Hello, this is Dr. Karin. Read my bio, learn more about me, and meet my five cheerful cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
Yesterday, a neighbor sent me a photo of Clutch peeking through the fence from his custom-built catio (My cats are not spoiled at all!). The reason he saw that furry little face in the dark was because Clutch was singing, which he does on a daily basis.
His vocal gymnastics often take place after a meal, when he stretches his legs on the kitchen counter and walks off while munching on a delicious feast, but in the morning, evening, or during the day, he patrols his outdoor enclosure. You can often hear the sound of yodeling. . To this day, I am unable to understand the purpose or intended audience of these performances, and am beginning to believe that Clutch may be singing for himself.
Clutch sound catalog (just kidding!)
Like most cats, Clutches use a variety of sounds in addition to the classic “meow” used to communicate with us. Other than the occasional friendly chat or an irritated grumble, he doesn’t seem to have much conversation with other cats, and generally prefers the company of dogs or humans. He uses a “meow” sound to declare general hunger, but he has a more urgent, insistent meow for when he learns there’s chicken in the fridge. Songs have evolved over time. He wasn’t always a performer.
No one would describe Clutch’s overtures as classically musical, but I’m beginning to suspect that it won’t be long before I use the word “sing.” There was another time when the clutch belt exploded, and it happened to me as well.
Duet or opposition?
I enjoy performing in private, whether it’s in the shower or in the kitchen, and I think I’m getting pretty good at karaoke. But for a long time I thought clutches were strongly opposed. As soon as I finished the first few bars of the song, Clutch ran to my side and meowed plaintively. At first I thought he was complaining or worried about me getting hurt, but then Kenny went to Dolly, Elton to Kiki Dee, and Bradley to Lady Gaga. , I’m starting to think he wasn’t trying to join in…
But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
Is the clutch really singing?
I try not to anthropomorphize too much. While it’s great to empathize with our pets and try to understand the whys and wherefores of their habits and behaviors, the reality is that pets are motivated by different motives than we are. But applying what we know about cat communication, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched to classify Clutch’s vocal style as singing. Here’s why:
From what we understand, the classic cat call is a cry used only by domestic cats and evolved with the domestication of domestic cats. The sounds commonly exchanged between cats are usually a combination of yawns, purrs, meows, growls, and hisses. They don’t tend to “meow” at each other. From this, we believe that Meow is designed to communicate with us, the human servants. And while we desperately try to decipher the meaning behind their “words,” it’s far more likely that they’re simply echoing back our words. That’s what the words sound like to them.
So if the chirps are just a form of mimicry, did Clutch actually learn the song from me? Part of me wants to believe this is the case, but my other I hope I can carry the song better than him. Anyway, she seems happy when she sings, so I’m happy too.
We hope to release his debut album by Christmas.
This article is part of Dr. Karin’s 5 Hilarious Cats series.
