If you think your pet is talking to you, you aren't crazy. Meowing and barking are ways that cats and dogs get human attention and signal what they want, although it isn't considered language.

Researchers believe that the cat's meow evolved specifically for interacting with humans.

Cats use other sounds, body postures and scent marking to communicate with other animals.

Pet vocalizations are differentiated and effective communication tools because owners become adept at interpreting them, said James Serpell, director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia.

"Cats learn very quickly that by meowing, they get what they want," he explained. "Some owners are quite responsive. They like cats who talk a lot. And it appears that some cats have caught on to this very quickly because they're very smart."

By listening and reacting when a cat vocalizes, the owner "is conditioning the cat to call in different ways in response to different situations," Serpell added. "I can see these becoming even more specialized, to make almost phrases that are responses to a particular set of conditions."

Barking is similar. "Dogs whine when they want something, often accompanied by a stare" at what they desire, Serpell said. "They'll bark when they want to go out and bark differently when a threat situation arises."

Dogs bark primarily to get human attention — and not always because they want something in particular. Sometimes they just feel ignored, said Katie Watterson, a nurse and dog trainer at Neffsville Veterinary Clinic.

"People need to understand that pets provide us with companionship, but they need our companionship, too," she said. "The key is to be tuned in to your pet."

To understand what an animal is "saying," pay close attention to the its body posture and location. Learn to recognize what sounds your individual pet makes in specific situations.

"Dogs are fairly easy to read by looking at their face," noted Tiffany Fickes, behavior program coordinator at the Humane League of Lancaster County. "Cats are a little harder ... but it's all in their bodies."

When cats are content, for example, they relax, become pliable and often lie down, Fickes said. Cats wanting affection look at your hand or put their head into your hand, follow you, rub against you and, when being petted, pace, knead and purr. When they've had enough petting most cats will walk away; but, if restrained, an irritated or frightened cat stiffens; its tail flicks; ears press back and it might growl.

Once you know what an animal wants in a particular situation, you can decide whether or not to comply.

"People say their dog barks in the house for no reason, but it's usually because it has figured out: If I bark, I get mom or dad's attention," Watterson said. "Even if the reaction is negative, the dog feels successful." Yelling, therefore, only reinforces the barking.

In that case, Watterson advises ignoring the dog. "Don't look at him; don't touch him; don't talk to him," she said. Reward the dog when the barking stops.

A pet's vocalizing can change as a result of stress, illness or age, so see your veterinarian. Fickes suggests getting help for excessive barking/meowing problems from the Humane League's behavior counselors, reading books and articles or consulting dog trainers.

How vocal a pet is depends on its personality and breed.

"I have a half-Siamese cat who just likes to hear herself talk," joked Fickes, although "most cats meow only if they need something."

The only "dictionary" of house-cat vocalizations comes from a 1944 study by psychologist Mildred Moelk who described 16 distinct sounds, including consonants and vowels, organized into three categories, which essentially express a cat's satisfaction/greeting, demands/complaints and stress/arousal.

Vocalizations do not represent words, Moelk emphasized, but cats can produce enormous variations within the basic patterns, reflecting their intentions and emotions. A meow for human attention "may vary in tone from soft coaxing to imperative command," she wrote. A demand can turn into begging or complaining with specific acoustical changes.

Meowing and barking are not pet languages because they have no grammar, syntax or common symbols. But experts say vocalizing is communication because it shows information transfer, causing desired responses, and it reflects the animal's ability to observe, interpret and remember.

According to a recent National Geographic Magazine article, studies of several species, including dogs, suggest that animals can also understand complex human language.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, say some dogs respond to hundreds of human words and symbols. They can learn new words as fast as a 2-year-old child.

Scientists theorize that dogs learned to interpret human verbal and body language by living with humans for 15,000 years. It's a talent their wild relatives — wolves — do not have.


Interpreting pet language
Pets communicate with us by using body movements and facial expressions, along with various sounds and scents.

Below are some examples of the feline and canine body language vocabulary.

Tail up: A dog is confident or on alert. A cat is playful, happy, confident.

Wagging tail: A dog is friendly, excited or curious. A cat's gently flowing tail means it is interested, but a rapidly flicking or thumping tail signals irritation.

Tail lowered: The cat or dog is afraid. Other signs are ears flattened, eyes narrowed or averted, and body cringing. A cat's tail wrapped low against its body means it is either contented or defensive.

Rubbing: Dogs usually rub to be scratched or petted. A cat will rub its cheeks against things to mark their ownership — including of people. But rubbing its body or the top of its head against you, and head butting, are signs of feline affection.

Play stance: Playful dogs raise their hindquarters in a "play bow," wag their tails and bark in rapid spurts. Cats stare at what they want to play with, stalk, crouch and pounce.

Staring at you: The animal usually wants attention, but check other body signals because it might be planning to attack. If you're eating, your pet wants your food.

Resources: www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/CanineBody_Language.pdf?docID=6521, and "Paws For Thought: How To Understand What Your Cat Is Thinking," by Anne Leighton.