Yesterday I said, “What a different and interesting world it would be if a cat could say more than MEOW.” Wouldn’t it be fun and fascinating to hear a cat’s stories from the cat herself—where was she born, who were her parents, where did she live, how did she end up on the street (in a dumpster, under a car, in your neighborhood, in the stables, in a field, at a shelter)? All we can do is guess at where she came from and how she got there.
When you take in a cat, however, and spend every
morning, noon, and night with her, you begin to understand what her MEOW means, what her looks and stance and sound and body language mean. My daughters when they were young were astounded that I knew what our cats wanted. “Oh, you want out?” I’d say to the cat and she’d walk to the door and I’d let her out (years ago, mind you—before I became a believer in the total house cat). The cat would rub against my leg while I’m in the kitchen and I’d say, “Oh, are you hungry?” I’d feed her and she would eat.
“How do you know what the cat says?” my daughters would ask me. Most of you reading this know the answer. Or do we? I always thought it was a matter of observation. If the cat is at the door meowing, she wants out, right? If she comes into the kitchen with you and engages you, she’s probably hungry. If she’s racing around the house or brings you a toy, she wants to play. If she climbs up into your lap, she wants to snuggle. It’s simple, right?
Over the years I’ve changed my mind a bit on that subject. I think there’s more to it than that. Have you ever had a cat comfort you when you’re distraught? 
Does your cat sometimes respond to your command or even a thought of a command? Mind-talk. I’m a firm believer in mind talk with cats—at least some cats.
How many times have you thought about going into the kitchen to feed your cat, when she crawls out from under the sofa, stretches, and either meows at you or walks into the kitchen expecting you to follow? For those of you who take your cat outside, do you sometimes just think, “I think I’ll go outside and do a little pruning,” and here comes the cat trotting into the room looking eagerly at you? Is she reading your mind? Probably.
I had a reluctant cat once crawl out from under a corner table where she was hiding and into a carrier after I used mind-talk with her. Yeah, it’s a thing. Try it. I’d love to hear your mind-talk stories.
