My Maine Coon is very good at non verbal communication. When it is time for me to change the litter, she sits in front of the bathroom door, the box is in there, and stares at me while I am relaxing in my recliner. She stares till I get up get a garbage bag and head to her bathroom.
Her food bowls and water are next to a workbench I use for a table and all around everything, being single has its advantages, she assumes the position and stares. She does not say anything, just stares. That translates into I want my treats, NOW. It works.
I went away for a month and my mother took over the maintenance of my cat. Mom had never had a cat in her house, she promptly fell in love with Abby. Mom gave her fresh water twice a day with not 1, 2, 3, but 4 ice cubes each time. Abby can count, if I short her a cube I get the STARE. Mom also dumped her feeding bowls once a day, washed them and refilled them whenever Abby gave her the STARE. Mom also decided it was a good idea to change her litter each day. My mother ruined my cat.
I also was stupid enuff to start to feed a couple of feral cats 2 winters ago in our neighborhood. That practice soon ballooned into 7. Word spreads in the cat world that there is a crazy cat guy in training. They will train you. When they deem it is time to be fed at first they would bang their shoulder against my front door 4 times. Sounded just like a human was at my door. Course I came running. Now that I am fully trained they only bang once but very hard. It works.
I am a cat guy since I worked long hours a dog, which I always had before, is not practical for me. Miss my dogs but do love the independent streak that all cats have.
Have you considered trap/neuter/release for your ferals? An animal welfare group can probably help you get it do for free, or at least cheaply.
She does not wake me up in the morning to feed her, because she knows that's the first thing I will do anyway. I can't sit on the couch and read a book without her jumping onto my lap, then working herself over my left shoulder (always the left one) until she is draped evenly over it. Try reading with 12 lbs. of Coon over your shoulder! If petting her does not commence then within a few seconds, she takes my fingers in her mouth and gently squeezes to remind me.
When I am trying to watch a DVD while propped up in bed, she does the funniest thing: brings one of her mousie toys in while making this weird sound she only makes when carrying one of her mousie toys into my bedroom. Then she drops it at the foot of the bed, her "movie ticket". She only brings mousie toys in and drops them thus when I'm watching a DVD, NOT while I'm reading or trying to sleep. Is that funny, or what?
My little rescue girl Kefira is endlessly amusing. Tonight, she was rocketing around my home, leaping onto and off of various furniture, uttering little whirring noises as she does when she's excited. Could not stop laughing, which eggs her on all the more.
Cats are one of G-d's BEST creations, for sure!
I take it then I can safely call you a Pu$$y?
I am going to adopt a Maine Coone when I move out into a condo or house.
Have you ever been awakened by a cat? How do they know to slap on the face with their paws to wake you up?