I just wanted to thank everyone for their sweet comments about our sweet Jesse James. Unfortunately, his time with us was very short. Only 11 days. But in that short time, he captured our hearts. He was a rescue from the county animal shelter and after 3 days home with us, and his other 2 sisters (Holly & Maggie May), he was stricken with feline distemper. Our vet, Marla Blackstone and her wonderful staff tried everything in the world to save our sweetheart, but to no avail. We miss him even today, but because of your wonderful, comforting comments, our Jesse is still alive in our hearts today. We believe that Jesse James helped send us our 2 new babies, a brother and sister, Bullet Bob and Sassy. We adopted them from Dr. Blackstone’s rescue. Again, thank you for your wonderful comments about our sweet boy! Jesse James…..
Just remember, sometimes it isn’t how long you have the kitty, it’s how well you’ve treated him. Jesse has a soft towel and a fuzzy bear… I’m sure he felt loved. Bless you for caring.
i agree, renae. i wish he had lived to see your comment, although i never met him in person myself. i told one of my best friends that he was one of the cutest things i ever saw, and that it was a shame that he hadn’t lived past his 2 month old b-day.
May the memories of your short ime with Jesse fill the whole left by his leaving, may they be happy and loving. Rest well, Jesse, your beloved human will see you again.
Oh dear, that is so sad. I lost an eight month old foster baby to FIP a few months ago, and there is just no end to the tears… Warm thoughts for Jesse and you…
Thanks, CatRancher. Sorry to sound maudlin, but I think I feel worse “emotionally” than physically. I’m realizing that I’m kind of a fish out of water at my job, and people whom I thought were my friends, were not. As you all know, I’m sensitive about these things. It really stings. Plus, I’m thinking about looking for a different job, and I’m just not ready….
How heartbreaking to lose such a beautiful kitten at such a very young age. Though his time here on earth was very short, we hope it was filled with love and that you have some beautiful memories of him to treasure always. Sweet Jessie. may you rest in peace in the arms of angels.
Oh, gosh…unbearable, UNBEARABLE to think of! Poor, dear J. James - breaking hearts instead of laws! But you’ll see him again, with that same wondering expression, wondering what took you so long (sniff).
*Your Bi-Lingual Kitty*
Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. It is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch.
Vocal communication involves caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of this language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans.
The only meowing in the cat world is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat.
So why do cats have two “languages?” Because meowing is unnecessary in a cat’s world. But in your world, your pet cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.
The disarming “meow” however gets you to do what she wants and so that develops into a second language. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.
Cats have dozens of meow sounds that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”
Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”
Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.
Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were conveying.
Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).
Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.
It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.
The Meaning Behind the Meows
Your cat uses the basic meow in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.
Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”
See? No wonder we missed you so much! What a great article. It’s soooo true, like understanding your (human) baby’s cries… we know our furr babies cries, too. I used to have two Siamese sisters, Chee-Chee and Chee-Choy, when I was a teenager, and they just talked for talking’s sake, I think. They were such chatty-cats!
I think that you are right on with your analysis of cat language. Have you seen the Tidy Cat commercial where the cat cannot find her litter box? She searches on the computer with “not found” results and calls “information” and is not understood. Each time she gives a meow that expresses her distress perfectly. I love that commercial.
As for job troubles, I understand that completely. I just left a career that I hated and my hatred of it poisoned all my efforts to function well with my co-workers. Is there anything that you love to do that you can earn money at? Work relationships will go much more smoothly with that.
oh no, now I’m crying at work…poor sweet baby. I’m so sorry. I know you took good care of your beautiful angel Jesse…only two months old. I’ll say a little prayer for all of you. Na
Poor Little Jesse. He’ll get his little wings now. An Angel Cat he will be.
O
^ ^
( - - )
>o<
Sorry, I tried to make a cat with a halo.
My heart was in it. It’s for Little Jesse.
