RAPS is short for Regional Animal Protection Society, a registered charity and operator of a sanctuary which houses and cares for nearly 500 homeless or abandoned cats in Richmond, BC, Canada. The Neko Files is a celebration of the sanctuary and all those who live and work there.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

The Sound of Mew-sic

Visitors to the Sanctuary are often surprised by how quiet the place is. Other than the occasional plane passing over, and some distant traffic noise, all is very peaceful. Unlike dogs, who are often very vocal, most cat communication lies in body language – both posture and touch.  There are, of course, sounds we would prefer not to hear – the hiccupping noise of an incipient hairball, the occasional spat as Treacle warns someone out of her space, the muttering of grey Leland telling us he’s in one of his bad moods. 
 
There are one or two particularly noisy cats, chief among which has to be Booster, who perches in the corner of a cage and yells until someone comes to pay attention to her.
 
Josie waits impatiently for Doug (or any other Josie-fan) to come and pat her bum – whereupon she trills her little Josie-song.

Other cats are noted for more subdued vocals.
Bubba, in Old Aids, talks to his favourite people until he is hugged, as he wishes.
 
Lucky is pretty quiet for a Bengal – but when he raises his voice, you hear it!
 
Cisco (on right, with Yoda & Fred) is vocal in his impatience in the tea-room as he waits for someone to pour coffee, and give him a little taste of cream.
 
Max, in the Val Jones, talks in a whiskey baritone.

On Sundays the vocals are dialed up as afternoon visitors arrive, and cats swarm the gate, saying “Feed me!  I’m starved!”  Wayne appears with his chicken offering, and the clamouring gets desperate. The same phenomenon occurs every evening as the feeds begin – there is always a chorus of already-well-fed but hungry cats.
Back courtyard Owl is particularly vocal when chicken is about,
though in this case it was a small moth he was after!


Pictures of cats with open mouths got me thinking about what they might be singing

O Solo Meow - Dodger
 
Purrrfidia - Esme

The (would-be) lion sleeps tonight - Achilles
 
Stray Cat Strut - Birdie
 
My purr will go on – Little Orange (PH)
 
(Everything I mew) I mew it for you - Skye
 
You got a fur-iend  - Skouch
 
Good vibrations - Arnie
 
 
What does YOUR cat sing?
 
Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by (mostly) Michele Wright
with Brigid Coult & Phaedra Hardman
 
 


1 comment:

  1. this was such a great article, I love to see all the cats, and be introduced to some I have never met ...
    Dianne

    ReplyDelete