I think I'm developing a communication skill with the ferals

[wnylib]

23. Ember is 7 years old this month and she

still very rarely meows, like maybe 4 or 5 times in a year. She definitely knows that human words are for communication. She understands several words and listens attentively when I talk to her.

But, she does not communicate vocally to me. She does several things to get my attention, like knocking things to the floor, or rubbing my face nonstop, or tapping me with a paw. Once I am looking at her, she stands under the cupboard area where her food is and looks at me expectantly.

She slides her head under my hand when she wants to be petted. She dives into her tunnel when she wants to play hunting games. (I dangle something near the tunnel entrance and she swats at it or rushes it in a pounce.)

She does do trills sometimes, and purrs lot, but the only times that she meows are when she really, really wants to play and I have been busy or not responding to her body language. Never for food or to wake me up.

She does do a mournful howl sometimes when I am in the shower. But she doesn't do it if I get her attention as I get into the shower and say, "It's all right" several times. Same with leaving. If I don't let her know that I'm going out the door, I will hear her howl as I go down the hall to the elevator.

She does do the eye blink in response to me and sometimes initiates it herself. But meows just are not her thing.