This is too sad. I love all the kitties in the world even without meeting them. Hope he had a good life the short time he was here on earth. Sorry for your loss
What a sweet sweet Jesse. RIP Jesse. I know how hard it is to loose a loved baby no matter how long you have had them. As I just lost a loved dog two days ago.
Aww.. I am so sorry, he was adorable. It is so hard to lose a pet, even if you only had him for a short time. It’s great to know you cared for him so dearly. This makes me so sad
I know how much they are hurting by loosing ther kitten i had to put my two cats to sleep a few months ago. They were 15 years old one had cancer and one s kidney failed him they were my babys. Bless u fer taking care of jesse.
So sad to know sweet Jesse James left too soon. A year ago I had to put my Heidi to sleep & even though I adopted two 3 year-old female cats from the shelter in Nov., I still miss dear Heidi every day. She was my dear friend for 11 years & I still haven’t gotten over losing her. It hurts less & less but I know she will fill that space in my heart every day I live. I can’t imagine losing a blessing like Jesse James after having him in your life such a short time.
My good thoughts are with you & I thank you for sharing your loss. Your sad story will only make me appreciate & love my cat babies every day I spend with them.
My apologies. I thought that I was replying to an individual, not posting a comment. The appropriate comment is, of course, concerning sweet little Jesse. I’m sure that he is keeping my sweet little foundling company at the Rainbow Bridge. Luckily her three siblings found wonderful homes after I fostered them.
Bless his sweet little heart. This made me teary-eyed. How unfair for him to have such a short life - but I’m glad he had a cozy home and was well-loved. This is a nice way to honor him.
What a sweet looking baby!! I’m so sorry you lost him WAY too soon.
I know what it’s like. I’ve had and lost a lot of cats in my life but we never expect to lose a baby.
I lost my little Whipsey at 13 months (a guess, she was a rescue) and I’ve NEVER been so bereft at the loss of a cat.
Maybe they’re playing together on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Whipsey can teach Jesse to play fetch and how to dismember a toy mouse!
Jesse James — 4/16/06 - 6/15/06 (RIP Sweet Jesse)
poor baby:(
I just wanted to thank everyone for their sweet comments about our sweet Jesse James. Unfortunately, his time with us was very short. Only 11 days. But in that short time, he captured our hearts. He was a rescue from the county animal shelter and after 3 days home with us, and his other 2 sisters (Holly & Maggie May), he was stricken with feline distemper. Our vet, Marla Blackstone and her wonderful staff tried everything in the world to save our sweetheart, but to no avail. We miss him even today, but because of your wonderful, comforting comments, our Jesse is still alive in our hearts today. We believe that Jesse James helped send us our 2 new babies, a brother and sister, Bullet Bob and Sassy. We adopted them from Dr. Blackstone’s rescue. Again, thank you for your wonderful comments about our sweet boy! Jesse James…..
Awww, I am sorry to hear about Jesse James.
One of his sisters has the SAME name as my baby! [Maggie May] :]
i’m sorry for your loss.i wish they could of saved him
poor little jesse!!!!
Eeep! Two month ol’ kitty.
Poor little fella. I like grey kittys too.
Awwww……what a sweetie! RIP Jesse. He’ll be waiting at the rainbow bridge.
Just remember, sometimes it isn’t how long you have the kitty, it’s how well you’ve treated him. Jesse has a soft towel and a fuzzy bear… I’m sure he felt loved. Bless you for caring.
This kitten is really cute I wonder what it will look like when it gets older and it looks like it gets really good excersize good job bye now.
the kitten died. he won’t get any older!!!!!
i agree, renae. i wish he had lived to see your comment, although i never met him in person myself. i told one of my best friends that he was one of the cutest things i ever saw, and that it was a shame that he hadn’t lived past his 2 month old b-day.
Oh dear…what happened to sweet little Jesse?
It doesn’t matter how long we have them, we still love and miss them forever.
May the memories of your short ime with Jesse fill the whole left by his leaving, may they be happy and loving. Rest well, Jesse, your beloved human will see you again.
