Lipreading Mom

By Mary Smith
LipreadingMom.com Guest Blogger

Harry is my three and a half year old Maine Coon rescue cat. She saved me as much if not more than I saved her.

I got Harry as a tiny 6 week old kitten. An inquisitive, fun loving daredevil ball of fluff. Harry was named because I was told when I got him, “Here is your male kitten.” Not wanting to frighten the tiny creature, I just quickly ran my hand under the belly and felt “something”, guessing and therefore confirming I did indeed have a little boy.

A few days later we went to the veterinarian for our first shots and checkup. This was about a week after Harry came to me. The vet disappeared with my new baby and came back saying what a cute little girl kitty I had.

GIRL? What, did he switch kittens?

He showed me that, yes, Harry was a girl and what I felt was in fact her belly button, an “outie.” I laughed and was completely embarrassed for not even being able to tell a boy from a girl. I hugged her tiny furry body and said, “Well Harry, if anyone asks, your name is Harriet.”

Fast forward to the summer of 2011. I had been having severe bouts of vertigo and ringing in my ears. I had resigned myself to the fact that they were just manifestations of another health problem I have had for years. After visiting my ENT, and having a hearing test reveal that I do have hearing loss, I was to get bilateral hearing aids. I was asked what my goal was, what I wanted to hear the most. I had always wanted to hear my Harry purr. I could tell by the vibration in her that she was doing it but could never hear her.

By November I finally received my hearing aids. My world became exponentially louder and louder. The first thing I could pick up on was how incredibly loud my hair was! I was excited. I wanted to rush home and find my cat.

After some time and cajoling, and getting used to hearing myself, it happened. On January 16, 2012, Harry lay on me kneading and looking sleepy and happy. I heard this tiny sound, not sure at first what it was, but waited. She crawled closer up me and I tilted my head closer to her face. I heard it again—she purrs!

I hugged Harry and told her how happy I was to hear her kitty noises. She then looked at me and meowed with her mouth closed. HUH? She is a ventriloquist, too?

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Got a comment for Harry the Cat or her owner, Mary Smith? Post it below!