I've never heard that term. But I like it.

In part because I wanted to make sure that I didn't constantly measure her according to the standard of Ingrid--which would be unfair to Ingrid, unfair to me, unfair to the new kitty--I was hesitant to bring a new cat home to live with me. I thought it might be too soon.

Yup, Ingrid had an amazing variety of vocalizations.

Matilda hardly uses her voice at all. She makes noise in other ways: galloping around, turning over a piece of furniture (just her house, which is fine--that is for her to destroy as she sees fit, rather than ruining my other stuff), etc. She flipped over her house and got it to bang against the wall while I was in the shower, and it sounded like somebody had hit my front door with a battering ram. (I'm gonna have to put some sort of weight in the bottom of it.)

But talk? Not much. She cried softly as I carried her to my car when I adopted her, she cried softly when she got tangled up in my sheets and hung off the bed in sort of a cocoon, she squeaked when she saw her image in the mirror, she squeaked last night one time when I picked her up, but she does not talk. Looks at me and moves her mouth in a silent mime of "meow."

I've known people who had cats that started talking when they were ready. Sometimes after years. Sometimes after many years. I assume that Matilda could hiss or growl if she wanted (although I'm not sure). But this Harpo Marx thing is a new one on me.

Any advice/comments? Does she need a speech therapist or a vocals coach?