Oh, how sad! I hope he had a good life, short as it was.
What a sweetheart! Hope your time with him was enjoyable…sorry he had to leave so soon.
Oh dear, that is so sad. I lost an eight month old foster baby to FIP a few months ago, and there is just no end to the tears… Warm thoughts for Jesse and you…
Only two months?? Poor little guy. I’m sure he is in Heaven now because he is angelic. Hugs and kisses to Jesse.
Jesse is in the arms of the angels, waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. Bless you for loving him during his short stay here…
CatRancher–thanks for caring! I’ve felt pretty cruddy the last few days—sorry I’ve been “absent”….
Dee, so sorry you have been under the weather. I hope you feel better soon.
Glad you’re back with us….lots of nasty viruses going around here in Iowa, a bit early in the season it seems..hope you are feeling Mucho better!
Thanks, CatRancher. Sorry to sound maudlin, but I think I feel worse “emotionally” than physically. I’m realizing that I’m kind of a fish out of water at my job, and people whom I thought were my friends, were not. As you all know, I’m sensitive about these things. It really stings. Plus, I’m thinking about looking for a different job, and I’m just not ready….
So sorry you lost him - he looks lovely.
a horrible, horrible shame!! So sorry for your loss.
How heartbreaking to lose such a beautiful kitten at such a very young age. Though his time here on earth was very short, we hope it was filled with love and that you have some beautiful memories of him to treasure always. Sweet Jessie. may you rest in peace in the arms of angels.
Oh so sad for your loss. He looks sweet and wise beyond his sort time here.
Oh, gosh…unbearable, UNBEARABLE to think of! Poor, dear J. James - breaking hearts instead of laws! But you’ll see him again, with that same wondering expression, wondering what took you so long (sniff).
What a sweetheart!! RIP Jesse James!! I just love those big green eyes!! XOXOXOXOXO
~ j
OK… in tears here…. So glad he was loved.
What a beautiful, angelic little boy. We can all empathize with your sorrow.
What a gorgeous boy! I’m so sorry for your loss…but that kitty knew he was LOVED!!!
Awww, poor little thing to die so young.
Oh, poor kitty!!!! What happened to him? I hope he’s chasing his tail (or taking a nice nap — naps are very important) in Kitty Heaven right now.
How sad - he was beautiful. RIP little Jesse.
It’s a shame to see such a cutie had such a short life.
interesting article….
*Your Bi-Lingual Kitty*
Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. It is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch.
Vocal communication involves caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of this language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans.
The only meowing in the cat world is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat.
So why do cats have two “languages?” Because meowing is unnecessary in a cat’s world. But in your world, your pet cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.
The disarming “meow” however gets you to do what she wants and so that develops into a second language. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.
Cats have dozens of meow sounds that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”
Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”
Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.
Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were conveying.
Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).
Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.
It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.
The Meaning Behind the Meows
Your cat uses the basic meow in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.
Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”
See? No wonder we missed you so much! What a great article. It’s soooo true, like understanding your (human) baby’s cries… we know our furr babies cries, too. I used to have two Siamese sisters, Chee-Chee and Chee-Choy, when I was a teenager, and they just talked for talking’s sake, I think. They were such chatty-cats!
I think that you are right on with your analysis of cat language. Have you seen the Tidy Cat commercial where the cat cannot find her litter box? She searches on the computer with “not found” results and calls “information” and is not understood. Each time she gives a meow that expresses her distress perfectly. I love that commercial.
As for job troubles, I understand that completely. I just left a career that I hated and my hatred of it poisoned all my efforts to function well with my co-workers. Is there anything that you love to do that you can earn money at? Work relationships will go much more smoothly with that.
How sad it now reminds me of my kittys liter she had on june 7. the first of 3 died dering berth. *snife*
oh no, now I’m crying at work…poor sweet baby. I’m so sorry. I know you took good care of your beautiful angel Jesse…only two months old. I’ll say a little prayer for all of you. Na
*Gone too soon FUZZ
Baby in blue FUZZ*
Poor little Jesse James! Such a beautiful little grey tabby and such big round eyes. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Poor Little Jesse.
