"chirper" not a meower...

[keef]

Don't worry, I'm not going to ask what breed she is, I know she's a mix - she's even a DSH with long white hairs in patches...

My question is this: Are there some breeds that are more likely to "chirp" or "squeak" rather than actually meow? The only time I have EVER heard her full-out meow is when she is incredibly upset and that's a mournful mrrrrooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu. She isn't very vocal but when I'm asking her to please get off the counter, she offers her chirpy rebuttals to everything I say...I kid you not.

I read about a "chartreux" but she doesn't appear to have any of the characteristics. My vet suspects she may have some Maine Coon in her - I wish I could post a photo of her, she's very interesting looking and smart as all get out!

She is also enormous for a 6 month old female. She's already as large as my 20 year old and my 1 1/2 year old DSHs...both female.

Thanks. I'm sure you get a million questions similar to this.

 

[bab-ush-niik]

I believe Maine Coons are chirpers. I don't know too much about the breed, but I had considered rescuing one and looked into it a little.

 

[keef]

Hi,
I have a mixed breed 6 month old female cat who generally isn't very vocal except while I'm asking her not to do something and then she gives me her rebuttal in "chirps" and "squeaks" instead of meows. A conversation of sorts and she will give in...at least until I go to sleep and then she does it anyway. Most recently it was over her wanting to get on top of the fridge.

The only time I have heard anything resembling meows out of her are when she is very upset but it is that very low, long, mournful mmmmmmrrrrrrroooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu that cats will do - more of a low howl than a meow.

She is not sick, she's just fine. She's a sweet and playful cat, well socialized and gentle (except when she and Sofia are orbiting the apt at 2am but I figure they could use the exercise) - not a total lap cat but moving in that direction, she wants to be near me or just touching me, not necessarily ON me. Then again, she is still young. She hasn't entered her first heat yet.

She has been to the vet and is just fine. The vet suggested she might have some Maine Coon in her but I don't know that that breed would "chirp" rather than meow.

I tried posting something in the breeders area but after I posted I read all the posts that basically led me to believe that no one would even bother reading my post let alone answer it.

My question is this: What breeds are more likely to "chirp" rather than meow?

I've already researched the chartreux but she doesn't show any signs of having anything in common with that species at all - even as a partial genetic background.

She's very large - still growing and already as large as my 1 1/2 year old female & my 20 year old female - both DSH. Huge paws & whiskers, very long tail, bi-colored eyes (siamese blue around the irises and the base color changes from grey-green to nearly copper - very odd).

I've never read about Maine Coon cats chirping.

I'm trying to figure out how to explain her size and some other conformation and personality traits. I know all cats are different but she's very different.

She's not even a full DSH - she's got a couple of patches of long white hairs, including half a dozen long white hairs coming out of the back of her right front leg around the "ankle" area (can't think of the proper term at the moment, sorry). Mostly black fur with reverse tiger striping (chocolate brown on the black) on her hindquarters and rear legs & tail - only visible in bright light or with a flash.

When I adopted her, she was 1/2 lb of fur and claws and I took her straight to the vet. She had to be quarantined for 2 weeks while being treated for general kitten stuff... First and last time I adopt from somewhere other than my vet. Please no lectures, I viewed it as "saving her", and I've had cats my whole life so I knew to take her straight to the vet for all the tests and was prepared for whatever potential consequences might have come up while she was going through the testing (she wasn't exposed at that time to my cats). At 6 months, she is 7 lbs, still growing and will need to be spayed soon. I remember reading that she should ideally be spayed prior to her first heat. Is this correct?

Thanks...Let's hope we might be able to come up with something about the breeds that chirp...

 

[keef]

Can any Maine Coon breeders out there either verify or deny the "chirper" trait? Just checking...I did read the big posts saying not to ask what kind I have or ask breeding help.

Just haven't specifically read about Maine Coons being chirpers...and the websearches I've done have only turned up the chartreux as a chirper.

Sorry to bug you - and thanks to bab-ush-niik for your insights, I'll see what else I can find out about Maine Coons.

Thanks

 

[missy&spikesmom]

Well, I cannot tell you which breed chirps, except that my darling little Spike, a cat I had,until last summer, chirped his days away happily!!! He was a BIG cat also, and looked like he may have had some Maine Coon in him too. He was almost 20 pounds, by the time he was a year old! And was not fat, just BIG!! He LOVED to sit on top of my cupboards in the kitchen, and got up to them by jumping onto the refrigerator top (STRAIGHT from the kitchen floor, to that refrigerator top!!!!) and on up, to the top of the cupboards!

