A Vocal Companion

I was a teacher for over 26 years and became medically disabled in 2019. I learned how to hand stitch in sashiko style and began to upcycle denim clothes and sell them in my own Etsy store. I really enjoy designing patterns to sew. Hand stitching is relaxing and keeps my hands strong. My shop is MoStitcheryAndGoods https://etsy.me/3hS3pQW.

My cat, Bogie, was born under a bougainvillea bush on June 15, 2015. Her mother was a feral cat who moved three of her kittens to a screen porch before becoming exhausted. I was helping with feral cat rescue, checked the yard just in case, and found Bogie all alone in the nest. We bonded when I picked her up. I helped raise her from the day she was born and now she is my Emotional Support Animal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic I began to watch videos of dogs using recordable buttons to talk to their owners. Bogie is very intelligent and sometimes seemed to get frustrated. I wondered if, like children, communication issues could be the source of her frustration. I set out to teach her to communicate through the buttons.

I chose four words to teach her: treats, petting, kisses, and brush. These are all things she loves. I pressed the buttons every time I gave treats, pet her, gave kisses, or brushed her. It took about 5 weeks for her to finally push a button and get rewarded. Then I had to take the treat button away because she abused it constantly. Now I use the treat button twice a day. It surprised me how much attention she really needs and wants. Many times it is in the middle of my attention to sewing or working on the computer. She now understands ‘no’ and is learning ‘wait’. She uses the buttons several times throughout the day though. She wants a lot of attention. I think many pets need more attention than most people realize.

Do cats argue? Well, we did have an argument at four o’clock in the morning. She woke up and decided she wanted to be brushed.

Bogie: Brush.

Me: No.

Bogie: Brush.

Me: No, sleep.

Bogie: Brush.

Me: No.

Bogie: Brush.

Me: No and I am going to take your buttons away!

Me: I didn’t mean that, you want the brush?

Bogie: Brush.

Taking her power to speak away is not an option. She has intelligence and I opened the door for learning. It would be cruel to cut her channel of communication off. What she needs is more buttons to express herself in greater detail. Not being able to communicate is the greatest source of frustration for most individuals.

Giving her communication tools has made her less frustrated and she gets the attention she wants and needs. It gives me breaks to bond with her away from screen time and connect with a living being, especially when she asks for kisses. It gives me time to put work aside so she is not in the middle of it. Bogie waits for me to answer her and reply, “Come.”

Bogie deserves EmPAWyee of the Month because she has learned to communicate with her human and is an excellent Emotional Support Animal. She is learning new words and new buttons are being introduced to expand her verbal vocabulary. She has learned to let me sleep, though she pounces on the buttons as soon as I wake up. She must be watching closely. I have learned to stop and give her attention throughout the day, which gives both of us a nice break from screens and isolation. I am glad I am able to spend more time with Bogie now. I like that we have a relationship where we can fulfill each other’s needs in life. Being able to communicate more clearly has opened a new door for us to coexist in happiness and become closer companions.