The Meaning Behind Your Cat's Meow

Everyone knows that cats say 'meow', but did you know that cats have an entire vocabulary all their own? They meow, mew, yowl, purr, chirp, hiss, spit, chatter, and more. Here is a handy guide to help you speak your cat's language.

Cats communicate with humans and other animals through sound, scent, and body language. Of these methods of communication, their sounds have the most variety. Let's take a look at the different sounds your cat might make, and what they're trying to tell you.

The Meow

This is an all-purpose sound that cats use almost exclusively with humans. A relatively loud meow can be used as a greeting when you walk in the door. Softer meows are usually requests for attention, food, or some other need.

It's likely that meowing is a carry-over from the cat's younger days, when it meowed to its mother when it needed something. An adult cat meowing to a human is saying, "Hey Mom/Dad '" help me out here!" Some cats will meow as they try to lead you to the food bowl '" a message you can't help but get!

Mewing and Purring

Very soft mewing or silent meowing is a sign of intense happiness, love, and contentment. These sounds may be combined with purring, a very fast buzzing of the vocal cords that indicates a happy, relaxed cat. (For reasons that elude the experts, some cats will also purr when they are in distress or near death.)

Chirping and Chattering

These noises indicate the presence of prey nearby. A cat who notices its prey might make a quick, high, chirping sound before it pounces. If the cat cannot reach its prey, it might begin chattering.

Chattering can sound like a mixture of barking, tooth clicking, and chirping. It is a sound of intense interest and possibly frustration. YouTube is full of videos of "barking cats" exhibiting this behavior.

Growling and Hissing

These sounds are fairly self-explanatory. Cats hiss when they feel threatened or annoyed, or when a stranger surprises them. They may also emphasize their hissing with swatting of the paws.

Growling is a more dangerous sound. It means the cat has had enough, and it's ready to bite if you push it further. If your cat is hissing or growling, move away and give it time and space to settle down '" or the growl could turn into a scream of attack.

Caterwauling

Caterwauling is the obnoxious yowling sound made by a cat in heat. It can sound eerie, almost like the cry of a human baby. To reduce the amount of caterwauling around your home, spay or neuter your pet and keep them indoors as much as possible.

The Distress Call

Like grown cats, small kittens make a variety of sounds. They have a distress call, which sounds like a series of loud, piercing meows in rapid succession. This noise helps reunite mother cats with their lost kittens, and can also indicate discomfort or great need.

Excessive Vocalization

If your cat talks all the time, it could just want lots of attention. It could also be the sign of an underlying health or psychological issue. Older cats who vocalize excessively might be showing signs of feline dementia. The only way to know for sure is to have your cat checked out by a veterinarian. They might refer you to an animal behavior expert.

Attention-seeking cats can be trained to stop their excessive vocalization, but it's not easy. Prepare for a few weeks of ignoring your cat's ever longer and louder meows.

Over time, cats have learned to cooperate with (read: train) humans through a collection of various vocalizations. Now you can listen to your kitty and have an idea of what they're trying to tell you '" a fact that will elicit much purring in the future.