{"id":663607,"date":"2024-10-25T10:00:37","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=663607"},"modified":"2024-11-04T11:51:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T16:51:16","slug":"cyrils-strange-reaction-to-sounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/felines-weekly\/cyrils-strange-reaction-to-sounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Would You Mind Keeping It Down? Cyril’s Strange Reaction to Sounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction<\/a> to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you met Cyril? If you haven\u2019t, you are missing out! He\u2019s the squishiest, most chilled-out, laid-back cat I\u2019ve ever known, and he often gives me lifestyle envy<\/a>. He\u2019s also living the plus-sized life, which is something we\u2019re going to be tackling in a future post. For now, I\u2019d like to tell you about another of his unique characteristics – his reaction to certain sounds.<\/p>\n

\"Cyril
Cyril is a cat with very few cares in the world.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back in 2021, I picked up a little virus; you may have heard of it. Covid something? Anyway, I had a wee bit of a cough, which apparently did not please He who shall not miss breakfast.<\/em> Every time I had the audacity to clear my throat or attempt to bring up a lung whilst in Cyril\u2019s general vicinity, I would get an angry little chatter in return.<\/p>\n

How do I know it was angry? Well, the truth is, I don\u2019t; it was just the vibe he was giving. There was no hissing or snarling, no swishing of tail or gnashing of teeth, just that chattering sound cats unleash when they\u2019ve spotted a bird, rodent, or in my ginger cat Alex\u2019s case,<\/a> a hot dog. And there was an attitude. If you live with cats, you\u2019ll know what I\u2019m talking about. That air of superiority that lets you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are, and always will be, inferior to the feline species. And that\u2019s fine, I know my place in the household hierarchy, but Cyril is not usually one to be so haughty. I\u2019m perfectly comfortable being judged by a cat, but being judged by Cyril is like being judged by a sweet, kindly old man, like Morgan Freeman or Tim Walz. The look in his eyes seemed to say \u201cI\u2019m not angry, I\u2019m just disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Don't
Don’t you want to know what I’m thinking?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coughing Paranoia<\/h2>\n

It was difficult enough dealing with wary looks and suspicious glares when allergies or an inhaled drink set off a coughing fit during Covid, but now I was also dealing with cough-barrassment at home. Was nowhere safe?!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s even more worrying is that Cyril only cackles when I cough, never when my husband or anyone else does. It\u2019s pretty hard not to take it personally. I almost had myself convinced that it was all down to Cyril\u2019s love and concern for my health when he started to chatter at other noises as well.<\/p>\n

First, it was the sneeze, but now the crinkling of an empty soda can has joined the clandestine cough on the list of sounds to be made only once I have established that I am in a Cyril-free zone. I cannot bear the idea of disrupting his snooze time; the poor cat is only managing 18, maybe 20 hours of sleep a day.<\/p>\n

\"Cyril
Cyril is not a fan of the can.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why The Strange Reaction to Sounds?<\/h2>\n

Being an indoor kitty, one might theorize that Cyril\u2019s chatter is nothing more than misplaced hunting sounds, but he will also make these vocalizations to birds<\/a> spied on nearby rooftops.<\/p>\n

I needed more information.<\/p>\n

When researching the topic of cat chatter, I have found a number of different explanations for the sound, none of which were particularly surprising:<\/p>\n