He’ll get his little wings now. An Angel Cat he will be.
O
^ ^
( - - )
>o<
Sorry, I tried to make a cat with a halo.
My heart was in it. It’s for Little Jesse.
I’m sure he has gone to be with Bast. Sorry for your loss.
Hi,
Your kitty is soo cute.How many do you have?Is it just Jesse James?
Even though i didn’t know him I miss him so much!! :’-(
Sad story, but a sweet li’l angel.
My sympathies to Jesse’s family.
Sweet angel! Such a lovely boy with big beautiful eyes!
We love you!
*Lawless FUzz*
This is too sad. I love all the kitties in the world even without meeting them. Hope he had a good life the short time he was here on earth. Sorry for your loss
thats so sad
I bet Jesse is having a wonderful time playing kitty games with my Scooter and Ghost, who were just about his age when I lost them.
What a sweet sweet Jesse. RIP Jesse. I know how hard it is to loose a loved baby no matter how long you have had them. As I just lost a loved dog two days ago.
I am sorry to hear about your precious little purr baby. We just lost our older cat and I totally understand your pain.
Oh how sad! He was such a cute little fluff!
I am so sorry for your loss. JJ sure had a wonderful life with someone so caring for the short time he was here.
He was adorable and lovey dove.
Aww.. I am so sorry, he was adorable. It is so hard to lose a pet, even if you only had him for a short time. It’s great to know you cared for him so dearly. This makes me so sad
Too sweet for this earth, play hard at the Rainbow Bridge, little Jesse.
What happened to Jesse James he was such an adorable kitten? We have 21 cats & 3 dogs probably soon to be 4 inside. I’m tryin
I know how much they are hurting by loosing ther kitten i had to put my two cats to sleep a few months ago. They were 15 years old one had cancer and one s kidney failed him they were my babys. Bless u fer taking care of jesse.
So sad to know sweet Jesse James left too soon. A year ago I had to put my Heidi to sleep & even though I adopted two 3 year-old female cats from the shelter in Nov., I still miss dear Heidi every day. She was my dear friend for 11 years & I still haven’t gotten over losing her. It hurts less & less but I know she will fill that space in my heart every day I live. I can’t imagine losing a blessing like Jesse James after having him in your life such a short time.
My good thoughts are with you & I thank you for sharing your loss. Your sad story will only make me appreciate & love my cat babies every day I spend with them.
Lucy & Katie’s Mom
My apologies. I thought that I was replying to an individual, not posting a comment. The appropriate comment is, of course, concerning sweet little Jesse. I’m sure that he is keeping my sweet little foundling company at the Rainbow Bridge. Luckily her three siblings found wonderful homes after I fostered them.
Bless his sweet little heart. This made me teary-eyed. How unfair for him to have such a short life - but I’m glad he had a cozy home and was well-loved. This is a nice way to honor him.
What a precious little baby! Too cute to be called Jesse James. Please don’t be too sad for he’s in heaven with Jesus and the angels.
poor baby! at least you loved him for his happy but short life. he knew you loved him. what happened to this little guy?
awww Jesse James is gorgeous. love the expressive eyes and gray coloring…bless his little heart.
i was a bad putty tat! fuzz
oops! sorry only looking at his expression didn’t realize he passed. God Bless Him!
You will always have a sweet picture to remember him by. What a sweet kittie.
What a sweet looking baby!! I’m so sorry you lost him WAY too soon.
I know what it’s like. I’ve had and lost a lot of cats in my life but we never expect to lose a baby.
I lost my little Whipsey at 13 months (a guess, she was a rescue) and I’ve NEVER been so bereft at the loss of a cat.
Maybe they’re playing together on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Whipsey can teach Jesse to play fetch and how to dismember a toy mouse!
i love your kitten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just looove your cat!!!!!!!