How would you describe yourself to someone who couldn’t see you?

Louis Catorze wouldn’t need to. Anyone who couldn’t see him would certainly hear him and, after that, they probably wouldn’t want any further information.

Sometimes you just need to sit in the Japanese anemones and scream your guts out. (This photo was Le Roi’s Official Autumn Equinox Portrait 2018.)

Last week we bumped into our chat-sitteur in the pub, and we chatted about our holiday and her time trapped living in Le Château with Catorze.

She told us how much she enjoyed spending time with such a loving cat, which was quite a novelty to her since she lives with more reserved cats; Scully is more into sleeping, and her usurper stepsister Zelda prefers to direct her attention to catching birds. However, at times Catorze was also rather demanding and rude, trying to knock her phone out of her hand if she wasn’t quick enough in delivering the cuddles.

There were also the now-customary disrupted Zoom meetings, which started with the also-now-customary screaming. This was initially off-camera, then the chat-sitteur’s colleagues would say, “Ah, are you looking after that cat again?” and finally he would appear in a “Ta-dahhh!” kind of way, entering stage/screen left and bidding everyone a friendly bonjour.

The chat-sitteur’s boyfriend commented that he had “never met a cat so affectionate or so loud”. We get it, mon gars. Really, we do.

A few days before our pub meet-up, there was some discussion on my online cat group about cat voices, especially those of Chats Noirs. Catorze, it seems, is quite distinctive in his volume. Others described or posted evidence of their Dark Overlords’ beautiful, melodic little trills and, interestingly, Catorze was on my lap as I listened to his comrades but didn’t so much as flick an ear. That said, certain cats’ voices HAVE been known to make him really sit up and take notice, however deep his slumber. One of them is his own.

Oui, Mesdames et Messieurs: HIS OWN VOICE SHOCKS HIM WHEN IT IS PLAYED BACK TO HIM. Is he genuinely wondering what child of the night is making such sweet music … or, like the rest of us, is he embarrassed upon hearing himself on audio/video?

Here is a medley of the best/worst (depending on your point of view) Catorzian screams. You may wish to turn the volume down:

Greeting me when I returned home from work, having previously escaped out at The Front.
Another escape out at The Front, then changing his mind and wanting back in.
I honestly have no idea what was happening in Boys’ Club here.

For more Catorzian capers, please visit http://louiscatorze.com

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16 responses to “Le son des enfers”

  1. Kate Crimmins avatar

    How sweet! He even screams when he’s being petted. So, is that a good thing?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Screaming is so natural to him that we don’t even see it as “good” or “bad”. It just is. It’s like breathing. 😵‍💫

      Liked by 2 people

  2. mcmcneil1 avatar
    mcmcneil1

    My cats sometimes react to noises on the computer, bt none of them were around for today’s renditions. (It is too hot for them to be near a heat source – either me or the laptop. ) But I enjoyed the serenade/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Ooh, I hadn’t thought to ask people about other cats’ reactions!

      Like

  3. M - avatar

    LOL!!! That third video is a trip! Otherwise,Louis’ vocalizations are not far off Ramses’ whines – and I LOVE THOSE TOOFIES in the photo.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      When I first heard the third one I thought Cat Daddy had faked the sound!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. mmechapeau avatar
    mmechapeau

    Thank you for this assortment of Louis’s screams. My favourite is the first one. Although his intonation doesn’t tell it, Louis looks genuinely happy to see you? According to me, he sounds a bit like a deaf person when they speak.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Yes, he was certainly happy in the first one. In the second he’d been left out at The Front for ages so he was probably outraged that we’d taken so long to be to discover this. As for the third, who knows? 🤷‍♀️

      Like

  5. Herman avatar
    Herman

    Jimi looked up anxiously to me while I was playing your videos…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Oh no! I hope he wasn’t scared, and that it was more of a “The hell is THAT?” kind of look.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Penny Cooper avatar
    Penny Cooper

    Awww bless him! The last one would scare me because he sounds sooo angry! 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      No, this was pleasure, during a Boys’ Club massage! (That’s actually more scary, isn’t it?)

      Like

  7. Dr. CaSo avatar

    That is hilarious, the 3rd video is incredible, he’s just saying “keep going papa, I am a poor lonely kitty that nobody loves, I deserve a little massage!” Rosie makes the most annoying high-pitched squeaks when she’s hungry, it’s like I have a mouse in my apartment! But then she purrs when I feed her, so I forgive her 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Aww, Rosie! Is she more confident now? I miss your updates about her.

      Like

      1. Dr. CaSo avatar

        She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I am really annoyed at her, and sometimes she makes me laugh. There’s much progress to (hopefully) be made 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          It sounds like she’s made a lot already! The shy ones are often overlooked so it’s lovely that she’s found a home with you. 🐈‍⬛

          Like

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