He just loved being King of the Kitchen (versus King of the Forest!! haha

)
But, consistently, he would chirp and chirp and chirp. I had NEVER heard a cat do that, as all my other cats had always meowed. Oh, and Spikey was a stray 4 week old kitten, too,when I found him at the abandoned grainmill in our town. His Mommy lived there, and she had abandoned him on a cold, rainy autumn night. Turns out, he was quite sickly, and I am sure his Mommy cat knew that...but *I* Didn't! He was at the Vets SO much, in the year and 1/2 we had him, but that didn't ever stop me from loving my little Spikey. He was a wonderful and fun cat and I miss him terribly. I now, have his "niece" KatyKitty, who I ALSO found, at that same grainmill! She has some of his behavior traits, but she MEOWS and does not chirp!

I hope you find your answer, but even if you never do, your kitty sounds like a fun and wonderful pet!

 

[tourmaline]

My girl cat chirps and trills all the time. She only will meow when I'm getting her food ready. She is a regular DSH around 10 pounds. My boy cat is 6 months younger than Nepheline and he meows most of the time but has learned to trill a little bit. I think he was copying Nepheline! His trills are really deep while Nepheline's are more high-pitched and sing song like.

 

[gailc]

My Ox never meows either (he is 17) he talks to me though.
And the youngster Bakker doesn't meow ir anything. He is pretty silent unless he is playing with his catnip toy. They are both mixed breed cats of who knows what!!

 

[arlyn]

Cassi in my sig is a chirper, triller and singer.
Spaz just says "Meee" never the ow part and in a tiny voice.

 

[pui hang]

I don't think there is a breed of cats that is more likely to chirp than meow. It's probably a random genetic thing. I have 2 BSH kittens - one meows and the other squeaks and chirps!

 

[charlie'smommie]

I think it's just a random thing, kind of like how some people have high pitched voices and some have low pitched ones. Our Casey (a DSH) is a chirper, the only time he ever meows is when he wants to be fed. Charlie (also a DSH) meows constantly (actually it's more of a whine) and almost never chirps or trills. Who knows why they make the sounds they do, it's just important that we try to learn what they mean.

 

[gayef]

I took the liberty of merging these threads since they were essentially the same in topic matter.

~gf~

 

[familytimerags]

We have a few that "meow", and a few who "chirp" and a couple who "chatter"!! I love hearing each of our kittys individual voice. I have a talent of knowing who is wanting through a closed door, by the voice on the other side of the door.

 

[stampit3d]

Our Toby is also a "hummer".
Linda

 

[jlutgendorf]

"The breed is also known for its special voices: Maine Coon Cats rarely meow, but use a loud chirping trill for everything from courting to invitation for play."

http://www.maine-coon-cats.org/

I've also heard that Maine coon cats are knowns for chirp or trill sound they make.
We have a boy who I think is Maine Coon as well (but yes, I know without a pedigree he's just a grey and cream dlh) and he makes all kind of wierd sounds! We call them "moops" though they have all sort of sounds, but rarely do they sound like a meow.

~Julia

 

[southernlocs]

I have a bengal that makes this lil chirping noise, when hes really excited or mad bc i told him to leave something alone or get down lol. But he also has a very loud meow

 

[keef]

Very interesting. I had no idea there were so many people out there whose cats also chirp and trill but don't meow. This is my first. Her mother meowed (and hissed, I can attest to that) and her littermates all meowed "properly" and she was the tiniest in the litter.

I did a lot of research about Maine Coons and I know you can't really know without a pedigree (obviously she didn't come with one) but the area was a wealthy area and I saw siamese walking around outside so these are people who just let their precious expensive animals roam free.

Based on the info I have read, I'm seriously considering seeing if my vet can do a genetic swab test to see if on a dna level she has Maine Coon in her.

Hey, if they can do it for humans, why not cats?

She is still young and still growing but both in physical and personality traits she is sooo close to a Maine Coon it isn't even funny. She even has the profiles and conformation I've seen of 6 mo olds on breeders websites of their 6 mo olds...all she's missing is the full brush tail really but from the young cat photos I've seen, they appear to grow into it so I guess we'll see.

In the meantime, I'll check with my vet about the dna testing if for no other reason than to know what potential genetic issues to watch for, such as hip displacia, rhino-something, cali-something (I can't remember them all - memory isn't all that it used to be).

