My Cat Said "No" to me!

I do all my writing at the kitchen table. To my right is an empty chair and at this empty seat is an art glass bowl in which I keep various packages of Temptations Cat Treats. My cat, Riley Beans, is addicted to Temptations Beef and Backyard Cookout flavors. So, whenever I am writing at the table he invariably trots out to the kitchen, backs up against the cabinet opposite my chair and stares me down, and often meows at varying decibel levels to capture my full attention (from quiet, polite mew? to full out bellowing MEOW!) I usually turn my head, make eye contact with him and firmly say, "No."

This has been going on for about two years. Revere is not that interested in treats (although now he follows Riley around, curious as to what he's so riled up about.) This past weekend I was doing a lot of writing and Riley was constantly stomping out to the kitchen begging for treats, and I was repeatedly saying, "No," to him. He'd glare at me and stomp off, only to circle around through the dining room, into the living room and back into the kitchen again to give it another try.

Late afternoon I got up and walked into the living room only to encounter Riley standing there staring at me expectantly (I give him the treats in the living room, usually.) I held eye contact with him and asked him a question I no longer even remember the content of because I was so astounded by his response. I asked him the question, a yes or no one, and he immediately answered me with a perfect enunciated, "No!"  I was completely floored that my cat had just said No to me!

John was lying on the couch watching TV and his head promptly turned toward me and the cat and he asked, "Did he just say "No?" Well....yeah, he did!

I have had cats all my life. All kinds of cats. They all have unique voices. Revere's manner of speaking is along the line of strung together "oo's", although once he clearly said, "Helloo?" He sounded like a little old lady! Our old tiger cat could ask to be let "Out."

I have never had a cat in all the hundreds of cats that have been a part of my life through the years that has been able to make the N sound.

Riley Beans totally blew me away, not only by clearly enunciating the word No, but in flinging the word I so often speak to him in response to his begging for treats right back in my face like that!

Guess I'm going to try teaching him a new word, but not sure what it will be just yet.