First Time Cat Owner Amazed by Cat intelligence and Capacity to Care - Let me hear your experiences

[catquestions232]

Hey All!

I just got a Siberian kitten back in September (she is about 9 months old now). Each day I have her, I notice new things in her behavior that I didnt realize cats even have the capacity to do. I figured I'd share a few here with you and get your thoughts and whether you have had similar experiences.

1.) When I first got this kitten, she was a bit reclusive and wouldn't want to be pet or be near you. Over time, this began to change (about a month) and she started jumping up on my lap and curling up while I was at my desk. A few weeks later, when she was about 4 months old, I took a vacation overseas and left her at my parent house so she would be taken care of. She was brave and exploratory, walking around their house and looking at everything (she even liked my parents dog, thought the dog was scared of her haha). When it was time for me to leave, I put my jacket on and she immediately meowed and ran from me to the door and blocked it, as if she knew the jacket meant leaving. I proceeded to pet her a bit and pick her up and move her so she wouldn't run out while I put my stuff in my car. When I came back in to get the last of it, my parents said she was screaming at the door and wouldn't stop till I came back in. As soon as I did, she was all over me cuddling and purring. As all my stuff was in the car now, I proceeded to leave for good, and shut the door behind me. Sure enough, she started making the loudest meows and whines I've ever heard. I didn't go back in because I didn't want to tease her (also my parents said she stopped after 10 minutes). Full disclosure, they said she was very happy in my old room while I was away and they played with her a lot. I'm just amazed that first, she knew a jacket meant I was going, and second, she cared so much as to get stressed out that I was leaving! Even now when I got to my parents and am leaving, she does annoyed little whines if I dont take her with me fast enough.

2.) She is about 9 months old now, and every once in a while I go to my parents house to stay the night and we leave her in the bedroom upstairs with all her toys and food (my parents arent big on her roaming around, which I can respect as she gets on everything haha). I play with her often throughout the day, but needless to say, she is not used to being alone when I am home. She stays home while I work and seems content to do so, but as soon as she knows I am home, she follows everywhere. Fast forward a bit to the nighttime, I go upstairs to check on her and play/pet her a bit and then go sleep in the other room. As I reach for the doorknob she chirps and whines and sticks her snout in the way of the handle. I pet her a bit then moved her back and tried again and she rushed forward whining to block it again. She then proceeded to reach up to my shoulder and whine to be picked up where she then latched her claws into the back of my flannel shirt and would not let go. Just to clarify, it did not seem to be out of fear, but just wanting to be with me and wherever I was going. I walked out in the hall with her to get my girlfriend to help and she came into the room with me. When she tried to detatch the kitten from my shirt and shoulder, the cat chirped and whined and held harder. At this point I decided to sleep with her because she seemed stressed and she cuddled up right between my gf and I, content as could be. I am just amazed at how much cats seek attention and how it seems they can care about you (unless I am reading her behavior wrong haha). It seems they try to act like they are independent and don't need you, until you leave them alone too long and their true colors come out.

3.) For a while, my gf and I would not allow her to sleep in the bedroom. At first it was because I was a bit allergic (which has since went away) and then because we like having the bedroom to ourselves. However, the little kitten turd is super smart (or at least it seems so). As soon as she sees us get up from the couch, she would sprint into the bedroom and hide under the bed. She would not come out until we were in bed and the lights were out at which point she would hop up and cuddle up between us. It is as if she knows if she waits, we will be too tired and lazy to get up and move her out. In the beginning though, we had ways to get her out from under the bed before sleep. At first, we used toys which she would run after. This worked for a couple day until she realized going after a toy means she gets shut out of the bedroom. Needless to say, the toy method only worked a few days. Then we tried treats, which also only worked a few days (now if she is under the bed at night and you drop a treat, she wont even look at it). We also tried a lazer pointer, which also only worked a few days. Now we have given up and she just sleeps with us. At this point she doesnt even hide at night because she knows she won haha. She will sit at the edge of the bed watching tv with us. As soon as I turn off the tv and pull the covers up, she rushes up the bed, smushes her back against my chest and lays her head next to mine on the pillow, purring contently. My take away on this is how fast they can adapt, and how they can stop themselves from going after something they love if they know it has a result they like less.

