What Do You Want?

I am a dog person.  When I had a dog in my life, it was seldom that I did not know what the dog wanted.  He communicated well with me and, I hope, I communicated well with him.

Now, I have cats.  While we communicate well on routine matters, we do not communicate well for unusual or non-routine situations...

I understand:  I want to be fed (although they always have dry food out); I want out (but not on my terms of being in a pen or being on a harness); wake up; let's sit in the living room; I don't want to sit on the sofa if the other cat is there; I want out in the garage; I want in from the garage.

I do not understand what incessant crying and pacing on the kitchen counter means. I do not know what racing and chasing each other means.

Maybe I need a cat dictionary.