Neko jumps back when she hears him, although it's only out of surprise; she's no longer frightened by then. She tries to answer, but all she can do is meow merrily for a moment before realizing she can't talk like a person while she's a cat. Of course. It's easy to forget.

So she does the next best thing; she creates the illusion of her voice, only for Peter to listen.

"I'm Neko. Who are you?"