Let me hear your thoughts and if you have any similar stories!

 

[sargon]

Siberians are a breed known for intelligence and for their strong bond with their owners, so I'm not surprised that your Siberian wanted you to stay, or that she knew a jacket meant leaving.  Many cats pick up on "leaving cues", like shoes, jackets, etc. 

In fact, my cat was very agitated when we got up this morning, because both my housemate and I got up early and at the same time, like we do when we have to go out (we work from home usually, so us leaving is fairly rare.).  We actually had a workman coming to put in a pocket door on the kitchen, but she read the cues and reacted.

Throwing toys usually works with my cat. she knows what we're doing, but her prey drive is strong enough that she can't help but chase.     OTOH, any time she hears me go anywhere near the basement and garage door (same spot in my kitchen), she will race there, and any time I come home, she'll be waiting at the door, and will usually chirp "hello" at me when she sees me.

Here is a video of her chirping hello to me as I come back home.  It is probably the coolest/smartest/sweetest thing she does ATM ( We're working on teaching her to say "Love You" as well, but that is still a work in progress."

 

[catquestions232]

Mine can cancel her prey drive haha. No matter what I throw, she wont go for it if its bedtime haha.

And thats awesome!  Does she make the same noise each time (that hello noise?), because it does actually sound a bit like hello!  Also, HOW?! How do you train a cat to mimic your voice haha.

 

[basscat]

Knows what doorknobs do, and will stand and try to turn them, OR, will lay on a table next to a door and try to turn them.
Knows what "lets go" means and runs to the carrier. Will try to get IN it if the carrier door is closed. Dives in if it's already open.
Knows what "no" means.
Knows what "sit" means.
Paces and Cries when we leave, or if he thinks we have left. (only lasts a few minutes though).
Wags his tail about 100mph when you say his name.
If he's really happy to see you, his whole behind will wag.

Comes when called "most of the time".
Will go from fingers to toys to fingers to toys, back to back to back. Softly nibbling fingers and full bite force on toys.
Swats toys with claws. Swats peoples with no claws.
Climbs everything with claws. Except people. Climbs people without claws.
Barks and runs when the doorbell rings.

 

[sargon]

Her pronounciation varies a little, and has been steadily improving overall (the video isn't near her best effort (since she only says it in greeting it's tricky to record ), but is probably about average or clarity), but, yes, she actually says, "Hello."   Also, since she only uses it one time, when first greeting us ( usually she does it unprompted, but sometimes she'll say it when asked if she hasn't greeted us yet, like in the video)  she's genuinely saying the word hello, and using it in context, rather than just making sounds on request.

As to how

It helps that she's Siamese ( being very social, super intelligent, and very very vocal and vocally flexible breed with a strong need to communicate with humans), of course  We encouraged her more than taught her.  We say some things to her a LOT, and she just kind of realized that the humans in the house always say "hello" in greeting, so we believe that she modified her greeting trill/chirp to sound like the word hello (We praised the HECK out of her for it at first, and still do, obviously).  She's also said some other things that we say to her a lot "I know"  "Love you", "what" and, of course, "No" ( which more cats I have had over the years have learned to say than haven't)  though she doesn't use them all as firmly in context the way she does hello.

Siberians are another intelligent and highly social breed, so you may have some luck if you work with your cat, but a word of warning... Originally, Freya was a fairly quiet cat (especially for a Siamese), but, praising her for meowing 'hello" and some other sounds has made her a *LOT* more vocal in general ( not just with regards to saying "hello."

It's totally worth it to have a few actual conversations with your cat ( which go like you'd expect "Do you want a hug? "No!"  ), IMO.