will eat it. If he walks away from his dish entirely after eating it means he's done eating and will come back and finish it later. Sometimes he scrunches his nose and backs away. That means he doesn't like the small of whatever is in front of him. Backing away from anything means he doesn't like it.

   If he comes into the kitchen after he's been fed, he wants a treat or a bite of whatever it is that we are eating. Standing next to the fridge and refusing to move also indicates that he wants a treat. When he was younger, he and Colby used to get into the cupboard where the treats were kept and help themselves. Sometimes he stands by the kitchen door going into the garage. That's his way of letting us know he wants to go into the garage. When he wants to come in again he stands by the door and meows. In the summer, when he wants to go outside, he stands by the door going to the deck. (He wears a harness and lead when he goes outside.)

   One thing he does that I have never seen another cat do is grab my wrist with his front paws. He does this is I'm scratching his chest and he wants me to continue. If he doesn't want to be petted he pushes my hand away.

   It's not all one sided. Most of the time if I wiggle my fingers at him and tell him to come, he follows me. This is how I get him out of the room at we are in. Although sometimes I do have to pick him up and carry him out. 

  There is a couple lessons I have learned from this. The first is to keep an open mind. Just because I don't think something is possible doesn't mean that it isn't possible. The other is that if I'm having trouble getting something across to someone, it could be that I'm not communicating with them in a way that they understand. Just like Scamp.