(Originally posted April 15, 2005.)
  Carl Sandburg’s poem says “The fog comes on little cat feet,” and indeed, felines have a reputation for being quiet creatures.  They can be silent when they want to be, like when they’re stalking prey or when standing behind a human in perfect position to be stumbled over.  Yet we who are owned by cats know the whole truth about them, that sometimes they can be considered quiet only when compared to Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

    These are just a few Good Cat sounds:  Kelly hops onto our bed after dark, gets comfortable and begins to wash himself, accompanied by loud slurping noises.

    Nicky goes to the vet very reluctantly, and we are grateful that the vet’s office is only 5 miles away, because after we put him in the cat carrier, nearly every second of the ride is filled with El Gatito Perfecto’s strident, mournful yowls.

   Most puzzling to us is Nicky’s mad dash upstairs when leaving the basement after using the cat box.  It sounds as though he’s wearing heavy boots, and we’d rather not imagine what he sees down there that causes him to run for his life.

   It’s fun to watch the cats play, although we don’t always understand how their games work.  One minute, Lizzie might come romping through the house, chased by Caitie.  The next minute, here comes Caitie running back the way she came, with Lizzie chasing her.  If Kelly or Nicky join in, there’s a lot of play -– and usually a lot of noise; to us, these little cat feet sound more like thunder than fog.

In La Crosse, Wisconsin, some people go to one tanning salon not for a tan, but to visit with the cats who live there.

At Paws Online you’ll find a variety of actual cat sounds along with explanations of what they mean.  In fact, you’ll find a lot more than that about cats, so go and enjoy.

Since most of us have already sprung forward to Daylight Saving Time, let’s check out The Human Clock, whose owner wants everyone to have a fun time.