Ask Amy

Dear Amy,
    We have adopted a female marmalade tabby. From what I hear she's rare -- a female full marmalade. But what gets me is no matter what she is doing she always talks. What makes one cat more vocal than the next?
    My previous cat never talked unless she was hungry or upset. But Scotch talks all the time. I mean if we aren't talking to her, she goes to the deck window and barks at the birds out there. It is very awesome!
    What makes her sooo vocal? Is that just the way she is? Or is there a reason? We know she's not unhappy. We pay all kinds of attention to her.
    Well this not a big deal. I just wanted to know because I want all my future cats to talk ... heh, heh.
-- Angela
 

Dear Angela,
    I have noticed that female marmalades are less common than male marmalades. I'm not sure I would call them rare, though. Still, I expect that Scotch is very rare and very precious indeed!
    I always like to hear about cats that like to talk. I'm partly or mostly Siamese. We are known for being very vocal. I love to talk. That is why I have this job. I always have something to say about everything. Sometimes people think I just want to hear my own voice, but really, I have lots to say ... it is just that my people don't understand cat language. That is pretty bad, don't you think? I mean, they expect us to understand lots of their words, and then they are just too slow to learn our words. Oh, well. They do provide lots of yummy treats and a soft lap, so I cannot fuss too much. And they sometimes let me use the computer, but not too often. Everyone complains I leave too much fur on the keyboard!
    So, if someday, you want another cat that is likely to be very talkative, I do recommend a Siamese mix. Could be that Scotch is one of us ... the color pattern does not always show in mixes.
    Also, to get the type of cat you really want, it is best to adopt them when they are adults. When they are already grown, it is easier to tell what they are like. With a kitten, you just don't know how they will turn out!!

Good luck,
-- Amy

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