And yes, Keef really IS a very special cat. She's a delight. Tries my patience and seems to love her rebuttals of my reprimands (I don't ever yell, just raise my voice loud enough to be heard) and will give in until I go to sleep and then she and Sofia rule. Last night she flipped my laptop. I'm still trying to figure out how she did that. I just heard a really loud THUD that woke me up and there it was on the floor...vertical and leaning back against the coffeetable.

She watches everything I do, follows me from room to room, always near me but not necessarily ON me, and yes, she is still trying to nurse off of the 20 year old female who was spayed at least 15 or 16 years ago. When she last had to go to the vet with a beginning upper respitory infection, I told the vet I thought the first sneeze was because of the powdered milk from trying to nurse off of Sabina. The vet nearly lost it laughing so hard! It WAS a joke. Keef loves to be as high up as she can be. Oh, and I should mention that she's in no danger of the gas stove - I have burner covers - I would never put a cat at risk. Never have, never will.

Oh, and I didn't toilet train her, Sofia did. Sofia is my 1.5 yr old cat.

Keef does have one game I'm trying to get her to stop playing. She must have watched me one time too often or something, but she will pull the toilet paper from the roll and put it straight into the toilet. She is very methodical about it too. I've watched her without her knowing. She sits on her butt on the toilet seat and uses both paws to pull the end of the toilet paper and keeps readjusting her grip until she gets a bunch in the toilet, then she pushes it down just a bit so she can put more in. There have been mornings when half a roll is in the bowl and she is sitting there just as proud as can be. Like it is "cat art" or something!

Those eyes of hers miss nothing. I'd never give her up.

She does her best to keep Sofia in shape too (3 cats on Iams kitten food). She and Sofia take turns chasing each other around the apt when they're "orbiting" - that happens 2-3 times a night. Never vicious, not fighting. I know the difference.

Thanks to all of you, I truly appreciate it.

I still need to figure out how to put pics of my girls into my signature here.

Oh, Keef hates to have her claws trimmed, has since she was a kitten - I've never hit the quick or come near it for that matter. I can't use softclaws or softpaws or whatever it is - I'm allergic to rubber, latex, neoprene, etc - can't touch it at all...and no, she is not declawed. I do trim her claws, just a paw every couple days but if she sees me coming towards her, she takes off because she figures I'm going to trim or give her medicine or something. She is funny that way. I couldn't tell you what happened in that house before I took her, but I took one look around and can only guess - BTW, they had a very very large male cat who had all the looks of a Maine Coon, complete with brush tail and he was by looking at him at least 25 lbs+ - I don't know if he was fixed.

I've been mimicing her trills and chirps and she trots right up to me and touches noses with me. I must have said the right thing, eh?

 

[keef]

Forgot to mention that my 20 year old DSH is now deaf and snores...
She's also got the absolute loudest meow I have ever heard! I guess that's because she can't hear herself or anything else at this point. I have to get her attention by vibration or touching her. Of course, these days, since she's in renal failure, she sleeps 23 hrs a day or so.

I've had her half my life. I'm trying not to think about the inevitable.

 

[princeegrl]

I got this off a website

Temperament

Breeders say the Maine Coon is an extremely affectionate cat without being over demanding. They will constantly want to play and have a gentle nature – often called by breeders the ‘gentle giant.â€[emoji]8482[/emoji] They donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t ‘meowâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] like other cats but rather ‘chirpâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] with a trill. Breeders say the animal is great with kids as it wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t feel threatened due to its large size. It is a gentle breed that can handle a little rough play. They get on well with children, dogs and other pets. Maine Coons are accomplished hunters and if allowed to roam outside are likely to catch and kill natives. Breeders recommend keeping the felines inside or erecting a cat enclosure.

the website is http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/200...aine_coon_cats

Cassidy

 

[black&tan]

We have a pet Siamese alter who has what I call a broken meow, lol. She is very quiet during the day. When she does talk she sort of squeeks and cracks a meow out. At night she is really loud as she collects up all the toys. She howls with them in her mouth. Its a deeper moaning noise then the regular meow. Her sister also an altered pet has a "normal voice and likes to talk.

 

[courtney_ou]

siberians also chirp and squeak. i have a maine coon/siberian mix and she sounds like xena warrior princess while chasing bugs. she also likes to imitate ambulances she hears on the news (the foreign ones)