Not quite an Orient Express mystery...

I am so relieved I have just solved a mystery regarding my darling little Magic. For the past month or so she has been shrieking at me intermittently. It is a horrible, high pitched, teeth on edge kind of scream unlike any she has made before. She does it particularly when I have my back to her when I come out of the shower and if she is in the kitchen with me but also sometimes if she is just sitting near me.

When I ask her what it is, she looks at me so intently as though she wants to tell me something, and even stretches a paw out, before doing it again. Magic is not a vocal cat with me preferring long lingering eye contact or touch. She is only vocal when hissing and growling at Red or after a cattery stay where she 'adopts' an accent. We usually just ignore her new voice and lavish praise on her when she is quiet and it settles; though the time she adopted a Siamese yam seemed particularly prolonged.

I'll admit I've been worried and have considered a vet visit as I couldn't fathom out what it was that was causing this. I was worried she had a pain. However, she can climb wherever she puts her mind to, has no eating or toileting issues and I cannot elicit any pain along her body. So, the mystery remains as to why she is still making these sharp screams which make me wince as well.

In the absence of any other evidence I am forced to conclude it might be attention seeking but I am with them night and day and they get tons of attention. However, this morning the mystery was solved while I was sitting on a train.

We live very near a train station but they are electric trains and super quiet though if you listen you can hear them stopping, some beeping and snatches of the odd announcement. When I was on the train this morning I heard the high toned beep, beep, beep at each stop which indicates that the door open button can be pressed.....and do you know what?....it sounded very familiar as each 'beep' is at exactly the same tone and of the same duration as my little Magic's screech. She is not in pain, she is attention seeking and she has adopted a new accent courtesy of Scot Rail.