Carolyn Holm

Hey Poppy,
I love your Cat Voice!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
?????????
Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Your Cat Voice!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m not a cat. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I know sweetie. I’m not saying you are a cat. I’m talking about your voice FOR cats!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
???????????
Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You have a special voice you use just for cats.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
??????????
Poppy

Dear Poppy
It’s a high pitched “Hmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm“. When I hear that special voice, I know to look for a cat nearby. It’s a signifier. Like when we walk by David’s house, and the little black and white cat is in the grass by the fence. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
That little cat loves that spot.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I love it that you always look for him there. And when he’s there, you use your Cat Voice, and I know to look for him. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Sometimes it’s for Louie. He likes to come into our garden, sit under the rose bushes, and stare at us. So I call him out.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You do indeed! You start in with your Cat Voice, so I know to look around for that big orange cat. And you also use your Cat Voice for cats we don’t know. If there is a cat nearby – under a parked car, on someone’s porch, lurking behind a bin – I can always tell, because you signify with your Cat Voice, and I know to look around for a cat.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
It wouldn’t make sense to make a normal noise for a cat.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Why not?
Love, Carolyn

Mom!
Cats aren’t dogs!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
This I know, sweetie. They aren’t even close. I just think it’s wonderful that you have a special voice for cats. Except, now that I think about it, you don’t use it for Winston and Puffin.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Those two aren’t REGULAR cats, they are FAMILY. They are in our pack. They are always around. I don’t need a special voice for them. But you and Dad do! You use a special higher pitched Cat Voice with them.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We do?????
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
You do. Though sometimes when Dad talks to Puffin he uses his sarcastic voice.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He does like to give Puffin a hard time. But yes, you’re right, Dad DOES have a Cat Voice!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You have a Cat Voice too. For both of the cats, and for me too.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I think you are on to something here. It’s our Small Animal Voice!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But I’m large!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Compared to the cats, maybe. You’re actually a small to medium sized dog. But sweetie, you’re a small animal to us!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I think you need to have a special Small to Medium Dog Voice. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Maybe we’ll just keep on using the Cat Voice for all of you, and call it the Pack Voice.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
It’s a good Pack Voice! We ALL like it when you use it!!!
XOXO Poppy

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A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!