Our feline friends reserve their meows for us. In rare cases, their vocalisations are directed to other cats, typically when they are in heat.
So a cat meowing in your presence means she is making an effort to communicate with you. By vocalising, she is likely “training” you to understand what she is saying.
Why Is a Cat Meowing at Me?
The body language, facial expressions, and scents of adult cats are their main tools in communicating with one another.
As for kittens, they meow to tell their mother when they feel hungry or cold. However, this behaviour slowly subsides as they grow older.
However, over the years, our furry friends observed that humans are unable to read these cues. To solve this dilemma, they turned to vocalisation. Cats have evolved to meow to interact with humans better.
Author Nicholas Nicastro, who engaged in meow research, said, “Sweet meows evolved over millenniums as people selected house cats that made nicer noises.”
Understanding Why a Cat Is Meowing
According to research, cats have a wide vocal repertoire and are found to produce 21 different vocalisations. To help you decode cat chat, here are the usual sounds they make and what they mean.
1. Meow
- A short meow is likely to mean, “Hello!” If your cat utters this as you arrive home, it is her way of greeting you.
- Multiple meows usually translate to an excited greeting. However, if she emits excessive meowing, it is a potential symptom of an illness like kidney disease or an overactive thyroid.
- Older cats tend to meow more often because of body changes caused by ageing such as poor eyesight, hearing impairment, or lack of coordination. If the meowing is at a rapid-fire pace, your feline friend is likely insisting that you pay more attention to her.
- If the meow is throaty (a mrrow) and drawn out, her vocalisation might be indicating resistance or worry. The low-pitched mrrow usually suggests
- If your cat wants you to feed her, she is likely to vocalise a mid-pitched meow.
2. Chirp, Trill, and Chatter
Whenever a cat feels excitement or frustration, she may let out a chattering meow accompanied by tail twitching. Felines are likely to do this when they see small animals outside a window, triggering their predatory drive.
3. Purr
This soft and deep rumbling in your pet’s throat does not only indicate contentment or happiness. Sometimes, purring is also her way of telling you that she feels sick and needs you near. This is especially true when cat purring is accompanied by flattened ears.
4. Yowl
A hollow-toned yowl is done by queen cats when in search of male cats to mate with. This type of vocalisation may also be emitted by tom cats when smelling a female cat in heat.
A prolonged yowl can mean your cat isn’t feeling happy. She might be experiencing some type of discomfort, anxiety, or territorial issues. It can also mean agitation and anger as well as separation anxiety.
Yowling also indicates boredom or a dislike for something in the cat’s environment. A cat meowing repeated yowls may be a sign of illness, like feline Alzheimer’s, deafness, and other health issues. Bring your cat for a check-up at the vet when this happens.
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5. Snarl or Growl
Sometimes accompanied by a hiss, snarls and growls are uttered by cats who feel threatened, fearful, or angry. This can begin or end (or both) with a yowl.
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6. Scream or Shriek
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FAQs About a Cat Meowing
1. What Do You Do With a Cat Meowing Too Much?
If your cat is meowing too much, the first thing you have to do is get her checked by the vet. Her increased vocalisation might be a sign that she is in pain due to an illness or injury.
Most felines have a high pain tolerance. So they do not vocalise unless the pain has become unbearable.
If the medical results indicate that your pet is healthy, her excessive meowing is a sign of attention-seeking behaviour. Ignore her if this is the case.
Even spraying her with water or covering your ears is still giving her attention, which is the point of the relentless meowing. You will need to patiently pretend not to be affected by the sound. In that way, she learns that it is not tolerated. Reward her once she calms down.
2. Why Does a Cat Meow in the Middle of the Night?
Often, a cat meowing in the middle of the night means she is in hunting mode. As crepuscular animals, felines are most active during the twilight hours, ranging between dawn and dusk. Cats tend to be noisy creatures in the middle of their late-night hunting activity.
However, meowing in the middle of the night can be a clinical sign of cognitive dysfunction.
If you suspect that your cat has developed this brain disorder, take her to the veterinarian immediately.
3. Should You Meow Back to Your Cat?
You can meow back to your cat, but do not expect her to understand what you mean. For many felines, human meows are similar to human language.
Some cats are not fond of their human companions meowing back at them. If your pet feels the same way, avoid subjecting her to this type of behaviour.
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4. When Should I Be Worried About My Cat Meowing?
Be worried about your cat meowing when it becomes more persistent and other signs of feline illness begin to crop up, such as:
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Increased thirst
- Incoordination
Monitor her for behavioural changes as well, such as refusal to pee in the litter tray, aversiveness to touch, and avoiding drinking from the water bowl.
Acquiring a proper diagnosis from the veterinarian can help find and treat the underlying disease.
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Conclusion
A cat meowing could mean different things to different people. There is no universal feline language, although there are cat vocalisations that generally have universal meanings.
According to anthrozoologist John Bradshaw, pet owners and their cats develop a “secret code of meows” that only they can understand.
That considered, the person who can best understand what a cat is saying is the feline pet’s owner. So if you think your cat’s meow means a certain thing, you are most probably right.
