This “Talking Cat” Warned His Mom That an Earthquake Was Coming!

Justin the cat uses his talking buttons to have dynamic conversations with his mom, including warning her of impending earthquakes and discussing the “stranger dogs” who try to attack his siblings on the catio.

She introduced the buttons to him in June of 2021, believing that Justin had things to say–and he didn’t disappoint!

“Stranger Dogs”

One night, a couple of coyotes tried to attack Justin’s fellow cats on the catio. They ran at the screen, trying to break through.

His mom thought he was sleeping inside, missing all of the action. However, the next day he pressed “stranger” many times in a row.

“Yes, there was a stranger dog last night,” his mom agreed.

On another occasion, Justin seemed to sense an impending earthquake. He grew very restless before it hit, pressing the buttons “ouch,” “want,” and “noise.”

He has also informed his mom that it was raining outside by pressing “water” and “outside.” She hadn’t modelled this combination before but, like many pets who use these buttons, he put the words together on his own to create new meaning.

Justin has around 50 buttons, but uses just 15-20 of them on a daily basis. Usually, his conversations with his mom are a bit more mundane. He asks to be held, petted, and played with.

Justin and his friends

Justin’s mom adopted him from a shelter in St. Paul Minnesota after weeks of searching for the perfect cat. He was four months old, and his mom says that he was the cutest kitten there! When he flopped over to show her his tummy, she fell in love.

She describes Justin as affectionate, boisterous, and smart. He can open cabinets, walks on a leash, and of course, he talks using his buttons!

Justin also lives with three other cats, who are all littermates. His mom fostered them in hopes of finding a friend for Justin and seeing if he could get along with other cats, then promptly foster failed them all.

She didn’t want to adopt a solo kitten, but also hated the thought of separating just one from the group. The trio are named Jake, Finn, and Marceline, from the show Adventure Time.

Luckily, Justin gets along well with them. His favorite is Jake, who his mom says he has a bromance with. He coexists with the others, and the three of them snuggle with each other often.

As her first cat, Justin changed his mom’s life forever. She says that cats are amazing, and she can’t picture her life without them.

Before she adopted the trio, she worried that she wouldn’t feel as close to them as she did Justin, but she absolutely does. They all have their own unique personalities, and she’s learned even more about cats through owning multiple.

Want to teach your cat to talk?

For those curious about buttons, Justin’s mom recommends paying attention to what your cat is trying to say already. Have you established any routines that they might want to ask for, like leashed walks or a certain kind of treat?

Start with one to two buttons they’ll use often, and expand from there once your cat gets the hang of things. For instance, Justin’s first buttons were “outside,” “pets,” and “play.”

The learning process can be slow, so stick with it and have patience! Once an animal understands how to use the buttons, it typically “clicks” in their mind and they learn more rapidly from there.

Of course, it’s also vital that we as humans learn how to “speak cat.” Knowing cat body language makes us more attentive cat owners who can better communicate and understand our pets.